• Music & Theatre

    My Fair Lady: Part 1

    Today’s #WeeklyWednesday returns us to my #NYU Master’s recital ?? for part one of my character study of Eliza Doolittle from Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady! This video includes portions from the opening of the show through “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.” If you’ve already watched my full recital performance, I hope you enjoy revisiting it (this time, edited with two camera angles and improved audio); and if you haven’t yet seen it – thanks for watching! Stay tuned for the rest of the performance in the coming weeks – and check out the full performance here! It was so fun to work on this with my incredibly talented colleague-friends! They are: Tyler…

  • Music & Theatre

    I te vurria vasà

    I’m so grateful for the experience of living in Napoli for almost 3 years and the wonderful friends I made there ??? I came to love Neapolitan songs through singing them with a local choir ☺️ ~ and when it came to my NYU Master’s Recital, I knew I wanted to include these very special pieces. Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is the last of four. “I’ te vurria vasà” has music by Eduardo di Capua and lyrics by Vincenzo Russo. I’ te vurria vasa (1900) Translation: Berny Devlin, Luca Schiano di Cola, and Ashley Wagner Special thanks to Luca Schiano di Cola for language help brushing up my Neapolitan!! Also to Hamlet’s…

  • Music & Theatre

    Dduje paravise

    I’m so grateful for the experience of living in Napoli for almost 3 years and the wonderful friends I made there ??? This piece is one of my absolute favorites of all the Neapolitan songs I was introduced to; I have such fond memories singing it with my Neapolitan choir! “Dduje paravise” has music by E. A. Mario and lyrics by Ciro Parente, and is the third of four Neapolitan songs I included in my NYU Master’s Recital. Dduje Paravise – Two Heavens (1928) Translation: Berny Devlin, Luca Schiano di Cola, and Ashley Wagner Special thanks to Luca Schiano di Cola for language help brushing up my Neapolitan!! Also to…

  • Music & Theatre

    O’ paese d’ ‘o sole (canzone napoletana)

    I’m so grateful for the experience of living in Napoli for almost 3 years ??? I became friends with some truly wonderful people there (Neapolitans and ex-pats alike) [penso spesso a voi tutti e spero che stiate bene, specialmente adesso…]. I came to love Neapolitan songs through singing them with a local choir ☺️ ~ and when it came to my NYU Master’s Recital, I knew I wanted to include these very special pieces. So, today’s #WeeklyWednesday is the second of four: “O’ paese d’ ‘o sole” with music by Vincenzo d’Annibale and lyrics by Libero Bovio. Special thanks to Luca Schiano di Cola for language help brushing up my Neapolitan!! Also…

  • Music & Theatre

    Passione (canzone napoletana)

    I’m so grateful for the experience of living in Napoli for almost 3 years ??? I became friends with some truly wonderful people there (Neapolitans and ex-pats alike) [penso spesso a voi tutti e spero che stiate bene, specialmente adesso…]. I came to love Neapolitan songs through singing them with a local choir ☺️ ~ and when it came to my NYU Master’s Recital, I knew I wanted to include these very special pieces. So, today’s #WeeklyWednesday is the first of four: “Passione” with music by Ernesto Tagliaferri and Nicola Valente, and lyrics by Libero Bovio. Passione – Passion (1934) Translation: Natalia Chernega, Luca Schiano di Cola, and Ashley Wagner…

  • Music & Theatre

    “Bill” (Showboat) – NYU Master’s Recital

    Hey friends ? Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is another favorite from my NYU Master’s Recital ?? I’m really grateful for that moment and for the incredibly gifted friends I’ve gotten to work with at NYU. Hoping for positive resolutions for those who’ve had their recitals postponed due to corona virus ? “Bill” was composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics by P.G. Wodehouse. It was cut from an earlier show, but found a home in the revolutionary 1927 musical “Showboat.” Oscar Hammerstein revised some lyrics to suit the character of Julie LaVerne (originally played by speakeasy star Helen Morgan). I don’t remember hearing this piece before my first semester at #NYU, but I…

  • Music & Theatre

    “My Ship”

    Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is one of the earliest pieces I worked on during my time at NYU (for our group Song Analysis class), and what means the most to me about visiting this song again in my Master’s Recital is the different and more hopeful way I was able to connect to it this time.  “My Ship” was written for the 1941 musical “Lady in the Dark,” with music by Kurt Weill and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The show is pretty obscure now, but was groundbreaking at the time, due to its focus on psychoanalysis and usage of music to further the plot/action and character development.  My earlier recording (at home,…

  • Music & Theatre

    “I Have Confidence”

    Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is the opening of my NYU Master’s recital! I can’t imagine a more fitting song to describe how I felt in that particular moment and about the future in general.  The Sound of Music is possibly my favorite musical of all time (if you want to know more, check out this paper I wrote about it ?). “I Have Confidence” has music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers. It was written for the movie version of The Sound of Music, which was made after the death of the brilliant lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who collaborated with Rodgers on the rest of the work.  This was the only piece in…

  • Music & Theatre

    What Makes Me Love Him?

    Today’s #WeeklyWednesday is one of my favorite songs from my NYU Master’s recital… I’ve loved it since first hearing it probably 20 years ago on Sarah Brightman’s “The Songs That Got Away” album (which is great, if you haven’t heard it!). It was such a pleasure to perform it, and to sing it to the people who were there that night ? “What Makes Me Love Him?” is from the musical “The Apple Tree,” with music and lyrics by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. In the show (from the biblical story of creation/Adam and Eve), Eve sings this about Adam at the end of her life. I hope you enjoy…

  • Music & Theatre

    “Part of Your World” (The Little Mermaid ?‍♀️)

    Hi, friends ? For today’s #WeeklyWednesday (and upcoming weeks), I’m sharing individual songs from my NYU Master’s Recital ?? This week’s is one of my childhood Disney favorites, “Part of Your World” from ‘The Little Mermaid.’ ?‍♀️ Lyrics are by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken. My full recital including ‘My Fair Lady’ character study is available here! My phenomenal accompanist is Rachel Dean ? my wonderful vocal instructor throughout my time at NYU is Matthew Shepard Smith (if you’re looking for a teacher, contact him!!) and my fantastic vocal coach is Christine Reimer. It really has been such a privilege and joy to work with and create this…