The Met Opera’s ‘Aida’ Star Angel Blue Talks Travel And Opera

Travel

Angel Blue, soprano superstar and Los Angeles native, stars in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Verdi’s Aida, streaming Live in HD to cinemas around the world on Saturday, January 25 at 12:30 PM ET.

In addition to her long-awaited Met role debut as the Ethiopian princess, Aida, Blue also starred in Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar this past Fall at the Met, in a leading role as Margarita Xirgu.

This is a singer with some serious accolades: in 2020, Blue won the highly coveted Beverly Sills Award from the Met, and in 2022, she won the Richard Tucker Award, which honors a singer who has reached a mastery level of artistic accomplishment, on the verge of a global career. Blue has won two Grammy Awards, one for Gershwin’s Porgy And Bess, as well as Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (both for Best Opera Recording).

A former beauty pageant champion, she’s held the title of Miss Hollywood as well as 2nd runner up for Miss California.

I interviewed the multi-faceted performer on her favorite opera, her thoughts on traveling for work, where she grabs a bite around the Met, and more.
My favorite opera that’s not my own: Turandot. I have sang the role of Liù, but Turandot is a dream role of mine.
My pre-performance ritual: I try not to do anything on the day of a performance. I stretch and do some light exercise in the morning/afternoon. I warm up around 5 hours before the start of the show. I’m quiet between that warmup and the warmup in the dressing room. I stand in a power pose for 2 minutes and repeat Philippians 4:13. Sometimes I look at the music and say a prayer, then I’m ready to go.

After a performance, I: Just want to be alone, ha! Not in a bad way, but I’ve put so much of myself into the performance that I usually am almost running away from the theater to get home and rest.

My favorite kind of operagoer (does what): Enjoys the show! I love the people who come to the opera and are there to be entertained. They just want to have a good time, and I want them to have a good time! Hopefully, I can help in making the evening or matinee special for them. Just have fun. You’re sitting for a good 2 – 4 hours, so enjoy yourself!

My role model in business is: My role model in business (and in life) is my husband. Of course I could mention someone in the opera field. However, I’ve learned more about my job as a singer through my husband. The way my husband has managed his 20 + year career as a software developer is admirable. His work is constantly evolving, and he has to stay current with industry standards. He is passionate about his work and it shows in his performance; I hope to do the same as a singer. We are constantly learning and that is one of the best and most important parts of our jobs.
The best piece of career advice I’ve gotten: Treat others how you want to be treated!
Get the most out of an opera by: Go with no expectations! Just go to be entertained. It’s an afternoon or night out, so just have fun and enjoy yourself. Go with friends or someone you like to be with and have a good time. Also, read the synopsis beforehand!
The Restaurant I love most near the Met is: THE SMITH and CAFE FIORELLO’S! These two restaurants have been my go-to restaurants for nearly the past decade. I love the staff, the atmosphere, the food, etc. Both places embody what I love most about New York City…good people, good food, good conversation, and good times.
The morning after a big performance, I: Take my 13-year-old to school, have coffee with my husband, and then I go back to sleep!
My preferred way to destress is to: I try to get a decent amount of sleep and exercise. I pray frequently and try not to worry about things I cannot change.
The destination I love to travel to most for work is: This is a beautiful question. I’ve had the pleasure of singing in over 40 countries, all of which have left an imprint on my heart. In the next few months, I’ll travel to sing in Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, and Brazil. Three months ago, I was singing in Denmark and India. The world is such an amazing place, I love to travel for work and meet people. What a blessing! My husband and I often find ourselves leaving a country and saying, “Oh yeah, we could totally retire there.” I suppose my favorite place to travel is wherever I am.

The Met Opera’s ‘Aida’ Star Angel Blue Talks Travel And Opera

Travel

Angel Blue, soprano superstar and Los Angeles native, stars in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Verdi’s Aida, streaming Live in HD to cinemas around the world on Saturday, January 25 at 12:30 PM ET.

In addition to her long-awaited Met role debut as the Ethiopian princess, Aida, Blue also starred in Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar this past Fall at the Met, in a leading role as Margarita Xirgu.

This is a singer with some serious accolades: in 2020, Blue won the highly coveted Beverly Sills Award from the Met, and in 2022, she won the Richard Tucker Award, which honors a singer who has reached a mastery level of artistic accomplishment, on the verge of a global career. Blue has won two Grammy Awards, one for Gershwin’s Porgy And Bess, as well as Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones (both for Best Opera Recording).

A former beauty pageant champion, she’s held the title of Miss Hollywood as well as 2nd runner up for Miss California.

I interviewed the multi-faceted performer on her favorite opera, her thoughts on traveling for work, where she grabs a bite around the Met, and more.
My favorite opera that’s not my own: Turandot. I have sang the role of Liù, but Turandot is a dream role of mine.
My pre-performance ritual: I try not to do anything on the day of a performance. I stretch and do some light exercise in the morning/afternoon. I warm up around 5 hours before the start of the show. I’m quiet between that warmup and the warmup in the dressing room. I stand in a power pose for 2 minutes and repeat Philippians 4:13. Sometimes I look at the music and say a prayer, then I’m ready to go.

After a performance, I: Just want to be alone, ha! Not in a bad way, but I’ve put so much of myself into the performance that I usually am almost running away from the theater to get home and rest.

My favorite kind of operagoer (does what): Enjoys the show! I love the people who come to the opera and are there to be entertained. They just want to have a good time, and I want them to have a good time! Hopefully, I can help in making the evening or matinee special for them. Just have fun. You’re sitting for a good 2 – 4 hours, so enjoy yourself!

My role model in business is: My role model in business (and in life) is my husband. Of course I could mention someone in the opera field. However, I’ve learned more about my job as a singer through my husband. The way my husband has managed his 20 + year career as a software developer is admirable. His work is constantly evolving, and he has to stay current with industry standards. He is passionate about his work and it shows in his performance; I hope to do the same as a singer. We are constantly learning and that is one of the best and most important parts of our jobs.
The best piece of career advice I’ve gotten: Treat others how you want to be treated!
Get the most out of an opera by: Go with no expectations! Just go to be entertained. It’s an afternoon or night out, so just have fun and enjoy yourself. Go with friends or someone you like to be with and have a good time. Also, read the synopsis beforehand!
The Restaurant I love most near the Met is: THE SMITH and CAFE FIORELLO’S! These two restaurants have been my go-to restaurants for nearly the past decade. I love the staff, the atmosphere, the food, etc. Both places embody what I love most about New York City…good people, good food, good conversation, and good times.
The morning after a big performance, I: Take my 13-year-old to school, have coffee with my husband, and then I go back to sleep!
My preferred way to destress is to: I try to get a decent amount of sleep and exercise. I pray frequently and try not to worry about things I cannot change.
The destination I love to travel to most for work is: This is a beautiful question. I’ve had the pleasure of singing in over 40 countries, all of which have left an imprint on my heart. In the next few months, I’ll travel to sing in Germany, The Netherlands, France, Italy, and Brazil. Three months ago, I was singing in Denmark and India. The world is such an amazing place, I love to travel for work and meet people. What a blessing! My husband and I often find ourselves leaving a country and saying, “Oh yeah, we could totally retire there.” I suppose my favorite place to travel is wherever I am.

Russia exploits wildfires in Los Angeles to push anti-US, anti-Ukraine propaganda

US & Canada

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States of “obscurantist hypocrisy” for allowing inmates to fight Los Angeles wildfires. Russia’s state-owned news agency RIA Novosti cited Zakharova on January 12, saying that the use of prisoners as firefighters is no different from China’s use of forced labor, which the U.S. has been condemning…

The book of Ruth

Arts & Culture, Books

Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church, PembrokeThe book of Ruth is one of the shorter books in the Bible and is found in the Old Testament.It contains a beautiful story of love, dedication to family and the providential care of Almighty God. Perhaps a few items of information will help you appreciate the position of this book in the Bible and its role in the coming promised Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world.This book has consistently through ancient and modern translations received its title from Ruth, the Moabitess heroine. It is only one of two books in the Bible named for women. She is mentioned 12 times in this book but nowhere else in the Old Testament. Her name appears only once in the New Testament and that is in the genealogy of Jesus as found in Matthew 1. The name Ruth is generally accepted to mean “friend” or “friendship.” The author is thought to be Samuel, the great prophet and judge of Israel found in the book of I Samuel. Ruth became a part of the lineage of King David by marrying a local member of the town of Bethlehem and eventually became the great-grandmother of David.The story found in the book of Ruth begins when Israel was yet ruled by judges as revealed in the Book of Judges. Famine had come upon the land and people felt forced to leave in order to survive. One such man was Elimelech who left Bethlehem with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons. Perhaps because of a lack of faith in the Lord this man left God’s provision to seek something better. What is so sad is that he never had the chance to return. His sons grew to manhood away from the teachings of the Lord, away from the tabernacle worship that was so critical to the peoples’ lasting commitment to the Lord. Three times each year the men of Israel were commanded to travel to the place of worship and spend time together fellowshipping, learning about God’s call upon their nation and experiencing fellowship with God. Elimelech left all this, taking his family away with the result that neither he nor his sons ever returned.My point with this presentation is simply to remind us that our life decisions often have a long-lasting impact on our lives.Not only so, but our spouses and children are pulled in directions that sometimes do not receive adequate consideration. “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalms 55:22).

The United States has imposed sanctions on the Russian entity that manages the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Technology

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has added the “Federal State Unitary Enterprise ‘Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant'” to its sanctions list.

FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE ZAPORIZHZHYA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (a.k.a. FSUE ZAPOROZHSKAYA NPP; a.k.a. ZAPOROZHYE NPP FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE; a.k.a. “ZNPP FSUE”), Ul. promyshlennaya d. 133, Enerhodar, Ukraine; Secondary sanctions risk: See Section 11 of Executive Order 14024.; Organization Established Date 07 Oct 2022; Target Type State-Owned Enterprise; Tax ID No. 7743394421 (Russia); Registration Number 1227700644270 (Russia) [RUSSIA-EO14024].

This entity was established by Russia based on the occupied Ukrainian nuclear plant.

The Zaporizhzhia plant is one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world. (Maxar Technologies)

The updated sanctions list includes the general director of this entity, Vladislav Isaev, who has held the position since April 2024.

ISAEV, Vladislav Vasilievich (Cyrillic: ИСАЕВ, Владислав Васильевич) (a.k.a. ISAEV, Vladislav Vasilyevich), Eseninskiy B-R 9 3 55, Moscow 109439, Russia; Simonovsky Val D. 15 P. 2, Moscow 115088, Russia; DOB 08 Aug 1969; POB Annino, Gryazinsky district, Lipetsk Oblast, Russia; nationality Russia; Gender Male; Secondary sanctions risk: See Section 11 of Executive Order 14024.; National ID No. 4514757030 (Russia); alt. National ID No. 4506039004 (Russia); Tax ID No. 771520635700 (Russia) (individual) [RUSSIA-EO14024] (Linked To: FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE ZAPORIZHZHYA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT).

In October 2022, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to create the federal state unitary enterprise “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” at the seized Zaporizhzhia NPP in Ukraine.

This entity was formed following an order from Putin, according to which the assets of the Zaporizhzhia NPP were seized by the Russian federal government.

To recall, Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhia NPP on March 4, 2022, and since then, the occupiers have regularly shelled the facility, posing a risk of a nuclear disaster.

The United States has imposed sanctions on the Russian entity that manages the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

Technology

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has added the “Federal State Unitary Enterprise ‘Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant'” to its sanctions list.

FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE ZAPORIZHZHYA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (a.k.a. FSUE ZAPOROZHSKAYA NPP; a.k.a. ZAPOROZHYE NPP FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE; a.k.a. “ZNPP FSUE”), Ul. promyshlennaya d. 133, Enerhodar, Ukraine; Secondary sanctions risk: See Section 11 of Executive Order 14024.; Organization Established Date 07 Oct 2022; Target Type State-Owned Enterprise; Tax ID No. 7743394421 (Russia); Registration Number 1227700644270 (Russia) [RUSSIA-EO14024].

This entity was established by Russia based on the occupied Ukrainian nuclear plant.

The Zaporizhzhia plant is one of the 10 biggest atomic power stations in the world. (Maxar Technologies)

The updated sanctions list includes the general director of this entity, Vladislav Isaev, who has held the position since April 2024.

ISAEV, Vladislav Vasilievich (Cyrillic: ИСАЕВ, Владислав Васильевич) (a.k.a. ISAEV, Vladislav Vasilyevich), Eseninskiy B-R 9 3 55, Moscow 109439, Russia; Simonovsky Val D. 15 P. 2, Moscow 115088, Russia; DOB 08 Aug 1969; POB Annino, Gryazinsky district, Lipetsk Oblast, Russia; nationality Russia; Gender Male; Secondary sanctions risk: See Section 11 of Executive Order 14024.; National ID No. 4514757030 (Russia); alt. National ID No. 4506039004 (Russia); Tax ID No. 771520635700 (Russia) (individual) [RUSSIA-EO14024] (Linked To: FEDERAL STATE UNITARY ENTERPRISE ZAPORIZHZHYA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT).

In October 2022, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to create the federal state unitary enterprise “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” at the seized Zaporizhzhia NPP in Ukraine.

This entity was formed following an order from Putin, according to which the assets of the Zaporizhzhia NPP were seized by the Russian federal government.

To recall, Russian forces occupied the Zaporizhzhia NPP on March 4, 2022, and since then, the occupiers have regularly shelled the facility, posing a risk of a nuclear disaster.

India News | ‘Germany Day’ to Be Observed in Kolkata Book Fair on Jan 29

Arts & Culture, Books

Kolkata, Jan 16 (PTI) ‘Germany Day’ will be celebrated at the 48th International Kolkata Book Fair on January 29, Publishers and Booksellers Guild, the organisers of the fair said on Thursday. Germany is the focal theme country in the International Kolkata Book Fair which will be held from January 28 to February 9 at Salt Lake City, Kolkata. Also Read | Saif Ali Khan Stabbing Case: CM Devendra Fadnavis Says One or Two Incidents Don’t Define Mumbai’s Safety. German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann and Director Goethe Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi Marla Stukenberg, will be present at the grand inaugural ceremony of the book fair on January 28 as guests of honour, Guild president Tridib Chatterjee said at a press meet in New Delhi. The book fair organisers will celebrate January 29 as ‘Theme Country Germany Day’ on the book fair ground in the presence of a team from Germany consisting of litterateurs, artists and painters from the European nation, he said. Also Read | Infosys Q3 Results: Net Profit Rises by 11.5% to INR 6,806 Crore, IT Firm Delivers Strong and Broad-Based Performance With 6.1% YoY Growth. This year, there will be no hangars (halls) coming up to house English language publishers in a cluster like in past years and a designated ‘Premier Area’ for all English language participants. However, there will be stalls for individual publications and state/central organisations, he said, adding around 1,000 stalls will come up at the fair this year.. “Last year, 2.7 million people visited the book fair and books worth Rs 23 crore were sold. We are amazed at this landmark moment created by the booklovers,” Chatterjee said. On the day of the inauguration, a special ‘Sahitya Samman’ (literary award) worth Rs 2 lakh will be handed over by chief guest West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to prominent Bengali litterateur Abul Bashar. All major publishing houses like Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, Hachette, Bloomsbury, Rupa, Pan Macmillan, Orient Blackswan, Parragon, Pearson, Westland and others will have their own pavilions in the International Kolkata Book Fair 2025.. US, UK, France, Iran, Russia, Spain, Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Costa Rica, Iran and other Latin American countries are participating directly. For the first time, there will be a special exhibition titled ‘Engraved Illustrations: Journey of Book Illustrations during the 19th Century in Bengal, curated by Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya. The exhibition will highlight the chronological journey of engraved illustrations in Bengali books from the 1800s to the 1900s. It will also feature original books from the 19th century, woodblocks, and other printmaking exhibits.(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)