Nicole’s enjoying a run of lucky breaks
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Nicole Car plays the Countess in Opera Australia’s new production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro directed by David McVicar. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Source: News Corp Australia
LAST year, while rehearsing Sir David McVicar’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni for Opera Australia, exciting young soprano Nicole Car broke her wrist and had to play Donna Elvira wearing a cast.
McVicar is back at OA to direct a new production of Mozart’s popular comic opera The Marriage of Figaro and, once again, Car is in the wars.
Slipping over during rehearsals, she fractured her foot and has been hobbling around wearing a moon boot.
Not that it seems to have dented her spirit.
Car plays the Countess Almaviva, who pines for her philandering husband’s love. With the help of her maid Susanna and the Count’s valet Figaro, she tricks him into begging her forgiveness.
OPERA’S YOUNG GUN SET TO SHINE
The Marriage of Figaro, which McVicar has set in the 17th century, opens on Thursday. Fortunately Car’s foot is healing nicely.
“I’ll be going on for sure, even if I’m a limping Countess,” she says laughing.
Now 29, the Australian singer is tipped for big things.
Soprano Nicole Car when she performed in the romantic role of Tatyana in Opera Australia’s Eugene Onegin. Pic James Croucher
Source: News Corp Australia
Last year she received rave reviews as Donna Elvira and the love-struck Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, with Limelight Magazine describing her as “the singer of the moment”. She also made her US debut, playing the Countess for Dallas Opera.
Earlier this year she received equally glowing reviews as the innocent Marguerite in Faust, and landed two Helpmann Award nominations for Faust and Don Giovanni.
In October, Car makes her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, singing Micaela in Carmen. And in December, she will also play Tatyana there in the same Kasper Holten production seen here.
“It was fate,” Car says. “Sometimes the stars align.
“They had already offered me Carmen and then all of a sudden the Tatyana wasn’t available for Onegin so I got the call, would I like to come and sing Tatyana and I said ‘yes please!’ ”
And if that’s not enough, in between finishing The Marriage of Figaro and heading to London, Car is also recording an album for the ABC.
Vocally, the Countess is a perfect fit for the singer at this point in her career, and she loves the character.
“She’s quite a sympathetic heroine but a really wily and clever one,” Car says.
“I love playing characters like that because there is so much you can delve into, especially with a director like David, who likes to work through the real meaning of the text. He is all about the emotions of the character, (analysing) the intentions of every single word and line.
“You work so, so hard but I think the result is really incredible.”
The Marriage of Figaro, Sydney Opera House, Thursday to August 29. Bookings: 9250 7777
Originally published as Nicole’s enjoying a run of lucky breaks
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