FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND FUN FACTS

How did you get interested in opera?

My piano teacher in middle school took me to my very first opera Boris Godunov with the Colorado Opera Festival. The next year she took me to their production of Don Giovanni. I was hooked! When I was in high school and old enough, I auditioned for  The Colorado Opera Festival's chorus for Carmen and got in. 

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FUN FACT: 

I didn't grow up in a "musical family." My parents were enlisted military, but my mom still raised me on musicals (especially Rodgers and Hammerstein) and classical music. I think I wore out her LP of Beethoven Piano Sonatas

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Why opera directing?

While pursuing my Masters in Music, The Ohio State University Department of Theater department adopted me. They gave me the opportunity to study Meisner Technique with Bruce Herman, a student of Sanford Meisner. It was at Ohio State that I came under the mentorship of Jeanine Thompson, who taught the physical theatre curriculum. She was a student of Marcel Marceau and Anne Bogart and taught me Viewpoints, Suzuki, Mime and stage composition. These techniques whet my interests in storytelling and that lead me to pursue directing opera

 

FUN FACT: 

Even as a little kid, I used to stage my action figures. I would choreograph my X-men figures' battles, ceremonies, and other events to a score or soundtrack (usually John Williams). 

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Who/What are some your influences?

+The teachers of my teachers - Marcel Marceau, Anne Bogart, Sanford Meisner

+Vsevolod Meyerhold, Etiene Decroux, Charlie Chaplin

+Guillermo DelToro 

+Jim Henson, Chuck Jones

+Silent Film

+Auguste Rodin

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Where does the Radamés in your name come from?

It is a family name and has nothing to do with Aida. Radamés is a popular name in Puerto Rico

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Did you say Mime? 

I found my theatrical voice through physical theatre. Mime seemed to the perfect pairing for opera, understanding timing tempo, physical and musical gestures and isolations. My mime teachers have included Jeanine Thompson, Gregg Goldston, Chuck Hudson and Bill Bowers.

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FUN FACT:

When I travel for work, I take a stuffed IKEA bull dog named Henry. Henry's story begins with my English bully dog, Winston. 
Winston was my copilot on almost every road trip from 2001 - 2014. After he passed on New Year's Eve 2014, I didn't take many long car trips. A few months later, for my first road trip home I decided that Henry would be my surrogate bulldog copilot. Ever since, Henry has been my traveling companion and a little reminder of the piece of my heart that was Winston Toro.