At 28 years old - a mere babe by opera standards - baritone Michael Todd Simpson is already in demand. With him slated to sing the role of Marcello in the second cast of Seattle Opera's upcoming "La Bohème," Simpson's dance card has been filling up, both for the current season and as far out as two to three years.
Simpson's progress has been startlingly swift, particularly for a singer whose first mainstage appearance was as recent as 2005, when he was finishing stints with Young Artist programs at Seattle Opera and Glimmerglass. "The Dallas Opera heard me at Glimmerglass and offered me the role of Silvio in [Leoncavallo's] 'Pagliacci,'" said Simpson, who also made his mainstage debut at Seattle Opera that year as Hermann in Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann."
The role of Silvio has helped Simpson get his foot in the door with several opera companies, an uphill fight for opera singers just starting out. "Silvio is small enough that large companies can take a risk: 'He's young, but he sounded great in his audition.'"
This season, the young baritone reprised Silvio in debuts at the Pittsburgh and Palm Beach operas, as well as in his return to the Virginia Opera. He is scheduled to debut in the role at New York City Opera this fall.
Simpson also gained entrée to the mainstage world by pounding the pavement and showing some moxie. "When I landed the role of Silvio [at Dallas Opera], I was knocking on every door, asking for a chance to audition for them. The Virginia Opera heard me that fall and offered me two roles."
Puccini's "La Bohème" is, Simpson granted, the most musically challenging opera he has performed on the mainstage. The audience, for example, has high expectations of the duet between Marcello and Rodolfo in Act 4, considered perhaps the most beautiful music in "La Bohème."
"There is also a quartet with Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta and Marcello - you have to have a big voice to carry over that."
Simpson is determined not to let his current popularity go to his head - or ruin his voice by singing a role before his voice can handle it. The male voice, he said, does not really "mature for size" until somewhere between ages 32 and 34.
Having a larger voice wasn't really necessary at the time many operas were written because the opera houses and orchestras were smaller.
"You could sing Verdi in those houses, and a role like Gérmont [in 'La Traviata'] would be fine for my voice at my age," Simpson said. "If I did that today, I would be having to physically alter my voice and push it to be heard. I see a lot of baritones make the mistake, and I see it damage their voices."
Sometimes the damage can be fixed; sometimes it can't. Simpson would like to have a long career in opera. So he is turning down tempting offers of two Verdi roles in 2009 and 2010, because his voice would not have reached maturity.
"That's the hard part - being offered a job but having to say no."
Freelance writer Maggie Larrick lives in the Seattle area. She is the former editor of Queen Anne & Magnolia News. 'LA BOHÈME' Seattle Opera Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. Saturday, May 5, through Sunday, May 20 Tickets: $51-$141, 389-7676, www.seattleopera.org[[In-content Ad]]
