About this episode

Gaye MacFarlane discusses her extensive career as a mezzo-soprano in opera and musical theatre.

Gaye MacFarlane is an acclaimed Australian mezzo-soprano whose career has spanned more than four decades across opera, musical theatre, concert performance, television and radio. A born performer, she began singing professionally as a teenager on Australian television before completing a Diploma in Operatic Arts at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Her early operatic career saw principal roles with major companies including Opera Australia, Victoria State Opera and South Australian Opera. She performed leading roles in works such as Carmen , The Italian Girl in Algiers , Orfeo and Euridice , Ariadne auf Naxos and The Rape of Lucretia . Highlights include the title role in Carmen in both Australia and Germany, Venus in Tannhäuser , Maddalena in Rigoletto , and appearances in Wagner’s Ring Cycle . Gaye’s transition into musical theatre began when she was cast as Eva Perón in Evita, alternating the role with Patti LuPone in the Australian production directed by Hal Prince. This success led to starring roles in Barnum , Song and Dance , They’re Playing Our Song and Sweeney Todd . Her European career flourished from 1985, with leading roles at Berlin’s Theater des Westens and…

People in this episode

Host: Peter Eyers

Guest: Gaye MacFarlane

Topics covered

• opera
• musical theatre
• concert performance
• performing arts
• Australian artists

Keywords

• Gaye MacFarlane
• mezzo-soprano
• opera
• musical theatre
• Australian performer
• Carmen
• Evita
• concert performance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Opera Australia, Victoria State Opera, South Australian Opera

Books & works: Carmen, The Italian Girl in Algiers, Orfeo and Euridice, Ariadne auf Naxos, The Rape of Lucretia, Evita, Barnum, Song and Dance, They’re Playing Our Song, Sweeney Todd

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