- Lucia Lucas, an opera singer and transgender woman, will make her debut in the American stage playing the role of Don Giovanni for the new season of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Opera.
- Greg Weber of Tulsa Opera said that she is perfect fit and has an amazing voice.
- LGBT group said that the casting is going to cast a shining light for brighter future.
For the first time in the United States, a transgender singer was cast in a principal role in the opening of a new season for an opera House.
According to transgender news article by NewsOn6.Com published on February 23, the casting would be historic and expected to make ripples across the country in terms of LGBT equality in general and transgender rights in particular.
Era of inclusiveness
Lucia Lucas, an opera singer and transgender woman, will make her debut in the American stage playing the role of Don Giovanni for the new season of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Opera House.
Considered as the most prominent transgender singer in the world, Lucas was deemed fit for the role.
“She’s just the perfect fit and she has the voice that is just amazing,” Greg Weber of Tulsa Opera, Inc explained. “She has this dynamic voice… Because she’s been a male, she knows also how to walk like a male.”
The opera house’s historic casting for the new season is what they considered as the beginning of an era of inclusiveness.
“Because we cast with our hearts, we cast with our ears. We don’t cast with what we see and what people may judge by,” Weber said on the choice of the cast.
“It really took awhile for it to sink in. Ah, but I have to admit for me, that’s the secondary,” Weber said, “it’s the fact that this is a great artist who should be singing this role.”
Several artists who debuted in Tulsa went on to conquer stages at The Met and in San Francisco.
More details from Classic FM website said that Lucia Lucas, a singer with baritone voice and had performed in opera houses such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Heidelberg and Dublin, was scheduled to sing her role starting May 29.
In an interview to the Irish Independent, Lucas said, “Once the voice drops, it can’t go back, although I have trained my speaking voice to be higher than it used to be… I don’t have a problem playing men on stage, because I manage to keep my career and private life separate. I’m always travelling, so I get to go to new places where I can be an advocate and talk to people.”
Oklahoma LGBT community
Toby Jenkins of the Oklahomans for Equality, an LGBT advocacy group that provides support and services to 300 transgender individuals through programs every week, welcomed the news.
“I had to make sure I was hearing it right. That Tulsa was going to have this incredible performer in our City,” he said. He continued that the casting is going to cast a shining light for brighter future.
“Especially families with transgender children, this will be incredibly inspiring to them, like it’s been to our older transgender individuals,” he said.
In addition, he stated that Tulsa, Oklahoma may not be the friendliest towards members of the LGBT community and the casting of a trans woman in a man’s role was hoped to unite the city.
He said, “It can be very hostile territory for transgender persons.”
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