OperaMetro has the honor of interviewing Rihanna Ring-Howell, who stars in the role of Kate in Gilbert and Sullivan’s wonderful The Yeomen of the Guard, which will be performed in the Norwark Concert Hall this Saturday and next. Details below.

OperaMetro (OM): Thank you so much for consenting to this interview, Rihanna! A pleasure to chat with you!

Rihanna (RRH): My pleasure!

OM: OK, let’s dive in: Have you performed the role of Kate, who is the niece of Dame Carruthers, before?

RRH: I haven't performed the role of Kate before, and this is my first time doing the Yeomen of the Guard.

OM: I’ll bet you’ve performed other roles in G & S: what are other roles in the G & S operas you’ve performed?

RRH: Overall, I am fairly new to G & S. However, last year, I performed Mabel and Edith in the Pirates of Penzance.

OM: Mabel is a major role, for sure!

Like many of us, our introduction to the G & S repertory is from an influential adult(s), in my case my parents. Who was the person(s) who introduced you to G & S?

RRH: I was introduced to G & S through a few different sources. Both of my parents are opera singers, and so I had heard of them at some point during my young life. But my parents don't perform much light opera, so I knew of G & S more as a composer and had less first-hand experience with them. My first experience actually seeing a performance of G & S was when Crystal Theatre put on a High School production of the Pirates of Penzance. And then, of course, I was able to actually perform in that show when they put it on again in 2022.

OM: Interesting. G & S enters our lives through any number of doors: I was maybe twelve or so, a telecast of H.M.S Pinafore performed by a Canadian company was on TV, my father said ‘We have to watch this,’ which we did, but then he told the story of playing Ko-Ko in a high school musical. Once bitten, you can’t go back!

RRH: Really! I have not performed in other light operas, but I have seen one or two, like Die Fledermaus, that my parents happened to be in. From what I have observed, they seem very similar, with farce, and satirical comedy featuring heavily. However, since I don't have much experience with them, it's hard for me to really say for certain.

OM: Though Kate is a small part, you support Dame Carruthers’ account that you overheard Elsie’s “moans and groans” in her sleep about her marriage to a man who, she thinks, will be beheaded in an hour. Carruthers senses that something is up…and then follows a Quartet…do her aunt’s suspicions color the Quartet?

RRH: I think that yes, Dame Carruthers' suspicions color the Quartet. Everyone in the Quartet has their own take on the information provided by Kate and Dame Carruthers, and they each bring a different color because they have different levels of knowledge in terms of what is really going on.

OM: Then you’re heading the Chorus after the Lieutenant announces that, “good or ill” Fairfax has been cleared of his crimes and is free. Kate (and the others) don’t know of Fairfax’s disguise, that he has already won Elsie’s heart. Why, in Kate’s mind, is it a “day of terror”? Is Kate siding with Elsie in favor of her “Leonard?”

HHR: Absolutely!! Kate, like the rest of the Townspeople, is siding with Elsie in favor of her "Leonard". Why, you may ask? It can be implied by the fact that Kate was the one tending to Elsie that she formed a bond with this girl (who was likely similar in age). So, naturally, Kate wants to see her new friend happy. With Fairfax alive, it means that Elsie cannot marry the man that she loves. Of course she is upset.

OM: When you’re not singing light opera, what are your other musical preferences for stage performances? Favorite artists? Favorite shows? Operas?

HHR: For stage performances, I really enjoy singing in full operas. I have performed in The Magic Flute as the First Spirit and in Carmen and Eugene Onegin as the children's chorus (which was comprised of my sister and myself). I love operas by all of the great composers like Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, Puccini, etc.

OM: Excellent start! But not surprising given your performing parents.

HHR: At my age, I have yet to perform in many of them, but I hope to do so in the future. However, while I do lean more towards opera nowadays, I do love older musical theatre with more legit styles of singing. Some of my favorite shows are The Music Man, The Phantom of the Opera, Anything Goes, and The Sound of Music. I definitely enjoy modern musicals as well, but there are fewer parts that fit with my preferred range and style of singing.

OM: Anything Goes is one of my favorites! Familiar with Troupers, I’ll bet you’re also involved in backstage stuff…

HHR: Absolutely! I have been helping with social media and publicity.

OM: When you’re not singing, what do you do to relax and take a break from it all?

HHR: I am a fantasy novelist, which takes up a good chunk of my time. Currently I am studying with the Author Conservatory, which is an online conservatory for young authors that teaches writing and business. I also spend a good amount of time practicing and competing in Taekwondo, as well as teaching students. Other things I enjoy include playing the piano, listening to Taylor Swift, hanging out with my dog, and watching some of my favorite TV shows like Gilmore Girls and Shadow and Bone.

OM: Brava! It’s been a pleasure talking to you, Rhianna! I and I’m sure my readers are wishing you the best!

Troupers presents The Yeomen of the Guard this Saturday (April 15) at 2:30 and 7:30 at the Norwalk Concert Hall, 304 Main Avenue #456, Norwark, CT 06851 and repeats this (April 22), same times and same place. For ticket information visit trouperslightopera.org.
Nice to be back on deck! OM.

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