Diary of an Aida diva
Opera star falls for Coast life
HISTORY will fondly recall the Gold Coast season of Opera on the Beach – Aida as the show that saw Sydney soprano Natalie Aroyan cement her status as one of Opera Australia’s leading lights.
A true Verdian soprano and highly experienced principal artist with the company, Armenian-Australian diva Aroyan, 34, has been relishing life on the Gold Coast inbetween wowing crowds with her performances on an outdoor stage under the stars on Coolangatta Beach.
The Coast season of Aida has been a particularly special event for Aroyan – the role of Aida marks her debut as a leading lady in an Opera Australia production.
Aroyan has been relishing the experience both on and off stage, becoming a regular at Coolangatta’s The Black Sheep Espresso Baa and taking in the view from her balcony overlooking the beach in-between performances.
Her routine sees her start her day with a cooked breakfast – “the perfect way to load up with some protein and energy” – before she sits on her balcony and goes over her score “to refresh after a few days of not performing”.
Aroyan often returns to Black Sheep in the afternoon for a “piccolo latte” – minus the conversation.
“I sit and enjoy the picturesque view again – silently keeping to myself as I rest up my voice for the performance,” she says.
Aroyan arrives on the Aida set a couple of hours before the show.
“I usually like to visit the stage before each performance just to remember the feeling and my surroundings,” she says.
“I start applying makeup and organise my hair for the wig a couple of hours prior to show time. It takes me approximately 30 minutes to apply my Aida makeup and then we have help with hair prep and putting on the wigs.
“Once the hair, makeup, mics and costumes are on, it’s time to get serious. Well … as serious as my Amneris (Milijana Nikolic) and I can get without having too much fun. We give our last friendly hug before we become frenemies … and so Aida begins.”
Aida plays its final two performances on Coolangatta Beach tonight and tomorrow at 6.30pm.