An Opera Diva on Broadway
A #360ofOpera interview with Raquel Suarez Groen.
I first met Raquel when she was playing Roxanne Conti in Figaro 90210, an Off-Broadway production at The Duke. She was gorgeous and hilarious in the role and I really enjoyed this new take on Mozart’s ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’. Since then, we’ve sung together with Shoperatic and Sing for Hope and I have seen her stellar performance of Carlotta on Broadway’s iconic The Phantom of the Opera. Raquel is not only a stunning soprano and human being, but also a successful entrepreneur. I invite you to discover more about this inspiring opera diva in this interview.
360 of Opera: What do you enjoy most about playing an opera diva on Broadway, in one of the most celebrated musicals of all time?
Carlotta was and continues to be my dream role! She’s strong, feisty and she knows exactly who she is. I love being able to play this fearless woman (in all of her GORGEOUS costumes), who stands up for herself in a generation where that was not necessarily acceptable. It’s also an incredible thrill to work with such talented colleagues - and to perform with our live orchestra every night (we have the largest orchestra on Broadway!). In an opera, you may only do a role few times in your career, but I have now sung Carlotta 635 times (!!), and counting - so I keep being able to find new things about her, which is so much fun!
360 of Opera: Booking a dream role is not always a linear achievement… how did this opportunity become a reality for you?
It took me a long time to get to Broadway. I worked MANY jobs, and truly started to feel like a professional auditioner at one point. I used to say that if I would get paid for auditioning, I would be rich! Ha! Having graduated from a conservatory (Manhattan School of Music) with a Masters and Professional Studies Diploma in Classical Voice - I didn’t think about musical theatre initially, to be honest. But, I auditioned for an opera company and my (now) manager was in the room and approached me afterwards saying “I think you would also be perfect for musical theatre, are you interested in that?”. I was so excited because I always loved musicals, so I jumped at the opportunity. It was a total learning curve. I started working with Joan Lader - who taught me how to use my voice in many different ways (not just classically) - and my world completely opened up. I do believe that every rejection gets you closer to where you need to be – and sometimes your biggest rejection can be you biggest blessing - because it can help you get where you actually need to be.
360 of Opera: As a trained opera singer, how was it having to adapt to singing into a microphone every night? Vocally, would you call Carlotta a crossover role, even if the character itself is an opera singer?
I actually don’t really adapt to my microphone too much, because I have to sing out fully for Carlotta. Her range is very extreme – so I can’t mark any part of the role. But our sound people are incredible and always make sure we are all mixed extremely well (Piangi, the operatic tenor, does not mark or sing quieter either). Carlotta is a purely operatic role (with a high E every night) - so I never pull back on anything. There are times during my acting or talking bits where I can whisper and still be heard - but for the most part I sing the role as I would in any opera. I would say Carlotta is a very legit opera singer in the show - and not so much a crossover role.
360 of Opera: What are some vocal health tips you had to incorporate once you started with the crazy ‘8 shows a week’ schedule?
I steam A LOT! My Mabis steamer is my best friend - since that is the only way to immediately hydrate the vocal cords. As for my diet – I stay away from dairy, gluten, coffee, chocolate, and spicy food - since those don’t affect me well. I also try and work out 4-5 days a week to stay in shape physically - and I find that really helps me to stay healthy and strong.
360 of Opera: You are a performer but also an entrepreneur. Can you share with us how the success of ‘My Infinite Agenda’ developed? How has it informed the rest of your creative endeavors?
My Infinite Agenda started because I had always been a huge believer in the law of attraction and writing down my goals and dreams. So during some downtime between jobs, my best friend Katie Copland (co-owner) and I decided to create a physical tool that everyone could use to help turn their dreams into a reality. We also decided that we wanted our product to have an even greater impact, so we chose to give back 5% of our sales to four powerful charities (Sing for Hope; charity: water; Days for Girls; and The Empowerment Plan).
As singers, we have so many talents because we are constantly promoting ourselves, so we used the same tactics when it came to our business. We wrote EVERYBODY – and it was shocking to see what the responses were. We were chosen as one of Ellen DeGeneres’ Favorite Things for January, and we are now sold in several major retailers across the USA ( The Paper Store, Paper Source, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Barnes & Noble Collegiate, and formally Anthropologie). My Infinite Agenda’s success keeps exceeding our expectations and we can’t wait to see where we will be next!
360 of Opera: From your career experiences so far, what advice could you share with young artists who are still in school, or just entering the professional world?
Study with a teacher that is going to give you a solid technique – and who can show you how to use your voice in different ways. That is most important. A lot of opera companies are now also doing musicals – so make sure you can sing in different styles. And then go and audition for EVERYTHING. Even if you don’t think you are ready – just do it. A big part of this career is learning how to sing nervous – and to just get up in front of people. Oh, and find your “team” – who will support and believe in you no matter what. This can be a teacher, therapist, friend, coach, doctor, parent, sibling. It really takes a village – so make sure you choose your tribe wisely.
360 of Opera: As much as you can reveal… what is coming next for you as a performer and entrepreneur?
I am super grateful to have been renewed at Phantom of the Opera – so I am greatly looking forward to that and to work with some new cast members (Meghan Picerno, John Riddle and Dean Bradley). We also have huge expansion plans for My Infinite Agenda – however, we can’t share those quite yet – but please stay tuned!
To learn more about Raquel and stay updated on her endeavors, you can follow her on Instagram at @quelly2000 and visit her website:
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Photography by Matthew Murphy
Inteview by Eugenia Forteza