Ricardo Garcia - Opera Star in the Making

Have you ever wondered what Luciano Pavarotti was like when he was just getting started? What Placido Domingo sounded like as a young man? You may get an idea if you go hear tenor Ricardo Garcia sing.

Ricky, as he's known to his friends and family in the San Francisco Bay Area, is home again to perform five shows on January 18 through 20 at the recently refurbished California Conservatory Theater in San Leandro, presented by Curtain Call Performing Arts.

I had the pleasure of attending a preview. Dressed in black shirt and coat over blue jeans and boots, Ricky performed four songs for us, accompanied by his teacher, Burr Cochran Phillips. From the first note, he filled the cozy, black-walled theater space with warmth and power. It was hard to believe that this nice young man, who had been chatting amiably a few minutes earlier, could deliver the dynamics and focus that he did on that empty stage.

Even if you're not an opera enthusiast, Ricky's performance really stirs up your emotions, from the enthusiastic but frustrated suitor in Tosti's Marchiare, to the grief stricken sole survivor in Empty Chairs at Empty Tables. Ricky sang the Marchiare in Italian--such a perfect language for opera--while the latter was in English, but you can't help but feel it in your guts, whether you understand the words or not.

When you attend a solo performance, there's not much to look at except the performer, and Ricky moved in a way that reinforced the beauty and expression of the vocals. He explained that it's part of his training to study the physical gestures--doing character research to understand on how the role he's playing would act and feel. That makes it more convincing and enjoyable for the audience.

It's unusual and exciting to see a young person so focused on achieving a difficult goal, but that's the life for those aspiring to professional singing careers. Ricky's now a sophomore at the University of the Pacific, but he plans to graduate, continue in graduate school and then seek out a program for young artists. It's a long process, and it sounds even harder than becoming a doctor!

Why pursue something so difficult? Well, because you appreciate your God-given gift and you love doing it. That helps Ricky to persevere through the long days and difficult work of perfecting his voice for the future. Even with the struggles and the setbacks, "there has to be joy in the work," he said.

Ricky started singing early, along with his lifelong love of baseball. His most recent Curtain Call performance was as the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol, the Musical, back in 2008. He was only a high school sophomore at the time. More recently, Ricky performed last September at the Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, where he received a standing ovation. Placing in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition in 2011, where he competed against much older singers, was a big step, as well.

I learned today that male operatic voices are considered to mature later than a female, so a man may not be in top form until his 30s. Of course, with proper care and good fortune, he can work for decades afterwards. Ricky even has special exercises to get his body ready to successfully and safely deliver a powerful performance. "It's like yoga," he said. He sometimes runs a couple of miles and stretches before a show to get warmed up.

According to Ricky, it's a very competitive market after a young opera singer finishes his education. It's a "cutthroat" business.  But he gets a lot of support from his family, his professors, his friends and his colleagues. Having "nerves of steel" is also helpful, and he recommends never comparing yourself to others as you audition.

Since 2008, Curtain Call Performing Arts (CCPA), led by Artistic Director and Producer Andrea Gorham, has brought Broadway style theater to the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Their vision is to make performance-based arts accessible to everyone who wants to participate or attend performances. Class and workshop tuition is affordable, and ticket prices are low--for this show they're only $25 for adults and $22 for students and seniors.

You owe it to yourself to see at least one of these performances:

Friday, January 18, 8 p.m.
Saturday, January 19, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 20, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

There will be a question-and-answer session after the show.

California Conservatory Theater (CCT)
999 E. 14th Street
San Leandro, CA 94577
Box Office: 510-909-9516
www.curtaincallperformingarts.org