MEET ANNA KIRKLAND

Anna Kirkland returns to her musical theatre roots after a long affair with opera to star as casta diva Astrid Klemnach in A Doll's Life this January. Making her Beautiful Soup debut, Anna sat down with us recently for an interview. Check it out below!


With hundreds of casting calls a week in this city, what attracted you to this project? Although I now primarily consider myself and opera singer, my first love was musical theatre.  To be able to be involved in a musical that requires operatic singing is a dream come true for me - a way to marry my two greatest passions.  The charitable aspect of the Collaborative Soup is also very inspiring to me.  I've always believed that theatre and music can impact the world in a positive way and this company does that in such a tangible way.  I'm thrilled to be a part of it.

What do you hope audience members come away with after seeing the show?  I hope the audience comes away with a real appreciation for Ibsen's incredible play and for Grossman's too-seldom-heard score.  

Who or what inspired you to go into theatre? I can't remember a time when I didn't love music and performing.  One of my earliest memories is singing along to the Wizard of Oz for hours on end with my stuffed dog "Toto".

What's your dream role? Since I was 7 years old I have wanted to play Fantine in Les Miserables.  Surprising dream role for a 7 year old, but then I was a strange child!  I'm sure my mother enjoyed trying to explain to me who the "lovely ladies" were and why their customers "only come at night".  I still dream of singing that role.

Who is your hero and why? 

What's the greatest experience you've had on stage?  When I was singing Mercedes in Carmen with the Hradec Kralove International Opera Festival in the Czech Republic I remember standing backstage waiting to go on and, since the performance was outdoors, seeing this beautiful summer sky full of stars above me and hearing the orchestra playing and thinking, "I must be the luckiest person in the world."  Between the setting and the music it was quite an overwhelming moment.  I felt so incredibly grateful to be a part of it.

Who is the one person you haven't worked with that you would like to?  Verdi, Mozart, Puccini....  The genius of these composers is a constant inspiration to me.  What must it be like to have that kind of music in your head?  I can't even imagine.  Of course, I think I was born a little too late to meet any of them, but a girl can dream, right?

What's your favorite musical/play and why?  I think I have to say Les Miserables since I have been completely in love with the story and music since I was little.  Even after seeing it more than 20 times and listening to the soundtrack continously, it moves me every time.  The lessons of love and redemption in the show are timeless.

What's your favorite ice cream?  Cookies and Cream.  Mmmmmm....delicious!

Nora or a Torvald?  Nora. Definitely Nora.