Aaron Cain: I'm Aaron Cain for WFIU Arts. IU Jacobs School of Music Opera Theatre presents La Finta Giardiniera by Mozart. The opera is double cast, and I recently had the chance to speak to the two leads from one of those casts: soprano Wonkyung Jasmine Chung, and tenor Gavin Hughes.
Wonkyung Chung: I am soprano Wonkyung Jasmine Chung and I am in the role of Sandrina in La Finta Giardiniera.
Gavin Hughes: I am tenor Gavin Hughes, playing the role of El Contino Belfiore, if you're going by [laughs] what's in the score.
Aaron Cain: Let's talk a little bit about the relationship between your two characters in this opera. I think that it's an understatement to say… it's complicated.
Gavin Hughes: Right.
Aaron Cain: Before the opera starts, you've stabbed her…
Gavin Hughes: …right…
Aaron Cain: …and left her for dead and run away because you were jealous, and she actually comes after you to try to win you back.
Gavin Hughes: Yeah. I…you know…I feel like I often think about this depiction of this toxic relationship between the Count and Sandrina. Because today if someone stabs his lover and she recovers, and he's…he's going to jail, you know what I’m saying?
Wonkyung Chung: [laughs]
Gavin Hughes: He has some remorse. Not enough. That's what I'm more focused in and trying to bring the character to life: really getting knee deep into this kind of insecure man child.
Aaron Cain: So, with the other side of that relationship, Wonkyung, you as Sandrina, what do you think about…you're actually pursuing and trying to get back someone who stabbed you?
Wonkyung Chung: I think in the past when I was Marchioness Violante, I think I really loved him, the Count Belfiore. But I think, Violante, when she decided to pretend as a garden girl, Sandrina, I think she became more stronger than before. But she really loves him as before. When I am singing as Sandrina, I have to keep my Violante voice, too. Because the other characters except Nardo—who was Roberto my servant—they know that I am Sandrina. So, I think, when I talk to them, I have to be Sandrina. I think that's the difference.
Gavin Hughes: Podesta wants Sandrina, but Sandrina wants me, and then I am engaged to Arminda, but Ramiro wants Arminda, but she can't stop thinking about me and she will—you know what I'm saying? So, it’s like this whole—everybody's just kind of, like, all over the place, just, like a hot mess. [laughs] A hot mess. We've heard of, like, love triangles. This is like a love, like…
Aaron Cain: It’s…this is like a love dodecahedron.
Gavin Hughes: You know what I mean? It's like…[laughs]…so it's like… just the way that it ends up, and the way that it plays out. Not even just the end. I think even the journey to the end and …and how people kind of grow in their roles. I…I feel like…we're growing up and choosing to live in, all right, this is really my truth. So I think that's a special take away from it. And just …also just the fact that I think it's funny and people like to laugh.
Wonkyung Chung: Mm-hmm.
Gavin Hughes: That's my favorite thing in the opera because I love any opportunity I can get to, or I can have to, um, take something that's meant to be serious and, like, kind of…marry comedy with it. That brings me joy. And so I think that watching this quasi- serious plot pan out in a comedic way…That's special.
Wonkyung Chung: It is very fun opera. It has a lot of comic moments and also it has a lot of sweet moments, too.
Gavin Hughes: Mmm.
Wonkyung Chung: And I think the only person who is sad in opera is me. [laughs] I am the only character who is really painful and sad. But the other people are very funny and…
Gavin Hughes: Mm-hmm.
Wonkyung Chung: …they have a lot of comic moments.
Gavin Hughes: Yeah.
Wonkyung Chung: …so I think everyone can enjoy this opera.
Gavin Hughes: I don't think we've talked about how beautiful the music is. Some really gorgeous music. Every time I do Mozart, I hear Mozart, I'm like, man, I like him just a little bit more. I'm like, ‘you really did it with this one, Mo-Mo.’ [laughs] Because the music is just so beautiful, and there are a lot of earworms, I think that, um, one may…acquire!
Aaron Cain: Well, Gavin Hughes and Wonkyung Jasmine Chung, thank you so much for speaking with me today.
Wonkyung Chung: Thank you so much.
Gavin Hughes: Thank you. Thanks for having us.
Aaron Cain: Gavin Hughes and Wonkyung Jasmine Chung, who play Belfiore and Sandrina, respectively, in one of the two casts of La Finta Giardiniera by Mozart. Performed Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 in the Musical Arts Center. More information at operaballet.indiana.edu. for WFIU Arts, I'm Aaron Cain.
