In the Lyric Opera of Chicago presentation of Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz’s El último sueño de Frida y Diego—a production that asks, “How would you spend a single day reunited with a lost love?”—queer soprano Adia Evans portrays one of the images of the iconic LGBTQ+ artist Frida Kahlo.
Praised for her “big, beautifully projected voice with an attractive edge and sparkle,” Evans is a second-year soprano in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center. Evans has performed with Santa Fe Opera, Merola Opera Program, Fort Worth Opera, Dallas Opera Guild, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera and Knoxville Opera, among others. She talked with Windy City Times about a variety of subjects, including Timothée Chalamet’s controversial comment about opera and ballet.
Note: This conversation was edited for clarity and length.
Windy City Times: I understand that you’re from the east coast. Tell me about life there.
Adia Evans: Well, I was born and raised in Baltimore, as were my parents before me. I haven’t lived there in a long time, but Chicago is one of my favorite cities outside of Baltimore. I have traveled extensively—having been in Columbus, Ohio; Fort Worth, Texas; Santa Fe; and San Francisco—but Chicago is my favorite outside of my hometown, by far.
WCT: So you’ve adjusted to the winters here? Good!
AE: The thing is that once you can deal with the wind, it’s not that bad. You just need the supplies. That was new for me, but that’s Chicago.
WCT: I saw a couple videos of you performing—and your voice, including your projection, is amazing. But moving on to El último sueño de Frida y Diego, I read that it’s an operatic production that’s steeped in magical realism. Now when it comes to movies, I think of a Guillermo del Toro film as having magical realism—but how does that translate to the world of opera?
AE: First, thank you. As for magical realism, I think it works really well. If I had to describe it, I would say it’s visually arresting and evocative, in that same way. The colors are so stark and what we’re able to do with sets and costumes in opera is akin to what movie directors do but we do it at a distance—so we’re able to do it on a large scale. We have these enormous costumes and we’re able to incorporate magical elements; on the stage, it works incredibly well.
If you’re familiar with Frida’s work at all, you know that the surrealist style is all over her paintings so we had a lot of inspiration to draw on. We have gorgeous colors as well as larger-than-life and surrealist elements to work with in this production.
WCT: You play the First Frida image, right?
AE: Yes—my girlfriends and I play a trio of Frida images. Frida’s artwork includes the iconic item [“Diego and I”], with these soft white layers with Diego painted on her forehead—and I have, as part of my costume, a tattoo painted on my forehead by my wonderful makeup artist. I also have these white layers and a beautiful cape from my shoulders; she’s really gorgeous. I also have a necklace and her iconic flowers on the bottom of my dress as a tribute to Diego.
And Frida image #2 represents her paintings of her own body and physical pain—and she has her heart outside of her body, and it’s pierced with arrows. And there’s a skeleton that represents a link with Dia de los Muertos. The third image is about nature, so she’s covered in a similar skeletal structure; however, instead of bones, she’s covered in vines and it’s made out of plants. These costumes are enormous but they’re captured in a frame, and we represent Frida’s creativity and her ability to paint. This production is so vivid; there’s a lot of depth on stage.
WCT: I might have to dust off the old tuxedo to see this—although I don’t know how casual the opera is now.
AE: I always say to come as you are! I think the opera presents an opportunity for you to wear the outfit you’ve been cooking in your head. I’d be uncomfortable in sweatpants but, other than that, it’s an opportunity to have fun. People wear jeans all the time, although you have your old-guard [guests] who always come in their Sunday best.
WCT: I have to ask about Timothée Chalamet’s statement about opera and ballet. What was your response to what he said?
AE: I’ve been having this conversation a lot. I think we have to stop giving platforms and opportunities to people who are not thoughtful about what the human soul needs. Obviously, you can have your preferences—and I don’t have a problem with his personal preferences.
It’s totally fine to not want to work a job where you have to explain things or advocate for an art form. But I think it’s inaccurate to say that these art forms are irrelevant. I think we are all sharing the stage together, as dancers, singers and artists. I think it’s silly to say in any way that art is irrelevant. Ticket sales are down across the board; some people would rather stream than go to the theater.
There are people who like anime, which is not the most popular form of entertainment in this country. But in Japan, there are all kinds of things for people to be interested in. Art is a global industry, not an American one. We need creativity, colors, and ways to express ourselves and share humanity. It’s disappointing, but not surprising, to hear someone who was raised by artists to talk about other art forms as being irrelevant.
My dad is a visual artist and my mother is a dancer, by trade. My parents raised me in the arts, and they’ve come to recognize this whole thing as interdisciplinary. I’ve come to recognize that art is connected to mental health and health care—so I think it’s foolish to think that if something is not in Hollywood or not on TikTok means that it’s not irrelevant. We’re in the business of telling stories about human beings, so anything human is relevant.
WCT: For you, what is it like to be part of the queer community at this point in time?
AE: Right now, it’s important for me to show up with as much of myself as possible. Doing everyday work, I don’t see myself as being important and impactful to the community—but I interact with people on social media who are happier and safer that I am here. Showing up as a Black and queer person is so important. We are stronger and more interested when we’re all included and taken care of—and that’s so important in the face of policies that don’t take all of us into consideration. People need to know that they need to be here.
WCT: I saw where Idaho is now criminalizing trans people for using restrooms that align with their gender identity.
AE: [Sighs] That’s disgusting. All of that, and we have politicians criminalizing people who are minding their own business and doing what makes them comfortable in their own skin. This will always boggle my mind.
WCT: We’re going to go lighter now. Here’s a hypothetical: You can perform with any three people, living or dead. Who would those three be?
AE: This is so hard. I want to sing with Leontyne Price, whether it’s a performance or lesson. I’d like to sing and talk with her. And I think I’d want to perform with Prince—his musicmaking and versatility would be so much fun to work with. I was raised in a Prince house and I just love his creativity.
In this program, I’ve had the privilege of working with my collaborator, Michael Banwarth. I’d choose him any time; he’s so easy to work with.
WCT: What would you like people to take away from El último sueño de Frida y Diego?
AE: I’d like for people to take a love and interest in new works. I know that people love the classics but those [productions] were new works at one time, and people saw those and formed opinions about them.
I love it when people have opinions about works. Operas are like books; they’re all important. No one is upset when you dislike one book—but you might try other books in the same genre, right? I want people to think of opera in that way, settle into the story, prepare to be swept away and form opinions. Just let it transport you.
El último sueño de Frida y Diego will conclude its run on Saturday, April 4.