You can almost hear Stephanie Blythe scratch her head.
She is frustrated, she explains, that she is getting media attention for her secondary role in Arizona Opera's production this weekend of Johann Strauss' "Die Fledermaus."
"It makes me sad that I'm the one getting all the press, and I'm playing one of the smallest roles in the piece," the New York Metropolitan Opera star said earlier this week. "There's a lot of really talented people."
Blythe is right. The cast is top-notch, filled with emerging talent that may one day end up where Blythe is — in the coveted position of calling the storied Met her home. She has played in London's Covent Garden. She's played Paris. She's appeared with some of the most noteworthy houses in the world.
"Simply because I've gotten a little more notoriety doesn't make me a better artist than any of the other artists performing," the mezzo-soprano said, speaking crisply but not in an unpleasant tone. "Notoriety doesn't make you good; it just makes you known.
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"This is a very fine cast. Stella Zambalis, who is playing the role of Rosalinde, is arguably one of the best sopranos in the world today. She's a magnificent singer. She's a terrific actress. Hugh Russell, who's playing the role of Eisenstein, is a wonderful young baritone, and he has a phenomenal career ahead of him. Every single person who's working on this opera is a star."
So why smaller companies like Arizona?
"That question always gets asked, and I have to say I find it difficult to stomach. I don't really distinguish the size of the house. I distinguish the quality of the work. If the quality of the work is good, that's what makes me want to be there," Blythe said.
She has played with Arizona Opera before, two seasons ago in "Semele." It was a positive experience, and it was a chance to reunite with Joel Revzen, Arizona Opera's artistic director. He gave her her first professional job outside the Met a baker's-dozen years ago.
"He's always been extraordinarily loyal to me from the get-go, which makes me want to be loyal to him and this company," Blythe said during a phone call from the Oro Valley home she and her husband, fellow cast member David Smith-Larsen, rented for the Tucson performances.
The truth is, Blythe is smitten with Tucson and the Southwest. She and Smith-Larsen, a former wrestler turned opera actor — he doesn't sing — enjoy birding in Madera Canyon and taking desert walks with their pug dog.
Blythe has been a regular on the Met stage for 13 years. She made her debut as the Voice in Wagner's "Parsifal" a year after graduating from college and has appeared in dozens of roles since.
"It was a big surprise, but it was lovely," she said of landing at the Met. "My career's been fraught with nice surprises."
The critical acclaim is gushing: "It's clear that Ms. Blythe defies categorization. More to the point: she's just plain good," The New York Times proclaimed.
"Here's a force-of-nature voice that, in its ability to pierce both body and soul, can best be described as a vocal laser," opined Variety.
Blythe attributes her success to her ability to be ready for anything.
"The way it's happened for me, when I'm ready, the door opens. I don't try to anticipate anything; I'm just ready when it happens," she explained.
In Arizona Opera's "Die Fledermaus," Blythe makes her debut in the pants role of Prince Orlofsky. Her character hosts the second-act party in which all the tomfoolery takes place.
"It's a lovely character," Blythe said. "Comedy is very difficult to do. The timing is very, very important. But I enjoy being one of the players, rather than the primary player. Although I love being the lead role, too."
Preview
Johann Strauss' "Die Fledermaus"
• Presented by: Arizona Opera.
• Conducted by: Gareth Morrell.
• Directed by: Kelly Robinson.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
• Running time: About 3 hours.
• Tickets: $26-$114, through Ticketmaster, www. ticketmaster.com or 321-1000.
• In case you miss it: The production will be mounted in Phoenix at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Nov. 17 and 2 p.m. Nov. 18.
• Synopsis:
Comedy abounds as the respected Dr. Falke seeks revenge on his friend, Count Eisenstein, for leaving him drunk in the town square dressed in a bat costume. Eisenstein's wife, Rosalinde, joins in on the joke, hoping to bust her philandering husband in the act at Prince Orlofsky's masquerade party.
As the sun rises after an evening of hidden identities, frivolity and a grand waltz, Die Fledermaus (The Bat) realizes his revenge. Sung in English, with English surtitles.
Online: For an act-by-act synopsis, go to www.azopera.com.
