There is decidedly no dearth of passionate operatic heroines. But in an upcoming performance conceived as both a recital and a dramatic exploration, soprano Tiffany Townsend goes beyond that narrative to examine the inner lives of women pushed to their psychological and emotional limits.
Titled “Crash Out Queens: A Tiffany Townsend Recital,” she developed the work — teeming with operatic meltdowns — in close collaboration with Long Beach Opera (LBO). It will be performed Jan. 31–Feb. 1 at the Altar Society in Long Beach.
For “Crash Out,” Townsend has chosen seven female characters who span a wide expressive and musical range. Among these characters are Suor Angelica from Puccini’s opera of the same name, the title character from Gaetano Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, and Magda Sorel from Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Consul.
As for the performance — which also features multidisciplinary collaborators pianist Lucy Yates, in-demand dancer-choreographer Jasmine Albuquerque, and scenic designer Prairie T. Trivuth — Townsend explained that she invented the concept, and everyone agreed to keep the show’s title.
“That was my little nickname for it, ‘Crash Out Queens.’ I wanted to explore the moments in opera, specifically with women who were pushed to their brink mentally,” she said.
“The result, is usually that they do something we may see through our modern lens as irrational,” added the singer, who lives in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi. “But I wanted to explore women in those time periods [when] they weren’t left with any options, or no options at all. They did the best they could do. As humans, we are irrational in our emotions. I picked seven moments that I have sung, or have wanted to sing, which have impacted me the most.”
Townsend, who’s been praised by The Wall Street Journal, for her “powerhouse soprano and expressive presence,” pointed out that a few of these characters have also resonated with her lived experiences. Included is Thaïs, from Jules Massenet’s opera of the same name.
“There’s a scene where she demands from Venus to know if she will be beautiful forever, because that's how she's been able to make her life,” Townsend said. “I mean, I’m 34 years old, so I’m not old, but it’s the parallel of coming to terms with aging. It's interesting because Gen Z sees me as old, and I’m not a teenager or in my 20s anymore, so I kind of understand what that scene is about. And grappling with the experience of that is wonderful.”
Townsend holds a Master of Music from The Juilliard School and has performed with Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and major symphony orchestras across the country. Her other upcoming gigs include performing with the Folsom Lake Symphony on Valentine’s Day and singing Verdi’s Requiem with the Chattanooga Symphony in April.
The singer is thrilled to return to LBO for “Crash Out Queens.” Her longstanding professional relationship with the company began when she was a young artist at LA Opera. At LBO, Townsend first wowed audiences as the character Idleness in the world premiere of Kate Soper’s The Romance of the Rose (2023), returning the following spring to perform at the opera company’s “On Display” event, which previewed songs from Shelley Washington’s “The Passion of Nell.” She said LBO — a historically provocative troupe that has been challenging norms for over 45 years — has allowed her to explore boundary-pushing, “crazy” projects.
The role of Anna Bolena may not be a crazed one, but as far as a heroine goes, she’s certainly doomed as the first of Henry VIII’s six wives to be beheaded. Townsend is stoked to sing the role. “It’s kind of how I got into opera,” she said. “I wanted to, even for a moment, escape and be someone else. That’s what we do as artists, especially in [these] times. We want to help people escape for even just a moment, even if it’s only one or two hours that they’re at the opera house — to escape from the reality of what is actually going on in life.”
To that end, Townsend said that she wants each audience member to reflect on the stories of “Crash Out Queens” and think about what pushes them to “do something irrational” in their own lives.
