With the upcoming production of bare: a pop opera rapidly approaching, we asked vocal director Dr. Jessica Rosas Posada a few questions about her work on the show.
Professor of Music Dr. Jessica Rosas Posada has been doing vocal directing on shows since she was in undergrad at the University of Texas, and is delighted to help bring musical theatre back to the Harper Joy mainstage. Whitman’s Department of Theater and Dance has been working with the Department of Music for years to put on the occasional musical, and this year Dr. Posada jumped in to begin work on bare.
To Dr. Posada, the music in this show is unlike a lot of productions she’s worked on in the past. The variety of genre and sound that the score offers creates an exciting challenge for both her and the actors. “The music in this show, it’s very pop-like. And there’s even some rock-pop styles in it. And I’ve never done that in a production. I’ve had to do a lot of listening. I’m going back to Britney Spears, early 2000s [music], and listening to the techniques that they use and trying to apply that when I’m doing private coaching with the students.”
The songs in bare have a lot of contrast between the energetic and emotional, and it is those extremes that are Dr. Posada’s favorite moments in the show. “I like the opening, it’s very energetic, it grabs your attention right away and there’s dancing, there’s singing, the plot is happening really fast, we’re introducing new characters.” She also mentions an emotional song between one of the main characters and his mom as a favorite moment because of its vulnerability and power.
When asked about the challenges that she and the cast face in bare, Dr. Posada pointed mostly to the difficult music that splits into as many as ten parts with a cast of only thirteen. And then with the addition of the choreography, lines, and crunched timeline on top of that, it’s definitely a big project. But she says the cast is more than qualified.
To hear Dr. Posada’s vocal coaching at work, grab your tickets for bare: a pop opera HERE! The show runs November 10-13 on the Alexander Stage.