Alfie Boe on singing Alfredo in La Traviata at the Empire Theatre

Opera tenor Alfie Boe is finally realising his dream of singing on the Liverpool Empire stage.

The Fleetwood-born star, who is playing Alfredo in the Welsh National Opera’s La Traviata this autumn, has long held an ambition to perform at the theatre.

He says: “One place in particular that I’ve wanted to play for a long time is the Liverpool Empire.

“I’ve never had the chance – I’ve been inside and seen a few shows myself and I’ve always wanted to play on that stage.

“My heart still lies in the North of England. I’m a Liverpool fan so I like the city a lot – I’m going to stick around for that week.”

This is Boe’s WNO debut as well as the first time he has sung the role of Alfredo.

His musical talent was discovered while he was singing arias at the same time as working as an apprentice car mechanic.

After a spell touring with opera company D’Oyly Carte, he trained at the Royal College of Music.

He then joined the Royal Opera House Young Artists programme and won a Tony Award for his performance in Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme on Broadway.

Verdi’s three-act opera is being directed by David McVicar, with whom Boe has worked with in the past.

He says: “He’s a great director who really tries to pull the reality out of the piece.
“As a singer you have to be prepared to open yourself up fully to his direction and be willing to try things out that he wants to put across – you really have to throw yourself into it 100%.”

Based on the novel La dame aux Camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils, La Traviata tells the story of doomed courtesan Violetta (sung by Greek sophrano Myrto Papatanasiu) and her young lover Alfredo.

Boe says the encouragement of his colleagues at TVR, the factory he worked in as a mechanic, helped him take the leap into the world of singing and he would encourage anyone with a similar dream to do the same.

“One piece of advice I would give to any budding singer is to get your voice properly trained make sure your technique is solid,” he says.

“To have the opportunity to go on the road and do something you love and make your hobby your career is fantastic – do it.”

LA TRAVIATA is at the Empire Theatre on October 21 and 23. WNO is also bringing Madam Butterfly to the theatre on October 22 and 24.

Source: Liverpool Daily Post