SUZANNE LA CROIX
Born in Detroit, Suzanne sang almost from the time she could speak. She began piano lessons at 5, and at 12 years old, she was singing on local radio shows. Her first opera role as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Detroit Opera Theater competed with her junior year high school studies. That same year, she won the Detroit Symphony vocal auditions and appeared as soloist with the orchestra in their summer festival. A year later, she was cast by Michigan Opera Theater in a supporting role in “The Medium” with the renowned Marie Powers in the title role. (The Bay of Pigs happened during an intense rehearsal period and none of the cast knew it!) Ten years later, Suzanne was to play the title role herself in a six-month tour of Michigan venues, culminating in a performance with full orchestra in Detroit. The production was directed by John Broome, also playing the role of the mute, Toby, who had danced at Sadlers Wells and had directed the original production of “Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.”
Other operatic roles include the Witch in “Hansel & Gretel,” a Not-Too-Scary Witch in in Mr. Rogers’ only full-length musical for children, “SummerSnow,” Mrs. Peachum in “Three Penny Opera” and thee title role in Puccini’s “Suor Angelica.” Suzanne was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus for two seasons, including the 1983 Centennial season, appearing in the opening night “Les Troyens” with Jesse Norman, Placido Domingo and Tatiana Troyanos. She has done additional chorus work with Eve Queller and Peter Schickele at Carnegie Hall.
Suzanne has sung literally hundreds of chamber works from Scarlatti to George Crumb and with instruments ranging from clarinet, oboe, strings, brass, piano and even musical saw! She and her then accompanist, Bernard Katz, now deceased, created dozens of satirical recitals for the “Brunch with Bach” series at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She has appeared as soloist in many oratorios: Bach’s “Magnificat,” “Mass in B Minor”; Mozart’s “Requiem,” (on a tour of Spain with the Hungarian Chamber Orchestra); Rossini’s “Petite Messe Solomnelle,” Handel’s “Messiah” and the “Requiems” of Faure, Duruflé and Verdi, to name a few.
German Lieder and French Art Song are two of Suzanne’s true passions. She coached while still in the Detroit area with John Wustman (accompanist to many prominent lieder singers) and with Pierre Bernac, a famed French baritone.
On the lighter side, several Broadway musicals are in Suzanne’s repertoire: The mother abbess in “The Sound of Music” Jack’s mother and the giant’s wife in “Into the Woods.” Lady Jane in Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience” and Frances Farmer’s mother in the world premiere of “Mrs. Farmer’s Daughter” by Jack Eric Williams, shown at the first American Musical Theater Festival in Philadelphia. Last year, Suzanne played Mrs. Pearce, Henry Higgins housekeeper in “My Fair Lady” at Stage West. And for many years, she sang in a Detroit supper club in a quartet billed as “Pasta & Pagliacci,” performing arias, semi-classical songs and jazz standards.
PERFORMING IN BROOKSVILLE IN A BENEFIT FOR NATURE
SUZANNE LA CROIX will be performing at the Women's Club in Brooksville Florida on September 30th at the request of the UU Brooksville for a fundraising event to benefit the North Coast Botannical Gardens and the Nature Coast Conservancy.
A fixed donation of $10 for seniors, $15 for non-seniors is requested.
The Brooksville Woman's Club is located at
131 South Main Street - Brooksville Woman's Club
Organized and Federated in 1910, this building was built in 1931 based on the plans drawn up by then president Lena Hawkins. On Sundays, this building is also the current meeting place of the Universalist Unitarians "UU In The Pines".
The Brooksville Woman's Club and Universalist Unitarian Church
131 South Main Street - Brooksville, Florida 34601
SUZANNE LA CROIX
APPEARING IN BROOKSVILLE AT 131 SOUTH MAIN STREET
SEPTEMBER 30TH 10AM TO 12PM