Quinn Kelsey ’96

Quinn, currently performing his signature role of Rigoletto with the LAOpera, had this to say yesterday about performing in Los Angeles right now:

Some thoughts on tonight’s show regarding the people who came to work at @laopera and allowed us all to give the audience what I thought was the best performance yet, despite the stress that was evident because of what’s transpired in this wonderful city in the last few days.

I couldn’t have been prouder of everyone at LAOpera this evening. Hearts were heavy, even though we’d thankfully been given the green light to proceed with our performance of #Rigoletto. All of these beautiful souls came together so that the curtain went up. I know we were ALL so proud of the show tonight. There was an energy coursing through the entire building, as though an electric current was humming through the very beams and girders of the opera house. You understood that everyone knew our job was to knock tonight out of the park. Not just for ourselves, but for the audience. We all knew the example we needed to set for the public this evening. To carry on in the midst of the negativity of those whose need for power and control had begun to weigh on this vibrant metropolis. And it’s this focus, this drive that astounded me tonight. Made me so happy to have been invited back to this stage to be a part of this company. In times like these, I DO believe the Arts are SO important in society. To educate us. To inspire us. To allow us to connect with one another through mediums that take us away from the daily grind in order to recharge. To reset. And to take joy in the parts of us that are often times set aside as we strive to coexist in our communities.

So let this be a reminder to us all. The Arts bring us together. Give us opportunities to communicate on a different plane. Allow us to find the similarities we share with one another. And ultimately help us to bond. To connect. To exist together intelligently. Simply. Wholly.