GO Getter: Leah Hamilton

See why she thinks opera gets a bad rap.

Leah Hamilton is nothing if not a quick study. A Springfield native, she spent four years studying opera at the University of Kansas and another at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. Upon moving back to Springfield a year ago, she got a job at the Springfield Regional Arts Council (she recently took over education director duties) and immersed herself in the arts scene, volunteering for Springfield Regional Opera and earning accolades for two star turns at Springfield Little Theatre. Leah sat down with us to talk about her whirlwind year.

So you just started your new role at the arts council. What are you working on this summer?
We’re doing summer workshops for children. I administrate one week each for different arts organizations: Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Ballet and then we handle the visual arts program.

Do you do anything for adults?
Yes. I’m working on fall and winter programs where we offer things like colored pencil classes, Chinese water color, and we have a “fearless drawing” course…

How do you draw “fearlessly”?
The point is to just not be scared. Especially as an adult, it’s hard to pick things up and make the time to do it. We just start with the basics and you can learn how to draw nice shapes and buildings and dimensions, and maybe draw people.

Are you going to draw NAKED people?
We’re offering our first figure-drawing class this fall, but it will be clothed. I think the art museum does the nudes.

What do you do with the opera?
I [voluntarily] organize Operazzi. Nonna’s [Italian-American Café] does a cast party the third Sunday of every month, and we kind of piggybacked off of that. It worked out perfectly; we just get a featured soloist every month. The idea was to make a guild of sorts for people 21-40.

Does opera get a bit of a bad rap?
Yeah, it makes sense because as with anything that’s classical, it’s classical for a reason because it’s kind of stayed [the same]. If you don’t understand something, you’re not going to enjoy it. A lot of it is just education. Here you can drink wine, have food and you don’t have to just shut up and listen.

You just won a Frannie for Newcomer of the Year at Springfield Little Theatre. How did that make you feel?
It’s awesome. I worked as a professional for so long, it’s amazing because the people at SLT are there because they want to be there. I thought it was really nice of them to show they appreciate what I did.

You played the lead female/wife part in The Full Monty, and Kaye in The Taffetas. Which was the more fulfilling part for you as a vocal artist?
The Taffetas was for me. We were in a quartet the entire time. I’ve never been challenged like that, where I had to wear three-inch heels on a stage, singing all the time in this restrictive dress and undergarments… Now I’m like “Give me the three-inch heels. I can dance in them.”

And The Full Monty was quite the initiation....
What I loved most was how it sort of woke everybody up. Even what happened with Jeff [Jenkins, Leah’s Monty castmate and real-life boyfriend], it was sort of eye-opening. It’s brings up the question how much you sacrifice for the sake of art. People are discussing it in classes now.

What is a show or role that you would love to play?
In opera I would want to do Samson and Delilah. Delilah would be my dream role even if my voice isn’t fit for it. In theatre, it would be Aldonza in Man of La Mancha. I’d have to smoke a few packs of cigarettes because it’s such a tough role.

So this year hasn’t been what you were expecting?
Before I was having anxiety attacks—I was hysterical about buying furniture. Now I have a dog and a long-term boyfriend. It’s really great.