Sandra Piques Eddy of Dedham has sung with many of the largest opera companies the world over, and through March 20 plays a lead, Charlotte, in Boston Lyric Opera’s “Werther’’ at the Shubert Theatre.
She sang in the school choir in Somerville where she grew up, but it was under the tutelage of Charlene Dalrymple, her music teacher at Oliver Ames High School in Easton, that she realized she might be on to something.
“I remember singing for her and telling her I liked to sing, and she said, ‘By the time we’re done with you, kid, you’ll be a star,’?’’ Eddy said, laughing at the recollection. “That was such a sweet thing to say; she was always very kind to me.’’
She fell in love with musical theater at Oliver Ames, and in her senior year was Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors.’’ Then and now, she said, what drives her to perform is the story.
“Give me beautiful music and a great story to tell — that’s my passion,’’ said the mother of 6-year-old Beatrice, who took a bow with her mom in North Caroline recently at the end of “Cinderella,’’ in which she was performing. “This show I’m in now, it’s a great story. The music stands on its own, but married to story, it’s heartbreaking and romantic.’’
Opera may scare away the uninitiated, said Eddy, a mezzo-soprano, but as a former music teacher, “I love introducing people to opera. Many times, people aren’t expecting what they see and hear, and I love hearing from them how much they liked it, how accessible it is.’’
She’s moved around, including to Brooklyn when she landed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, where she still performs, and Dedham, where she relocated three years ago with her husband and daughter.
Eddy went to the Boston Conservatory, got her master’s degree in opera performance at Boston University, and has a lot of family in the area. One of her biggest thrills is performing for them.
Plus, she said, “working locally, I can see my brothers on lunch break; it’s fantastic.’’
PAUL E. KANDARIAN
Paul E. Kandarian can be reached at pkandarian@aol.com.
