Nathan Gunn is one of the more well-rounded baritones in the business today. Intellectually inquisitive and musically solid on all fronts, he’s also a good actor and a Sondheim aficionado, who has done a cabaret show with Mandy Patinkin. New music has never been a problem for him. In this interview, he talks about the challenge of playing Jesus in Mark Adamo’s opera The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.
On Playing Jesus
Gunn approaches his character as a character and not as the religious icon we’re familiar with. Separating the religious tradition from the drama has been key for Gunn, who nonetheless values some of the ideas explored in Mary Magdalene.
On Playing Jesus on YouTube
Bringing the Family Back Together
Because the principal singers (Gunn, Sasha Cooke, William Burden) have worked together many times, rehearsals have been more productive and getting to the emotional core of this difficult work has been much easier for Gunn.
Bringing the Family Back Together on YouTube
Working With Mark Adamo
The best thing, and the hardest thing, about doing a new opera is that the composer is present. As Gunn says in this video, composers have to trust the rehearsal process in the same way that actors do.
Working With Mark Adamo on YouTube