It took a few years, but opera singer Karen Notare conquered Bell’s Palsy and Thursday made her official return to the stage with an enchanting and heartfelt performance in The Villages.
“My doctor said it’s a miracle,” Notare said in an interview after earning three standing ovations and two encores — not to mention a bouquet of roses. She was accompanied by Maestro Bill Doherty and performed for The Opera Club of The Villages in a packed Lincoln Room at Laurel Manor Regional Recreation Center.
“This is my first time in four years before an audience like this,” said Notare. The left side of her face had been paralyzed with Bell’s Palsy.
“Today I feel totally healed,” she added. “This night is a gift from God. I love performing; it means so much to me and I can’t tell you how much I missed it.”
Watch video of Notare’s performance here:
https://youtu.be/X_bbAHFQRUc
One song seemed to touch Notare’s heart. She sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” from “Carousel,” the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.
“When you go through something like I’ve been through, you bring more to the music, and you have more to say in the music,” said Notare, resplendent in a ruffled gown, with sequins, beads and colorful shades of dark blue and purple.
“Singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone,’ really gets to me. It says so much, and I know what it means.”
Notare had earned worldwide acclaim as a soprano. Among the stops included opera stages in Germany, Italy, New Zealand, England and Italy. She also has been on stages across the United States, including performances with the New York City Opera Company
She sang “Un Bel Di” from Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” on Thursday. “That will always be special to me,” Notare said. “It was my debut with the New York City Opera.”
Notare brought a new, personal twist to her Villages’ concert. “I usually just sing opera,” she said. “Tonight, we put in some show tunes to make it more appealing.”
She sang another classic from “Carousel,” – “If I Loved You.” Notare brought an operatic sensibility to the song, adding drama and vocal luster.
It was the same for “Moonfall,” from “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “How Could I Ever Know,” from “The Secret Garden.”
Notare would explain each number before she performed it. At times, it was like a musical history class and, by the way, Notare teaches performing arts in New Jersey.
She brought energy and drama to “Habanera” from Bizet’s “Carmen.” There were also power-laden performances from “La Boheme” and “Aida.”
Maestro Doherty was impressed.
“She is a riveting actress and has an amazing voice,” Doherty said. “It was a thrill to perform with her.”
“Tonight, Karen gave an extraordinary performance,” said Gerri Piscitelli, president of The Opera Club of The Villages. “It wasn’t just her singing, but the way she touched the audience and explained every number. It was wonderful to see her back on stage.”
Villager Pauline Pan helped bring Notare here.
“I met her in New York about 10 years ago,” Pan said. “I was always impressed with her singing, and tonight was no exception. She hit all the high notes.”
More than that, Notare was grateful to find herself back where she belongs – on stage.
“It took a while, but I’m back on stage and it feels great,” Notare said. “All I can say is: God is good.”