Elgin native singing with the Met
January 13, 2011 10:42AM
Updated: April 21, 2011 4:47AM
Elgin native Kyle Pfortmiller has been living in New York City for several years, making his living by singing with the New York City Opera and various other opera companies around the country. But on New Year’s Eve, he reached the next level closer to the apex of his profession by premiering with a role in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “La Traviata.”
His father, Ken Pfortmiller of Elgin, journeyed to the Big Apple and paid $300 (plus another $300 for his wife, Mary Pfortmiller) for tickets to see their son’s debut. That was worth it, the elder Pfortmiller says, “but don’t ever go downtown in New York after there has been 12 inches of snow.”
For the first time in his life, Ken also had the “privilege” of paying $25 for a single hamburger — one made of exotic Kobe beef.
He says the Met is staging this production of “La Traviata” by using only three colors. The prostitutes in the show dress in red and everyone else in black tuxedos, while the set is done up in white.
Kyle’s wife, Laura, is a professional opera singer, too. For more on their careers, see www.pfortmillers.com
