My Opera Singer - Danielle Bond

Summary

Tosh Show Episode Summary: "My Opera Singer - Danielle Bond"

Host: Daniel Tosh
Guest: Danielle Bond, Mezzo Soprano Opera Singer
Release Date: April 1, 2025
Duration: Approximately 47 minutes

---

1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with Daniel Tosh humorously addressing the absence of his regular co-host, Eddie Gosling, who is in Florida visiting his father in the hospital. Tosh lightheartedly jabs at Eddie, setting a playful tone for the episode. He invites listeners to dive into the main content, teasing the absence of Eddie by encouraging witty banter about him.

---

2. Understanding the Mezzo Soprano Voice Type

Timestamp: [11:02]

Daniel Tosh welcomes Danielle Bond, a professional mezzo soprano, and begins the discussion by seeking to clarify her vocal classification.

Danielle Bond:
"It's basically a mezzo is kind of between the high soprano and then the lower range of the voice of an alto. It is not the most prestigious, but it is the cooler of all the voice types. Like, you get to be the witch, the bitch, and the pants, basically. So you get to be like more of a fun, dark-colored voice."
([11:06])

Key Insights:

• Mezzo Soprano Definition: Positioned between soprano and alto, mezzo sopranos often portray more complex and darker characters in operas.
• Voice Type Prestige: While not deemed the most prestigious, mezzo sopranos enjoy versatility in roles, allowing for dynamic and multifaceted performances.

---

3. Danielle's Journey into Opera

Timestamp: [16:19]

Daniel Tosh probes Danielle about her path into the world of opera, exploring her educational background and initial motivations.

Danielle Bond:
"I was a music theater kid, and I always wanted to sing. My family, they do not really love music. My mom, like, actively did not like music for a very long time, and now she's, like, really trying."
([16:19])

Host's Follow-up:
"So they wouldn't play music in the house and stuff like that."
([16:20])

Danielle Continues:
"My mom would play Julio Iglesias, and that's it. I would be practicing on the piano."
([16:42])

Educational Path:
Danielle attended Indiana University before transferring to Arizona State University (ASU) to major in Vocal Performance. Her final performance at ASU was in "The Coronation of Poppaea," marking her deep dive into classical opera intertwined with music theater.

---

4. Opera vs. Musical Theater

Timestamp: [21:38]

The conversation delves into the distinctions between opera and musical theater, highlighting the unique aspects of each art form.

Danielle Bond:
"Opera technically is a story that is fully sung... it has something to do with the vocal mechanism and the production of it, where you really have a certain way that you are projecting your voice and utilizing your voice that can be carried over an audience."
([33:16])

Key Differences Discussed:

• Performance Style: Operas are entirely sung performances, emphasizing vocal technique and projection without spoken dialogue, whereas musical theater incorporates both singing and spoken lines.
• Orchestration: True operas always use a live orchestra, maintaining acoustic fidelity, unlike some musical theaters that might incorporate microphones to accommodate mixed acoustics.
• Narrative Depth: Operas often explore profound and intense emotional narratives, while musical theater can range from light-hearted to dramatic.

---

5. The Opera Industry: Challenges and Insights

Timestamp: [31:42]

Danielle sheds light on the financial and logistical aspects of the opera industry, particularly in the United States.

Danielle Bond:
"Opera isn't like, you know, the most highly attended thing, you need to get as many people into the seats as possible. In this country, yeah. If you go to other countries, like in Germany, they have pretty much every major city has an opera house and they have full-time people at each of those houses. But America, like you get contracted per performance, per production, I should say. And then all of the musicians too."
([32:12])

Key Points:

• Economic Viability: Operas in the U.S. face challenges due to lower attendance compared to European counterparts, making financial sustainability difficult.
• Production Costs: High costs associated with staging operas limit the number of performances and productions that can be sustained annually.
• Employment Structure: Unlike Europe, where opera singers often hold full-time positions with regular performances, American opera singers are typically contracted per production, leading to job instability.

---

6. Techniques and Training for Opera Singers

Timestamp: [26:27]

The discussion transitions to the rigorous training and vocal techniques required for opera singing.

Danielle Bond:
"When I start warming up, I actually do... more like this: tell a dramatic story with your mouth closed like a blowfish. So it just gets you into a better resonating placement and it drops your larynx down. So it's really healthy for your voice."
([26:33])

Vocal Health Practices:

• Resonance Placement: Techniques to optimize voice projection without strain.
• Breath Control: Emphasizing the release of air rather than holding breath, crucial for sustaining notes.
• Vocal Exercises: Incorporating storytelling and controlled breathing to enhance pitch range and vocal flexibility.

---

7. Notable Performances and Future Plans

Timestamp: [30:04]

Danielle shares experiences from her international performances and outlines her aspirations within the opera world.

Danielle Bond:
"My favorite outdoor venue that I've performed at is Schloss Braunfels, a castle in Germany in the Rhine area. The Count and the Countess still live there, and they had us to dinner. They were super obsessed with dentists. It was very funny. They kept asking about our dentists. They were crazy and wonderful."
([30:06])

Future Endeavors:

• Upcoming Performances: Danielle is set to perform in "Ina de Mar" at LA Opera, a Spanish-language production she is particularly excited about.
• Creative Aspirations: She expresses interest in composing her own opera, aiming to collaborate with modern composers to create relevant and engaging works for contemporary audiences.

---

8. Personal Anecdotes and Life Outside Opera

Timestamp: [38:43]

The conversation takes a personal turn as Danielle discusses her recent house-buying experience and community interactions.

Danielle Bond:
"I'm just being a little lazy right now. That's fine. I got a lot to do."
([39:28])

Key Stories:

• House Projects: Danielle is currently engaged in extensive home renovations, including electrical work to ensure safety.
• Neighborhood Music: She humorously recounts living next to a mariachi band that rehearses every Friday night, finding joy in the free concerts despite their amateur status.
• Community Engagement: Danielle shares touching moments, such as singing “Ave Maria” at a neighbor's wake, highlighting the profound connections music facilitates in her personal life.

---

9. Opera Myths and Fun Facts

Timestamp: [43:02]

Danielle dispels common myths about opera and shares intriguing facts about vocal abilities.

Danielle Bond:
"It's more fun, like, you know, if you don't need to know them, make them your own."
([25:14])

Myth-Busting:

• Shattering Glass: While often dramatized, the human voice alone typically cannot shatter glass; it's more feasible with physical force.
• Castrati Boys: Danielle clarifies historical practices, noting that modern operas occasionally include children's choruses but do not employ castrati.

Vocal Fun Facts:

• Languages in Opera: Danielle has a preference for singing in French and Russian, appreciating the melodious qualities of these languages.
• Vibrato Usage: She explains the importance of vibrato in opera, enhancing the emotional expression and resonance of performances.

---

10. Conclusion and Upcoming Performances

As the episode winds down, Danielle provides details about her next performance and wraps up her segment on the show.

Timestamp: [47:02]

Danielle Bond:
"I'm gonna be in Ina de Mar at LA Opera. It's in Spanish, so that's fine. It's fun. And it's gorgeous. It's one of my favorite operas, and so I'm very pumped about it."
([47:09])

Closing Remarks: Daniel Tosh thanks Danielle for her insightful and entertaining discussion, encouraging listeners to attend her upcoming performance in April. The episode concludes on a light-hearted note, maintaining the show's characteristic humor while celebrating Danielle's artistry in opera.

---

Notable Quotes

• Mezzo Soprano Roles:
  "You get to be the witch, the bitch, and the pants, basically."
  ([11:37])

• Opera Nightmares:
  "I know, no, no canoodling with Putin. But, my God, Russian music is so gorgeous."
  ([23:58])

• Personal Transformation through Opera:
  "Self Love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad."
  ([50:16])

• Vocal Techniques:
  "It's really healthy for your voice."
  ([26:33])

• Opera as a Visionary Artform:
  "My favorite thing about singing in German is, like, when you're holding a really long note... you just put the consonant on the end and you're like, I just sing super long."
  ([25:26])

---

Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Tosh Show, Danielle Bond offers listeners an in-depth look into the world of opera from a mezzo soprano's perspective. From the technical aspects of vocal performance to personal stories of living among music enthusiasts, Danielle's insights illuminate the passion and dedication required in the operatic art form. Daniel Tosh's engaging and comedic interviewing style complements Danielle's expertise, making for an informative and entertaining episode that appeals to both opera aficionados and casual listeners alike.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Danielle]

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[Danielle]

Hey, all you women's hoops fans and folks who just don't know yet that they're women's hoops fans, we've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spain as we near the end of one of the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever. The most parody we've seen in years. With games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

45 years ago, a Virginia soul band called the Edge of Daybreak recorded their debut album Behind Bars. Record collectors consider it a masterpiece. The band's surviving members are long out of prison, but they say they have some unfinished business.

[Danielle]

The Edge of Daybreak, Eyes of Love.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Was supposed to have been followed up by another album. Listen to Soul incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm ready to fight. Oh, this is Fighting words. Okay, I'll put the hammer back. Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best.

[Danielle]

Selling author with the second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back. Part of the power of black queer creativity is the fact that we got us. You know, we are the greatest culture makers in world history. Listen to Fighting Words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Does an opera have to be in a foreign language or can it be in English so Americans can understand why they hate it? Posh show. Posh Show. Tosh Show. Hello. Welcome to Tosh Show. I'm Daniel Tosh and with me, as always, is is Eddie Gosling, April Fools. Eddie's not here, okay? He's in Florida visiting his father in the hospital. The joke's on you guys. No, he's been a good son taking care of his dad. We wish them all well, and he'll be back next week. By the way, if. If ever there were a time to talk shit about Eddie, now would be the time. Yeah, you know, he's not here to defend himself. Well, let's go. What's your biggest complaint of Eddie? I'll start. Okay. I don't think he's a good husband. April fools? Is that how it works? You just say lies and then just April fools? Hey, speaking of which, I always put my foot in my mouth. I mean, just. It's just a thing I do when I talk to people. I'll say such random things out of nowhere. And then I find myself just constantly in horrible situations. Well, this happened recently. I went on this rant about this person that was bothering me, and the guy that I was ranting to out of nowhere just stops me and goes, hey, just. You're gonna feel bad about this, but you shouldn't because you have no idea. You had no idea. But the person that you're talking about is my brother. And I was like, oh, I did not know that. But then that didn't stop. I just, I piled on a little bit because I felt like if I stopped at that point, you know, I wasn't going to make my point. I had to continue on a little farther. Listen, it was. It was awkward. Did they agree? Yes. Okay. No, no, they agree, but. But they were like, there's a lot of. A lot of things contributing to why his brother acts that way. Just the fact that I didn't know. I just thought I was talking about a random person. Next thing I know, it's like, the guy's, ask my brother. I'm like, oh, okay, well, this is why I don't go to parties.

[Danielle]

Do you feel differently now?

[Ryan Seacrest]

No, no, no. The person's horrible. Okay. Anyway, hey, you know, when you have children, people always like, say, oh, you'll feel different about that when you have kids. And for the most part, none of that is true. Recently I was watching John Wick 4 with my daughter. She loves it before bedtime. You know, just a quick three hours of screen time, lots of violence. It helps a two year old through the night. I was affected by this movie in a way I never thought I would be affected by a movie. You know, like, people have kids and they say, like, oh, you know, you hear a tragic story about another child and you're like, it just affects me so, so much now that I have kids. And that never does. That never affects me. I'm always like, whatever, that's your problem. I'M glad that didn't happen to me and my family. But now when I watch a movie like John Wick 4 where he just goes around killing people in the movie, I get affected by it in a different way. You know, these nobodies that aren't crucial to the story, they're almost like extras that just get shot and killed. Right away I'm like, oh my goodness, that was somebody's son. You know, a mom and dad. They raised that kid and went through so many things. And then, I mean, all the sacrifices that they made for this child, for him to storm John Wick way too quickly in a room and just get fucking shot and dead. I'm like, what an idiot. By the way, John Wick 4, is he dead at the end? I don't even know. I just watched it. Guys. At the end of the movie dies, or that you think he dies, but you don't actually see his body. And then that you see a tombstone, he's not dead. You, oh, there's gonna be a John Wick 5. That'll be exciting. Anyway, John Wick 4 was like. It was beautiful. That whole movie is beautiful. The locations were beautiful. Long. It's long. It's like an opera.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You ever been to an opera? I have. I think the reason that I've never been to an opera is because I know that it's long. I know that I won't understand any of it. And then there's just tons and tons of strangers surrounding me. Oh, and I also have to dress really nice. That is a triggering scenario for the old IBS shitting at an opera house. I'm guessing that the opera houses have nice bathrooms, but what if I don't have an aisle seat? Yeah. The good news for me is I don't have to go to the opera. The opera is coming to me. Enjoy. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest. Life comes at you fast. Which is why it's important to find some time to relax a little you time. Enter Chumba Casino with no download required. You can jump on anytime, anywhere for the chance to redeem some serious prizes. So treat yourself with Chumba Casino and play play over 100 online casino style games all for free. Go to chumbacasino.com to collect your free welcome bonus.

[Danielle]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Prohibited by law 21/ terms and conditions apply. Hey kids, it's me, Kevin Smith.

[Danielle]

And it's me, Harley Quinn Smith.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's my daughter, man. Who my wife has always said is just a beardless, dickless version of me. And that's the name of our podcast, Beardless Me. I'm the old one, I'm the young one. And every week we try to make each other laugh really hard. Sounds innocent, doesn't it?

[Danielle]

Lot of cussing, a lot of bad language. It's for adults only. Or listen to it with your kid. Could be a family show.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We're not quite sure.

[Danielle]

We're still figuring it out. It's a work in progress.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Listen to Beardless me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Something about Mary Poppins?

[Danielle]

Something about Mary Poppins? Exactly.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, man, this is fun.

[Danielle]

I'm A.J.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Jacobs, and I am an author and a journalist, and I tend to get obsessed with stuff, and my current obsession is puzzles. And that has given birth to my podcast, the Puzzler.

[Danielle]

Dressing. Dressing. French dressing. Exactly. Oh, that's good. Now you can get your daily puzzle.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Nuggets delivered straight to your ears. I thought to myself, I bet I know what this is.

[Danielle]

And now I definitely know what this is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is so weird. This is fun. Let's try this one.

[Danielle]

Our brand new season features special guests.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like Chuck Bryant, Mayim Bialik, Julie Bowen.

[Danielle]

Sam Sanders, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and lots more. Listen to the Puzzler every day on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You get your podcasts. That's awful, and I should have seen it coming.

[Danielle]

September 1979.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Virginia's top prison band, Edge of Daybre, is about to record their debut album, Behind Bars, in just five hours. Okay, we're rolling.

[Danielle]

One, two, three, four.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm Jamie Petras, music and culture writer. For the past five years, I've been.

[Danielle]

Talking to the band's three surviving members.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They're out of prison now and in.

[Danielle]

Their 70s, their past behind them. But they also have some unfinished business.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They're here to daybreak. Eyes of Love was supposed to have been followed up by another album. It's a story about the liberating power of music, the American justice system, and ultimately, second chances. Listen to soul incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Paw show. Today's episode will be about the life of an opera singer. The story follows the love affair between a woman and her desire to sing between the notes of middle C&D 5. Performing in the role of my guest whose voice might make you weep, please welcome mezzo soprano, opera singer Danielle.

[Danielle]

Hello.

[Ryan Seacrest]

First question, mezzo soprano, what is that?

[Danielle]

It's Basically a mezzo is kind of between the high soprano and then the lower range of the voice of an alto. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Is it the most prestigious?

[Danielle]

It is not, but it is the cooler of all the voice types. Like, you get to be the witch, the bitch and the pants, basically. So you get to be like more of a fun, dark colored voice. So you get to also get the fun, dark colored.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I like the witch, the bitch and the pants.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I've never said that in my life, but I know that I will from this day forward.

[Danielle]

Exactly. Be a mezz.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, man. Do you believe in ghosts?

[Danielle]

No. However, I.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You don't have to talk after that. Just. Just say no. All right, let's hear this.

[Danielle]

However, I understand why people could believe in them.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Sure. I can understand that.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Like, there's energy and like, you can walk into a room and it feels amazing or it feels really awful and that's like. It's just like, energy. So I get that. And then also, like, brains do stuff.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So I understand why half the country voted for Trump. Doesn't mean I accept it. No disrespect to your peers, but are you small for an opera singer?

[Danielle]

Oh, no, no. I mean, I think.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Is that just something that we were always taught because of Looney Tunes?

[Danielle]

Yeah. I mean, the good thing about if you're a little heavier is, like, you've got, like a different center of gravity and like you're. You're. You know, the space for your resonators is, like, slightly larger. But no, that's. It's otherwise a myth.

[Ryan Seacrest]

If I want to start just practicing the opera, give me some pointers to how I can, you know, just around.

[Danielle]

The house, just make fun of opera singers. Like, that's the best place to start.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I also think I have to make fun of, like, a language that I don't really speak. You're from the armpit of America. We talk in north or South Jersey?

[Danielle]

North. We smell sweet in that pit.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Say coffee talk.

[Danielle]

Coffee talk. I don't know. I don't have the big accent.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Did you ever?

[Danielle]

No. No. The only word that I can't really say is like, orange or draw. Like people like the address or draw. I can't say, you know?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, that's pretty bad.

[Danielle]

Yeah. That's my only accent. Accent.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you still go back to Jersey ever?

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You have family there still?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So Tony Soprano, did that speak to you as a young child?

[Danielle]

It makes me a little nostalgic, surprisingly. I grew up in a town where it was very similar to the town that they lived in. Yeah. That's all I can say.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Are you Italian?

[Danielle]

No, I'm French and Irish and English and German.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Ah, yeah. I'm in that world too, I think. Yeah, I'm French, Irish, German, something like that. I never could understand it. Talk about your childhood in New Jersey.

[Danielle]

Okay.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What was it like living in that hell hole?

[Danielle]

I loved it. The Jersey Devil is a very good leader of hell, I guess. I don't know. I love Jersey. It was a beautiful place to live. We were super close to the city, and we also had the countryside. Like, I used to go horseback riding. It was idyllic.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I hate Atlantic City.

[Danielle]

Yeah. No. Why would you go there?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Isn't it weird that it didn't work? That like. Like, oh, we're gonna have another little, like, Vegas, the smaller one here on the East Coast. In theory. You think? Oh, of course. This country would. Relatively.

[Danielle]

By the beach.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It doesn't work.

[Danielle]

No, it doesn't.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I mean, no offense. Now, if they want to have me back, I'm sure I'd love to do a show there. You went to college at Indiana University and then you transferred to Arizona State. You probably don't know. Yeah, you probably do. You know that I was in the NACA hall of Fame.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That is just a big deal.

[Danielle]

That's a huge deal.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I've performed at thousands of colleges. Indiana University, I believe, if you're there at the right time, which I'm gonna say mid April, is the most beautiful campus I've ever stepped foot on.

[Danielle]

It's gorgeous there.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like, I mean, if you're talking about. Oh, I wanna know. What? If you fantasize what a cool college experience would look like, it's that campus.

[Danielle]

But then you, like, go to asu, and then you're like, I just walked onto the set of Clueless. It was like, very. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Now asu, the sluts at asu. That's exciting.

[Danielle]

I mean. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Rage Castle. Oh, Rage Castle. Did you ever party at Rage Castle at asu? Oh, my God. Rage Castle. No, we have no idea what we're talking about. We went there one time, and a bunch of the people on my crew went to a place called Rage Castle. It was embarrassing. Which did you like better? Which experience was better for you? Indiana University or asu?

[Danielle]

I would say ASU is better. Like, as a vocal performance major. Indiana was really great for people who were, like, in their master's program, but for undergrad, it just wasn't enough for me.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How did you get into the opera.

[Danielle]

So I was a music theater kid, and I always wanted to sing. My family, they do not really love music. My mom, like, actively did not like music for a very long time, and now she's, like, really trying.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So they wouldn't play music in the house and stuff like that.

[Danielle]

My mom would play Julio Iglesias, and that's it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That is sexy.

[Danielle]

I mean, I understand. I understand the Julio, but that was it. And I would, like, be practicing on the piano. I, like.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You had a piano, though.

[Danielle]

I did. Speaking of Atlantic City and gambling, I was able to win, like, I think it was, like, $1,200 on a cruise ship when I was nine years old.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay. This. This doesn't.

[Danielle]

International waters, like, there are maritime laws. Maritime law. I believe in it. So, anyway, so I was like, dad, can I pull a slot? And I put in a quarter, and out came $1,200. And I'm like, no, we can buy me a piano.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You're talking about one pole. You had one pole with a quarter and you got $1,200?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Imagine if you would have played the bonus, the max amount per that slot.

[Danielle]

I was nine. I did not know about that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You messed up. You messed up. You probably left a huge jackpot on the table.

[Danielle]

Seriously.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Anyway, so you said, I'm gonna buy a piano with 1200 bucks.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And, like, I think preemie dolls or something like that for my sister and me.

[Ryan Seacrest]

The fact that your dad let you have the money is pretty good, because I'm guessing that wasn't your quarter.

[Danielle]

No, no, no, no. It's my dad's quarter. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Good father.

[Danielle]

I know he is. Yeah, he's a good father, but. Yeah. So I bought a piano, and I. I bought the preemie dolls, and I gave $200 to the church because I always really wanted to tithe. I was Catholic. Yeah. I was, like, super proud. And my parents were like, tell Father Carl how you got the money. Yeah. It was ridiculous.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Give you that $200 back.

[Danielle]

It's okay. I'm just gonna donate it to the Catholic. No, I won't give it to the Catholic Church. I won't.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Are you still big into the Catholic Church?

[Danielle]

Mm. Mm. No, no. I like the ritual. I think the ritual is cool.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know which one?

[Danielle]

All of. I like, like, going to a thing and doing like. Like having something super meditative like that. If. If you go and you do rituals, it's very meditative.

[Ryan Seacrest]

The Catholic Church actually scares me. The outside of it, inside and chance. Yeah, all of it.

[Danielle]

Oh, the chances are my favorite part.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you belt out the chance? So people are like, oh, there she is. There's Danielle.

[Danielle]

Obnoxious. If I have to go to a Catholic church, I'm going to sing. I'm gonna make everybody else around me be like, what? And I'll be like, turn to page 375 or whatever it is. Yeah, I love singing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, I get it.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right. Did you know how to play the piano before you bought one?

[Danielle]

Yeah, Yeah. I had like, been like, begging for lessons. Like, I was that nerd kid that was like, if I do this, can I have piano lessons or voice lessons? And yeah, so I always wanted to be a musician.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Dream child, right?

[Danielle]

Well, not for my parents because my mom would be like, stop practicing. Or she'd be like, stop playing it over well, because she'd be like, you're playing the same thing over and over again. I'm like, it's called practicing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Holy cow.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Did she have you when she was 16 or something? No, my son practiced all the time. He's on the piano. He's five and. And I. I can kind of make out the greatest showman song that he's playing. Rewrite the Stars. And I literally just like get teary eyed.

[Danielle]

I just almost got teary eyed for you. That's beautiful.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It's the best thing in the world. Meanwhile, your mom's just screaming at you to knock it off.

[Danielle]

Stop singing so high. Yeah, she. Yeah, stop singing so high. And that's why I'm a metso.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay. Get me from that to being an opera singer.

[Danielle]

Okay. So then I really was focused on music theater. I went to college. When you study voice, you always study classical voice because it's the healthiest position for your voice to be in. And then you kind of learn how to do music theater and things like that. So I was pretty much, you know, studying classically, but with the idea that I do music theater. My last performance in college was the Coronation of Poppaea, which is the second opera ever written. And it is gorgeous and fun and I got to act, sing and dance, and also learn history. I am, as I said, a nerd. And like, I love history. So it just felt like I could research so much. I could really get into these characters. And I loved it. I loved it. It just felt very holistic to me. And that's when I.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This was. Was this at asu?

[Danielle]

Yes, that was my final semester of asu.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And so that was it.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I was definitely hooked. I wasn't like, great at singing classical music at that point. And it took me a while to do it, but it was just, you know, when you, like, feel that passion for something and you're like, yes. Like, you don't have any other choice but to pursue.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You said this was the second. The one that you performed was the second opera ever written. How many operas have been written? It's infinite, right?

[Danielle]

Yeah, it's a lot.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Danielle]

Yeah. I don't know the answer.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Have you ever written your own opera?

[Danielle]

No. There's one that I think I will eventually write, by the way.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm gonna ask a ton of dumb questions that don't make any sense. When a popular opera tours, can a director. Are they allowed to take any liberties and change the songs?

[Danielle]

Oh, no. Or tweak them, or sometimes people will rewrite them. But operas typically don't tour. Every once in a while, there'll be a certain thing where. Like, I did a tour in Germany, for example, where we would take a couple of operas to various historical locations and perform them there. But no, like, you really don't touch it. Mostly you might edit within it, so you might, like, cut a scene for time's sake or whatever. But pretty much traditionally, you're gonna do what the composer wrote.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How long's an As a standard opera?

[Danielle]

Mm, about three hours.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's too long.

[Danielle]

But it's fun. Yeah. You get intermissions.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How many intermissions do you usually.

[Danielle]

Two. You get two intermissions, and it's like a spectacle.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I get it. But now you're talking. Is that three hours with the intermission?

[Danielle]

Yeah. Usually we try to, like, nowadays we keep it short, but, like, imagine like, back in the days before TV and, like, you would only go out once every, like, month or so.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I refused to think about life back then. There's no reason to.

[Danielle]

And also. Okay, so this is funny. A lot of operas, especially in France, were written with the idea that people would go to the opera and the ballet dancers would do a ballet, but then the gentlemen that were there for the ballet would go and canoodle with the ballerinas.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Bang. Ballerinas. I had no idea you might be an opera guy. No, I'm an opera guy. I love the opera. What language would, in your opinion, is the ugliest sounding for the opera?

[Danielle]

I don't know. I have not come across that yet.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Let's go. Your preference?

[Danielle]

I sing a lot of French opera, which I think is wonderful.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, it's beautiful.

[Danielle]

It's gorgeous. That's my favorite language to sing in. Other than Russian.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Russian. Don't say it. Not in this. Not in this podcast.

[Danielle]

I know, I know.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Don't you go canoodling with Putin here?

[Danielle]

Oh, no, no canoodling with Putin. But, my God, Russian music is so gorgeous.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You speak these languages or do you just memorize the song and can sing in all these languages?

[Danielle]

I speak some of a few of the languages, like French, Italian, German. But then Russian, I can barely speak. But also, like, a lot of it is pre revolutionary, so I would sound like I was speaking Shakespearean English if I was actually to speak in the same, you know, words as.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You can just memorize the song in any language.

[Danielle]

Yeah, well, there's, like, helpful ways. Like, you can, you know, read the ipa, so that way your pronunciation is really good and specific, and then you just memorize the words and the feelings behind them.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So talented. I can't learn the words of Gracie Abrams song. Like, I listen to these songs over and over, and, you know, my son will sing them verbatim. I think when you can't sing, for some reason, you just can't learn the words to songs. That's my theory.

[Danielle]

I learn a lot of the wrong words to songs, especially if they're like pop songs. Like, yeah, yeah, it's it one. It's more fun, like, you know, if you don't need to know them, like, make them your own.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You like singing in German?

[Danielle]

Yeah, I do. It's beautiful. I mean, if the music is gorgeous, everything is going to be great. But my favorite thing about singing in German is, like, when you're holding a really long note and you're like, I can't hold this any longer. They have such good, like, endings to the words that a lot of times I'll be like, and it sounds like I sang longer than I really did. So you just, like, put the consonant on the end and you're like, I just sing super long.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How often are you singing? Like, really belting out? Every day?

[Danielle]

I should be, but. No, you should. I should? Yeah. Like, you should be singing pretty much every day, like, an hour.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How long do you sing?

[Danielle]

You know, I'll spend, like, maybe, like, 15 minutes on it, but if I'm working on a role, then I don't really spend time, like, singing singing. If I'm preparing something, I will literally be, you know, doing a few measures at a time and, like, refining that measure. So I might work for, like, two hours on that. But it's not like belting out a song.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Run me through some warmup exercises. Should I do These before every episode.

[Danielle]

Ooh. Okay.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So when I start warming up, I actually do. Don't really, like, sing sing. I do more like. This is actually really great for voice actors. You can tell a dramatic story, but with your mouth closed like a blowfish. So also, you look ridiculous. So it goes. And it just gets you into, like, a better resonate, resonating placement. And it drops your larynx down. So it's really healthy for your voice. And the reason why you want to tell a dramatic story is so that way you get pitch range. Quick little tip.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I mean, it's great.

[Danielle]

Blowfish.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I had a really bad sore throat for about 12 years from performing.

[Danielle]

Okay.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And then I would go see, you know, my ENT guy, and they would give me these exercises, like, every night. I want you just to spend, like, five minutes talking, like, this way. And I never did it. And I was like, you know what? I'll just have a sore throat.

[Danielle]

You know what if it gives you a little bit of color. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I just was like, I don't. I'm not gonna do these things.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

When. When I see actors and musicians doing those things, and I'm just in awe of how fearless they are. I think that's why I always. I was never a good actor. Cause I would watch people audition, and they would be practicing in the hallway.

[Danielle]

Oh, yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And that would always just mortify me. I was like, oh, what are they doing? Don't do that.

[Danielle]

I know. Yeah. It's weird to, like, practice in public, but I. I catch myself and, you know, like, as I'm walking down the street and stuff, and I'm like, well, whatever.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How long can you hold your breath?

[Danielle]

I don't know. My friend got into, like, free diving, freediving, but like, now I'm like, I need to do those exercises.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. I can't hold my breath that long. I try.

[Danielle]

Singing isn't about holding your breath, though. It's, like, about releasing air. But it's not like you don't hold it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I gotta try. I gotta try it in stand up. See how long I can hold a joke.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Just let it rip. Opera house versus a theater. They're different.

[Danielle]

Yes, somewhat. I think that an opera house is built for the acoustics, but can be used for general theater as well, you know? And that's why, like, you might end up having some microphones in places because they're not really set up acoustically for opera.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's cheating, though, right?

[Danielle]

Total cheating.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Cheating to have a microphone. I've done it before. You ever done that, Eddie, where you're at a show and they're like, the microphone doesn't work for whatever reason. And you're like, I'm just going to go for it. No, I have done it.

[Danielle]

Have you really?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I've done a college where I was like, all right, this isn't worth it. Here I go. I'm gonna rip the voice, but I'm gonna project.

[Danielle]

I did have my microphone turned off doing a gig at the airport.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I did. I had my microphone turned off doing a show in Mormon land in Utah once when I was younger.

[Danielle]

No, really?

[Ryan Seacrest]

They said, that'll be enough.

[Danielle]

That'll be enough.

[Ryan Seacrest]

The college was like, nope, nope, we're not gonna have.

[Danielle]

Oh, no.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I'll be honest with you. I was working under the rules that they had given me, at least in my head. I was like. Because I was very handcuffed. But when people told me what rules were before I did the show and I accepted the gig, I agreed to it. So I would, like. I'll give this a shot. Let's see how funny I am without talking about anything. But sure enough, they were like, no, no, that's it. You're done.

[Danielle]

He had to do the soda joke. He just had to.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I didn't Into a soda joke. I don't know what I was talking about. I remember just kind of awkwardly walking off stage and like, am I gonna get paid? I got paid.

[Danielle]

Okay. All right.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Favorite outdoor venue that you've performed at.

[Danielle]

Schloss Braunfels.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, it's beautiful. It's so gorgeous.

[Danielle]

There you go. It's a castle in Germany in, like, the Rhine area. The Count and the Countess still live there, and they, like, had us to dinner, and they were, like, super obsessed with dentists. What? Yeah, it was very funny. They kept asking about our dentists. They were crazy and wonderful. They were great people.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I was where I was born, right off the Rhine river in Germany.

[Danielle]

Wait, really? Oh, that's so cool. What town?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Bopard.

[Danielle]

I don't know it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Why would you. Yeah, but if you. If you Wikipedia Bopard, it's. It says, like, whatever. Notable people from there. And I think I'm like, number two and somebody else, like a mathematician from the 1500s.

[Danielle]

Whoa. That was a span of time that they just were not producing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

God damn it. Bopard had a dry. Seriously, have you ever performed in Italy?

[Danielle]

No, I have not.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Is that the dream for operas or. No?

[Danielle]

Yeah, I think, like a lot of American opera singers, the dream is to sing at the Met, but for me, My dream was to sing in like all of the major cathedrals of Europe. That's what I wanted, you know, at one point. But now I just really love working on new music. Like that's the thing that I'm the most interested in is working with new composers that are creating things that are gonna be relevant for a modern audience.

[Ryan Seacrest]

How's the breakdown of the money work for an opera? Who's pulling in the real money? Is it always just the opera singer? Is it, you know, where's the orchestra at? I mean, how much is this?

[Danielle]

It's so expensive.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And that's what I'm wondering because like I perform at a show, I show up, there's a microphone, I gotta throw Eddie some scratch. But other than that, yeah, it's pretty much that's it. You guys have such a production, it is crazy.

[Danielle]

So it's so expensive. And that's why, especially in America, like you only get a few performances even at like the big houses. I sing with LA Opera often and we do six performances of a production and like you train for like years on a roll and you're like, okay, done.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What are tickets? What are tickets? A good seat in that house, that's, you know, face value. What's that ticket cost?

[Danielle]

Somewhere like around 250 or something like that. Something around there for like a really good one.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What's that? What's that Opera house seat?

[Danielle]

I think it's around 2000 some odd. Okay, so it's like the. Because opera isn't like, you know, the most highly attended thing, you need to get as many people into the seats as possible.

[Ryan Seacrest]

In this country.

[Danielle]

In this country, yeah. If you go to other countries, like in Germany, they have. Pretty much every major city has an opera house and they have full time people at each of those houses. But America like you get contracted per performance, per production, I should say. And then. And all of the musicians too, like you know, the instrumentalists, the. All of the singers. And then sometimes like there's full time crew, but that's pretty much it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What's the difference between an opera and a musical? Like true operas always use a live orchestra in my book.

[Danielle]

They always do. I feel like opera technically is a story that is fully sung is how I, I've heard a lot of people define it, but I also think that it has something to do with like the vocal mechanism and the production of it, where you really have a certain way that you are projecting your voice and utilizing your voice that can be carried over an audience.

[Ryan Seacrest]

By the way, why Are operas so goddamn depressing?

[Danielle]

They're not like.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like the.

[Danielle]

I mean, everybody dies, but other than that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Right, that's what I mean. Like, the death, the weeping, the sorrow, the angst. All of that just has to be the story that's told. There's no. There's no. Is there comedy opera?

[Danielle]

Yes.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay, I got to go see a comedy opera.

[Danielle]

So there's this one company, they do English translations of operas, but they have like. It's basically a Mario Brothers meets Zelda production of the Magic Flute. And it maps perfectly. It's hysterical. That one is great. And then they do like a Star Trek themed Abduction from the Seraglio, and it's amazing.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I mean, do you have to be so in the know to appreciate it.

[Danielle]

Or can if you've ever played any Nintendo games?

[Ryan Seacrest]

I thought I meant in the know with opera.

[Danielle]

God, no. No, no, no, no, no. Like, it's one of the most accessible things that I've ever seen it. Both of those productions are just so much fun.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Can you yodel?

[Danielle]

No, I've tried. I mean, like, I. I'm. I've tried to learn, and I need to focus on it because it is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Why. Why no one needs to learn to yodel. No, no, no.

[Danielle]

It's like, it's good for you, like, to. To experiment with your voice like that. That's like vocal health. It's good for you. And also, like, what about scat?

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know how scat I want to be.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I can do it a little bit, but I can't do it now. I believe.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm not gonna ask you a scat.

[Danielle]

Come on, Daniel.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Give the people what they want.

[Danielle]

Very well done.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's just. What's her name from Sex and the City? Kim Cattrall. Just an old viral video of her scatting with her husband who plays the upright bass. And she's very humiliating. It's the worst video, but it's enjoyable.

[Danielle]

Sophistore.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You had to sign a nine page NDA to perform for Beyonce. Was that because Diddy was there?

[Danielle]

Oh, God. I. No, I didn't even get to. I didn't meet her. I just did like a pre record for the Grammy performance that she did in 2017 as the opera singer. But yeah, it was intense. Like, that was. I was like, oh, my God. And you know, I was like, I wanted to tell people to watch and see.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But you were scared.

[Danielle]

I was, like, terrified that they were.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Going to come for you.

[Danielle]

Because seriously. Well, no, I take it seriously. Like, I understand why somebody at that Level has to have privacy and stuff. So. But. And I was like, no, I can never tell anybody. And they're like, it's aired. It's okay. Oh, my God.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What modern pop singers do? You go, oh, their voice is pretty. Pretty legit.

[Danielle]

Ariana Grande. Oh, my God. Her performance on snl, that was insane.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I know. She's good, but there's. She is. She is a. I believe she is a robot. Like, I don't believe she's actually a person. It's just so at all times, aversion that I'm like, man, I don't believe you.

[Danielle]

Yeah. You know who else's voice I love is Dave Grohl. I love his voice, and I know.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That that's like, why would you bring him up after what he did put his wife through right now?

[Danielle]

Really?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah.

[Danielle]

I don't know. I am, like, not a good fan. I don't know anything about sex.

[Ryan Seacrest]

No. I only know this because, I don't know, maybe my phone thinks I want to know about Dave's Grohl's sex life, but he just fathered a child outside of his long marriage.

[Danielle]

Yeah, but you like his voice.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You like his voice?

[Danielle]

I love it because he just expresses himself really, like, fully. Like, and that's what I would love to like. His level of commitment when he plays or sings is what I would love to be able to do with myself.

[Ryan Seacrest]

When I see or watch him sing. I'm like, I could do that for maybe 30 minutes once.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Before my throat was gone forever.

[Danielle]

No, it's like, because it comes from him. Like, it's just like.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You're saying you're justifying why he cheated on his wife.

[Danielle]

Yes, because it's just, like.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It's too much.

[Danielle]

It's too much music inside of him.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Are you crazy? Protective of your voice?

[Danielle]

Not as protective as I probably should be, but, yeah. Like, you have to be really mindful if you're in performance. But again, like, that's why you just do it regularly. So that way you keep yourself as healthy as possible. But if I'm doing a big show, obviously. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you get sick often?

[Danielle]

Not really anymore. I gave myself bronchitis the other week by inhaling lime dust accidentally, so.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Lime dust?

[Danielle]

Yeah, I was like, movie. Like, the contractors had left a bag of lime dust. And I was like, what's this? And my friend who's helping me get organized was like, put a mask on. And I was like, you're right. And then I threw it into the.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Garbage, and I thought you were going to snort it. What's this? And your friend's like, you know what to do. I mean, you just bought a house. Congratulations.

[Danielle]

Thank you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It's so terrifying, but also such a great feeling too.

[Danielle]

Yeah, it really is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Are you on the market? Is there. Is there a Mr. Bond?

[Danielle]

Oh, no, I am on the market, yes. If you have recommendations. I refuse to, like, do the dating apps right now. I just cannot. So, yeah, I'm just gonna. This is my dating app, I guess my experience.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I went off the market before dating apps, but I have my wife's cousin who always. She'll have the dating apps on, and then I'll talk to her, like, a day later, and she'll be like, they're all deleted. They're all. And just furious. And then she has to reinstate all of them six months down the road. But she's like, no, all of them. They're gone. They're not on my phone because I would take them and I would do the swiping for her. Oh, that's good, because she's not capable of picking the right person.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah. All right. So you're not. You're on the market, but you're not on the apps.

[Danielle]

Correct.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay.

[Danielle]

I'm just being a little lazy right now. That's fine.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You know, listen, you got house projects.

[Danielle]

I got a lot to do.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, man. But, yeah, but, like, what's the biggest house project you're working on right now?

[Danielle]

Getting the electrical to not spark. So, yeah, just the whole house. Yeah, like, they. They said everything was.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Did you get a homeowner's inspection?

[Danielle]

Yes, I know.

[Ryan Seacrest]

A shitty one.

[Danielle]

A shitty one. Yeah. And then, like, it's a whole thing. Like, they. The disclosures were not accurate, and. La, la, la, la. So anyway, I have an electrician coming tomorrow, and I get to spend tons of money, but I was like, yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But you'll get all that money back, I hope. Yeah, no, you will.

[Danielle]

It'll. It'll. It'll all work out.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I'm a big. I'm a big fan of home buying. I think it's fun.

[Danielle]

I. You know what? I love it. And, like, I never thought that I would be able to afford my neighborhood, and I'm like, I did it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Have you informed the neighbors of your little. Little.

[Danielle]

No, but. Okay, here's. This is a huge benefit to me. I'm sure it'd be super annoying to other people. Every Friday night, there's a mariachi band that rehearses in the backyard of my next door neighbor's house.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That would be annoying to everyone.

[Danielle]

No, it is like a free concert. It's only for, like, a couple of hours.

[Ryan Seacrest]

If you wanted to go to a mariachi concert every week, Every night, every Friday night.

[Danielle]

I love it. I think it's the greatest. And, like, they're not like, a great band or, like, anything like that, but they're like, they've got a comedian.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I think you actually have an out on your home if you wanted to get out of the purchase. I think that should have been disclosed.

[Danielle]

Oh, this is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's way worse than somebody dying in your bathroom. No, you need to know if there's a mariachi band performing. That's not even a good mariachi band. And they're good every week. Well, okay, now, I know that you just bought a home, but prior to that, when you were living in an apartment, your neighbors, were they annoyed? Were they, like, think it's, oh, it's beautiful. So it's okay.

[Danielle]

Well, so they. It's interesting. Like, I always would give, like, a card and be like, hey, I'm your next door neighbor now, and here's my card. If you ever just want to call me and tell me to shut up.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Because you can't. That's dangerous, though.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But, like, trust these people.

[Danielle]

I don't know. Like, you know, you've got to be kind to.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay. And did they ever complain?

[Danielle]

No, they would request certain songs a lot. And so I'm like, I know.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That would be me.

[Danielle]

Yeah. So. And it was sweet. Like, I lived upstairs in this apartment building with, like, the greatest landlords, the greatest neighbors. They were so sweet. And this woman was in the downstairs apartment, and she would always request Ave Maria and she would always want certain songs, but she was passing away. And so her daughters were like, will you come and sing to Mom? And I was like, absolutely. And so I sang to her the night that she passed, and I sang at her wake. It was really beautiful and meaningful. And then I asked my landlords, I'm like, can I get her apartment? Because it's bigger. And so I was like, New York about it. I slid in there.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's weird that you were a part of her death and then immediately took her apartment.

[Danielle]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Interesting. By the way, I got you. I always give people a gift. It's just. I just take something from my house and I give them something. That's my show. You. I couldn't. I was like, oh, the only thing I could find. I don't drink tea, and I have this in my house. So I was like, oh, I'll give her this for her voice.

[Danielle]

Thank you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

It's kind of cute. So you can keep that.

[Danielle]

Cute.

[Ryan Seacrest]

There you go. Go.

[Danielle]

It's like the very. Do you just like getting rid of things in your house? Does your wife agree with this method of.

[Ryan Seacrest]

No. I mean, she doesn't. I don't. I don't ask her. I'm gonna need you to put that on the floor. I'm sorry. But you'll like it. You'll. I think you'll love that.

[Danielle]

I'm delighted.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you drink tea?

[Danielle]

I do.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Is that any good?

[Danielle]

I don't know. I haven't tried this yet.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Well, do you know. Does it. Do you know the brand at all, or. No.

[Danielle]

No, I don't know them.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right. Can someone really shatter a glass when hitting a high C? Or is that bullshit?

[Danielle]

It's. I mean, like, you could, like, hold a glass and be like, crack it, but. Yeah. No, it's like the frequency of glass is supposedly the same frequency, and then that could shatter it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What if it's like, the thinnest piece of glass? You know?

[Danielle]

I mean, maybe. I think it actually can be done. But the human voice, like, even if you're not singing, like, opera. Opera, it vibrates between frequencies, and that's why we connect as much as we do. So, like, it has that vibrato in it, like, where if I go. You hear that little wobble thing? That's vibrato. And so it's, like, constantly oscillating between the pitch frequencies to get that little vibrato. So I don't think that it wouldn't sustain a C on a straight tone for long enough to break.

[Ryan Seacrest]

What about your new house? How about in one of the bathrooms? Just as kind of a joke, an Easter egg for people. You have, like, the window in the bathroom by the shower shattered.

[Danielle]

Oh, that would be. That's a great joke. I like that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, my goodness.

[Danielle]

I should just, like, for April Fool's Day, just crack all of my windows. Well, that seems.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That seems like you went a little too far.

[Danielle]

Okay, fine.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Name the greatest opera singer of all time. Is there a clear pick for most people? Do most people agree on this or no? No, it's a personal preference.

[Danielle]

It's a personal preference. Yeah. I mean, like, Pavarotti is probably like, the most.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You have to say it like that to be. You have to do it like that.

[Danielle]

Yeah, Pavarotti. I can be. I can. I can't even do it. Jersey accent right now. Yeah, but he's like, one of the most highly valued singers and whatnot, but, like Maria Callas for other reasons. But I don't know. Like, I think it's got to be what. What's connecting you. I feel like Joyce Titonato is, like, the person that, for me, is the exemplary of the way that I love performing and I love experiencing opera. So she's my favorite. And a gorgeous voice. Stunning.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Do you remember that the Pope in 1903 banned boys from being castrated?

[Danielle]

So that they remember it like it was yesterday, 1903. What?

[Ryan Seacrest]

Did you know this bit of history?

[Danielle]

Well, I knew that they stopped castration, but I didn't know it was the pope that did that.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Pope is the one that made it official that we are gonna stop you guys castrating these boys so that they continue to sing. Do children still sing in the opera?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Mm. That's common. I didn't even know that.

[Danielle]

That's not, like, common common, but there will be, like, a children's chorus for something. And a lot of those castrati parts, like, so there used to be castrati. Castrati, like, people that were castrated, and.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They'Re called the castrati boys.

[Danielle]

The castrati boys.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, the castrati boys are here. That's who it is. That is a castrati boy. Why don't you sing that high note voice?

[Danielle]

Put an extra pie in the castrati boys. No, they were, like, totally. I don't know. They were very sexually desirable. But anyway, of course. I mean, so a lot of those voices that would sing in the early operas are the roles that I would do because they're like, kind of the higher placement of the male voice.

[Ryan Seacrest]

You've taken over.

[Danielle]

I've taken the consistent.

[Ryan Seacrest]

The child labor. Like, that's good for you.

[Danielle]

Thanks.

[Ryan Seacrest]

So you're doing God's work.

[Danielle]

I really am.

[Ryan Seacrest]

When can we watch you live perform next?

[Danielle]

I'm gonna be in Ina de Mar at LA Opera. It's in Spanish, so that's fine. It's fun.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And I can probably, you know, do my little translate thing on my phone, keep people holding up.

[Danielle]

No, no, no. You get a translation right above the. Above the stage.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's beautiful.

[Danielle]

Yeah, and it's gorgeous. It's one of my favorite operas, and so I'm very pumped about it.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And when is that?

[Danielle]

April.

[Ryan Seacrest]

April.

[Danielle]

Yep.

[Ryan Seacrest]

All right, Danielle, thank you for being on the show.

[Danielle]

Thank you.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Okay. Hey, kids. It's me, Kevin Smith.

[Danielle]

And it's me, Harley Quinn Smith.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's my daughter, man. Who? My wife has always said is just a beardless d Ckless version of me. And that's the name of our podcast, Beardless Me. I'm the old one, I'm the young one. And every week we try to make each other laugh really hard. Sounds innocent, doesn't it?

[Danielle]

A lot of cussing, a lot. Bad language. It's for adults only. Or listen to it with your kid. Could be a family show.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We're not quite sure.

[Danielle]

We're still figuring it out. It's a work in progress.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Listen to Beardless me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Something about Mary Poppins?

[Danielle]

Something about Mary Poppins? Exactly.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh, man, this is fun. I'm AJ Jacobs and I am an author and a journalist and I tend to get obsessed with stuff and.

[Danielle]

And my current obsession is puzzles.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And that has given birth to my podcast, the Puzzler.

[Danielle]

Dressing. Dressing. French dressing. Exactly. That's good. Now you can get your daily puzzle nuggets delivered straight to your ears.

[Ryan Seacrest]

I thought to myself, I bet I know what this is.

[Danielle]

And now I definitely know what this is.

[Ryan Seacrest]

This is so weird. This is fun. Let's try this one.

[Danielle]

Our brand new season features special guests.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Like Chuck Bryant, Mayim Bialik, Julie Bowen.

[Danielle]

Sam Sanders, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and lots more. Listen to the Puzzler every day on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's awful.

[Danielle]

And I should have seen. September 1979.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Virginia's top prison band, Edge of Daybreak, is about to record their debut album behind bars in just five hours. Okay, we're rolling. One, two, three, four. I'm Jamie Petras, music and culture writer. For the past five years, I've been.

[Danielle]

Talking to the band three surviving members.

[Ryan Seacrest]

They're out of prison now and in.

[Danielle]

Their 70s, their past behind them.

[Ryan Seacrest]

But they also have some unfinished business. The everyday rake, Eyes of Love was supposed to have been followed up by another album. It's a story about the liberating power of music, the American justice system, and ultimately second chances. Listen to soul and co incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Danielle]

Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves.

[Ryan Seacrest]

We get down on ourselves on not.

[Danielle]

Being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn.

[Ryan Seacrest]

To take care of ourselves.

[Danielle]

Arapa way you gotta pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self Love made me a better dad because I realized my worth Never stop being a dad.

[Ryan Seacrest]

That's dedication.

[Danielle]

Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.

[Ryan Seacrest]

PA Show. Thank you, Danielle. Thank you, Danielle. Thank you, Daniel, for being on our show. Thank you, Carl, for sitting across from me right now. That's fun, right? Carl? We gotta go to the opera. You know how to sing?

[Danielle]

Oh.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Oh. Can you sing for me? Oh, you know how to sing? Sing for me. Go.

[Danielle]

Oh.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Come on, sing. Sing. Can you sing? Come on, sing for me. Sing. No. Go. All right, let's do some plugs. Then we got toshowstore.com, you get yourself some merch, come see us do stand up comedy. You got Eddie's tour. You got me on tour, guys. Make sure you come see me this weekend in New York City. Big shows. You ready to do the free plug? Let's hit the music.

[Danielle]

Whoa.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Jesus. Sorry about that. Free plug. Okay? This free plug is. Is for Rivian Rivian. Originally founded in Florida, I believe, and their headquarters is in Orange county here in California. Ah. Now, you might think, oh, you're just doing this free plug so you can get a free Rivian. No, I own two Rivians. I have an R1T and an R1S. I have the SUV and the pickup truck. Okay. And you're probably. Well, the only reason you're doing a free plug to Rivian is because you want a vehicle, pun intended, to shit on Elon Musk. Ah, you caught me. All right, let's do it. Let's shit on Elon for a second. Because I love hearing people say, oh, these liberals, the ones that loved Elon Musk are now the ones that hate him. It just shows how stupid they are. You miss. You miss with me on that one. Okay. You know, people talk about liking a band before they were famous, and. And that's never me. I'm always the guy that like, oh, I. I buy their next album and it's garbage. I'm never. I'm never on the. On the cutting edge of music. But Elon Musk, Tesla, I always hated it. Never owned a Tesla. Always hated Elon Musk. I was like, this guy fucking rubs me the wrong way. Just. Just a gut feeling from the day he became a person that we had to know about, I was like, I fucking hate him. Ah. And I was never into it. And then the Rivian guys came along, and I'm like, well, I want a pickup truck anyway. Boom. Give them a thousand bucks deposit. I'll get this cool pickup truck back in 2014 or something. Lord knows that took six years longer than it was supposed to, but whatever. Then I got my truck and I'm like, I love it. I love my truck. So good. Nah. Anyway, Rivian's on a mission to keep the world adventurous. It's an American electric vehicle founded in 2009. They found a more responsible way to explore the world and are determined to make the transition to sustainable transportation an exciting one. Well, I will give you a few complaints. One, they definitely advertised tank turns and then disabled the ability for the truck to do it. So I would like them to release the software so that I can do tank turns in my truck and know that I will do it in a responsible area. I'm not going to be destroying the environment. But don't sell me on tank turns. And then I get my truck and you're like, oh, no, it turns out we can't do them. So I'm giving you this free plug. But I'm a little angry now that I think about it. Anyway, they got a new one, the new R2 smaller SUV, five seater coming out next year. Reservations can happen now if you want to be in the top of the queue, join me and my fellow Rivian owners in living out their slogan, keep the world adventurous forever. Oh, now that I did this free plug, is it considered a free plug if after I do it, they do send me something for free? We'll just redact it. We'll redact it. Okay, that's good to know. Because I'm not above them sending me something free. Yeah, or all of us. Or all of us. You send me a free truck or suv, or you send me that new small SUV Rivian, and I'll give it to somebody that deserves it. Okay, make that a thing. But currently, this is a free plug. I'm receiving nothing other than getting to shit on Tesla. And, you know, talk about my Rivians. People trying to. The. What's dumber is that people trying to put the stickers on their Teslas to be like, hey, yeah, protest. I'm sorry, I. I didn't know. Well, enjoy your shitty resale value. Don't key my car. And I'm not encouraging people to vandalize Teslas. That's nonsense. I could never key a Tesla because my Rivian doesn't have a key. I just use my phone. So I can't rub my phone on the side of a Tesla. That seems dumb. Here's how I protest. There's this Tesla showroom that's right next to the Whole Foods grocery store that I frequent. So what I do out front of this showroom, they always have their Teslas parked right out in front. But they're not spots reserved for the Tesla. So anytime one is opened up, I back in real cool with my Rivian, and, And you know, I, I make it look nice and I, I just park right in front and they always give me. It's, it's. It's inconvenient for the, the how far I have to walk to the grocery store from there. My wife gets annoyed, but it's my, my little protest. And I put my Rivian right in front. And the people in the showroom always shoot me a look. And I'm sure they open their doors into my truck and try to give me a little, little door ding. But guess what? I got a truck. Okay? Dang. It doesn't bother me, okay? I'm a man. I got truck. Broom. Broom. Well, anyway, there's my free plug. See you next week.

[Danielle]

Hey, all you women's hoops fans and folks who just don't know yet that they're women's hoops fans, we've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spain as we near the end of one of the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever. The most parody we've seen in years. With games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

45 years ago, a Virginia soul band called the Edge of Daybreak recorded their debut album, Behind Bars. Record collectors consider it a masterpiece. The band's surviving members are long out of prison, but they say they have some unfinished business.

[Danielle]

The Edge of Daybreak, Eyes of Love.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Was supposed to have been followed up by another album. Listen to soul incarcerated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm ready to fight. Oh, this is Fighting Words. Okay, I'll put the hammer back. Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best.

[Danielle]

Selling author with the second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back. Part of the power of black queer creativity is the fact that we got us. You know, we are the greatest culture makers in world history. Listen to Fighting Words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hi, I'm Bob Pippman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast, Math and Magic Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having conversations with some folks across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use. I'll be joined by innovative leaders like Chairman and CEO of Elf Beauty Tarang Amin, legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Jewel.

[Danielle]

Being a rock star is very fun, but helping people is way more fun.

[Ryan Seacrest]

And Damian Maldonado, CEO of American Football Financing.

[Danielle]

I figured out the formula. I just have to work hard. Then that's magic.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the ever important creative spark, the Magic. Listen to Math and magic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.