After purposefully missing a target and crashing her Reaper drone, however, she is court-martialed and imprisoned.
Emily D’Angelo as Jess in a scene from Jeanine TesorisGrounded.
Vogue: So, what is going on today?
Photo: Paola Kudacki/Met Opera
Emily DAngelo:This is our third to last rehearsal.
We only have two more full rehearsals after this.
Theyre the final ones with the orchestra, the chorus, LED screens…
And youre from Canada?
Emily D’Angelo as Jess in a scene from Jeanine Tesori’sGrounded.
I grew up in Toronto.
My grandparents are Irish and Italian immigrants, a hodgepodge.
My grandmother was a pianist, she was the professional musician in the family.
Photo: Paoala Kudacki / Met Opera
But I was singing constantly…music was everything, always.
Then drama and acting.
How old are you?
D’Angelo with Kyle Miller as the Sensor in a scene fromGrounded.
I am savoring the precious last moments of my 20s.
I turn 30 on opening night!
Its quite a day.
Photo: Paola Kudacki/Met Opera
Jeanine Tesori wrote this with you in mind.
How did you guys get together?
I think it was Peter [Gelb] who connected Jeanine and I.
We met and hit it off.
From there she just ran away with it.
She said, I think Ill have it all!
That wouldve been 2019; I was about 24.
Its been a long time in the making.
Its probably especially surreal for her in this process.
She runs away and writes in a lighthouse for months at a time.
Youre opening an opera at The Met that was written for your voice.
That must be so thrillingbut also daunting?
Its a huge honor and also a huge responsibility.
We did a full run of it in DC.
DAngelo with Kyle Miller as the Sensor in a scene fromGrounded.
Have you heard from any pilots?
just prove me wrong, but I imagine the crossover of Air Force pilots and opera-goers is not huge.
Ive mostly met fighter pilots, not any drone pilots yet.
George especially was deep in as much information and exposure as he could get to the actual thing.
We have tried to respect and honor their experience in every step of the process.
This discipline and responsibility that we talk about, it lends itself to this project.
It is inherent not just for the art, but also the subject matter.
I cant even begin to understand what they do…it is a big duty.
So to speak, war is in a lot of opera.
How have you experienced that?
It can be polarizing.
Opera is no stranger to the subject of war.
This subject matter is current but also timeless…and the characters are so real.
The relationships are so relatable, despite the very specific circumstances.
What is the hardest thing about being Jess?
The subject matter is certainly very heavy.
It can always be tough, when youre living in these roles that are very serious and ultimately tragic.
But everything that is difficult about this is remedied by the music and the art-making.
There is always something else to focus on.
That is Jeanines genius; she lifts you out of the depth every time.
What then do you do to decompress?
To be yourself for a moment, outside of theGroundedworld?
I move a lotjust walking or getting exercise is huge.
I do Pilates; it helps with body awareness, breathing, alignment, and strength.
When youre out moving, what music are you listening to?
I love classical music, but its not my go-to for hanging out.
Im very into the 70s and 80s…my number one artist on Spotify would probably be Randy Newman.
A lot of the stuff on my latest album is just what Ive been really into the past year.
Also a lot of Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and bands like like Ween.
Isaak Opatz, I am super into.
He is based in Montana and really amazing.
[Tobias] Jesso Jr. also has an album that is amazing that Ive been listening to recently.
Did you have abrat summer, Emily?
When she saw that brat was becoming a thing, she sent it to me.
Im not sure I know what brat summer means, though.
Before we go, a big question.
Groundedis saying so many things.
And Jess has an incredibly difficult moment in her life when she cant afford to.
It changes her life forever, though she ultimately does come through.
The message in the end is that there is hope still.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Jess.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
