By Kristen Nevarez Schweizer

March 7, 2025

Salome is erotic, murderous, and Biblical. In the ancient tale of Salome, the step-daughter of King Herod Antipas [Herodes] danced for her stepfather to earn the execution of John the Baptist [Jochanaan]. In return, she demanded the prophet’s head delivered to Salome on a silver platter. What Oscar Wilde says happened next: rocked the world.

The original 1893 play by Oscar Wilde was banned in Britain, but it inspired German composer Richard Strauss to write her story into an opera. When Salome reached America’s Metropolitan Opera in 1907, a reviewer called it “repugnant to Anglo-Saxon ideas,” and wealthy patrons ensured performances were canceled. Still, Salome’s tragedy swept the world, and her story has been adapted into a ballet, silent film, a 1953 movie starring Rita Hayworth, and most recently, an updated play turned film turned docudrama trio of works, all starring Al Pacino and Jessica Chastain.

Salome’s longevity of popularity across genres proves her power. This year marks the 120th birthday of the opera, and Salome will attract thousands of art lovers to the San Diego Opera at the San Diego Civic Theatre on March 21-23, 2025.

Part of the continued draw is the exceptional talent required to perform the title role. Salome must have the power of a true dramatic soprano with a vocal range from a high B₅ to the lowest note of G♭₃. At the same time, she is called upon to showcase agility, gracefulness, and magnetic stage presence in the climactic Dance of the Seven Veils.

In anticipation of the San Diego Opera production, I interviewed Marcy Stonikas, who plays Salome in the Friday and Sunday performances. (Saturday evening will feature Kirsten Chambers.) The award-winning Stonikas returns to SDO for the first time since her pre-pandemic 2020 performance of SDO’s Hansel and Gretal. OperaWire described her voice as “blooming in the stratosphere effortlessly throughout the night,” and I found her equally effortless over the phone.

Kristen: I’m so glad you’re returning to San Diego. Anything you’re most excited about?

Marcy: I’m grateful that I got to work with SDO [in 2020], and so I’m most excited that SDO came out the other side. Too many good opera companies closed during and after the Pandemic. On the personal tourist side, San Diego has great foods that I love, especially Mexican and Asian food. And what is life if it’s not about food? I’m not there yet, but the second I arrive, I’ll be scoping out restaurants.

Kristen: That’s an interesting thing a lot of people may not know about opera compared to theater. You won’t gather as a full company until fairly soon before the show opening, and you’ll arrive here having already memorized the role.

Marcy: Yes, we have only five days of rehearsal before the room run of the whole entire piece!

Kristen: And Salome is a huge role, so how are you preparing?

Marcy: There are so many parts to process each time I approach Salome. Some of it is not based on the character but on the mental hurdles required to sing such a challenging role and knowing I may or may not be asked to strip nude during this rendition of the role. 

On top of that, Salome’s messed up. She’s — unfortunately — one of those people in a position where, with respect to nature versus nurture, there was no nurture. I feel like it’s important to not judge myself while being Salome, but genuinely and authentically be this young person who is clearly a product of her environment.

Another reason I try not to judge Salome, or any other character I play, is to ensure audience members have a chance to do that on their own. If I do it first, that can get in the way of audiences doing that work for themselves.

Kristen: That’s an interesting and important distinction, was there a teacher or role that made that your acting mindset?

Marcy: I’m so glad you asked, yes! A director was part of that aha moment while I played Princess Turandot [from Puccini’s Turandot]. Turanrot is perceived as this ice princess, this black widow, and she’s sometimes booed at the end. The director worked with me through the strange juxtaposition of who a person is versus how they are perceived. It was the first time I worked that through because I went into the rehearsal process as everyone does — this character is a bitch — but l left asking myself: how is she likable, relatable, human?

Kristen: That’s beautiful. Speaking of not judging your past role makes me glance back at your resume and ask about Jerry Springer (the opera)?

Marcy: (laughs) I appreciate the deep dive. Technically, that was a musical, and that role came while I was working toward my master’s degree in Chicago. I went to this tiny black box theater with some friends, saw the casting notice there, and stayed to ask the piano player about it. He turned out to be the musical director and said they were looking for a soprano. Which — a side note — not one person before or since has ever told me, ‘We are looking for sopranos.’ (laughs) But he said, “We need someone who can hit an insanely high note and just sit there for an eternity,” and I said, “That’s literally what I do.”

Interestingly, there was a Biblical component to that show, too. In the first act, I play the disgruntled mother of an aspiring stripper, but in the second act, the devil takes Jerry Springer down to hell to moderate a meeting between Satan and Jesus, and I come in as the Virgin Mary. So it’s — I’ll say it again — a juxtaposition of roles. I suppose that ties to how acting requires being and exploring wholly different people without judging them. 

And, I’d like to add: I ended up marrying the guy who played Jerry Springer. The cake toppers at the wedding were Jerry Springer and the Virgin Mary.

Kristen: Please tell me you have a picture of that cake?

Marcy:

Kristen: Wow! Before I let you go, is there anything you’d love audiences to know before they come to Salome?

Marcy: Salome is one which opera lovers can bring their friends because new fans will find it accessible. It’s a one-act [usually running 100 minutes, which is shorter than many other operas.] It’s a good first opera because it’s exciting and gets right down to the story immediately. It’s done in real-time and happens authentically to cut right through the setup to plunge you into this world. The music is exciting and weird — like a movie soundtrack — which is compelling to audiences. Even though it was written at the turn of the 1900s, it’s recently composed [compared to other famous operas], so it’s approachable. And I’m excited to share Salome with you all.

Kristen: Thank you for the insight and the laughs, Marcy. We look forward to your opening on March 21, 2025!

From the Virgin Mary to Salome, the world continues to be fascinated by the women of the Bible. Their stories may remain the same, but as we change, we can follow Stonikas’s lead away from judgment to instead seek what is likable, relatable, and human. 

Learn More:
San Diego Opera
March 21-23, 2025

This production will also feature world-renowned artist and Oceanside resident Nina Warren in the role of Salome’s mother Herodias. The talented artists will be accompanied by the San Diego Symphony led by San Diego Opera Principal Conductor Yves Abel.