Page 6 November 3, 2016 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Story and Photos by TerriAnn Ferren Last week, I discovered that Torrance has a star in its midst. Born in Encino, California, and raised in the South Bay since she was 8 years old, singer, actress, Jeralyn Glass, generously took time from her teaching and studying to meet with me. Jeralyn welcomed me into her home and we sat in her living room, across from her beautiful grand piano. When did Jeralyn begin singing? “I got involved with music when I was 11 years old. I was a sixth grader at Margate Intermediate School and I was in the chorus and I loved the choir. The choir director gave me a solo and it was a program of Hans Christian Andersen and the music was the Emperors New Clothes,” said Jeralyn with a smile. She then proceeded to sing her part to me right there in the living room. She was amazing and even that simple tune was lilting and had depth. After making a ‘splash’ in sixth grade, Jeralyn began singing lessons. Her mom, Jacqueline Glass, asked their neighbor, a very famous singer, Annette Smith, who did the singing voice of Ava Gardner in Showboat, dubbed all the singing in Lucille Ball’s movies, and was on Broadway in Three Penny Opera, among many other credits, to give Jeralyn voice lessons. Annette’s husband, Paul Smith, was a very famous jazz pianist who played for Ella Fitzgerald and Sammy Davis Jr. who recently passed at 91 years old. Can you imagine taking singing lessons from such talented people at 11 years old? Jeralyn told me that Annette Smith had never taught anyone so young before, so she agreed to only half hour lessons once a week, which quickly turned into an hour, and then twice a week. “Singing was kind of my secret world,” Jeralyn said. Then, at 19 years old her world got bigger. Italy. Jeralyn accepted the role of Gilda in Rigoletto, and told me, “Although I didn’t know the technique for that kind of thing yet, I sure learned it fast. It felt at that time – like someone had taken one of those big cartoon hammers – but soft, and Bong! because that is where I wanted to be. It was surprising to me, I didn’t plan that.” After her experience in Italy, she came home and was immediately cast in her first two operas (Susanna, in The Marriage of Figaro, and Zerlina, in Don Giovanni) by a company in San Bernardino. She loved it. Jeralyn told me she got tapes of Pavarotti for her dad to listen to, but he still loved Frank Sinatra! Next, Jeralyn headed to Switzerland, after being accepted into the Zurich Opera Studio. They accepted four Americans, two women and two men. She studied in Zurich for one year and then started auditioning for roles. Fast forward - Jeralyn arrived back in the South Bay and auditioned for the newly formed Los Angeles Opera, which was just beginning. Then, she headed back to New York, establishing herself as a classical singer performing all over, including The Lincoln Center. Then our gifted soprano left the states and headed for Germany. She sang for the next 15 years all over Europe, while based in Germany. She told me the German system supports singers through their ‘Fest Contract’. It is a wonderful job. “That is why so many young singers go to Germany, and German speaking countries,” stated Jeralyn. While living and working in Europe, (and Japan) Jeralyn performed in most of the famous opera houses, including the Munich Philharmonic, and the Nice Opera House. In addition to her singing career, Jeralyn taught voice once a week, and started a non-profit children’s music program called kids4kids World Foundation, which is still going strong. What a life. What is this unselfish, accomplished, talented, Torrance resident singer doing now? Well, she is happy to be ‘home’ and has been a guest professor at Chapman University since 2006, and an adjunct professor since 2013, with private students lining up for her tutelage. In addition to teaching, Jeralyn also has begun singing along with the sounds of quartz ‘bowls’. I hadn’t experienced ‘bowls’ before, but they are quartz vases, for lack of a better word, infused with minerals, such as gold, opal, turquoise, etc. that make these wonderful notes. Jeralyn rolls a ‘wand’ over the edge of the bowl - which makes a specific note. Each bowl has a specific tone and a specific sound. When Jeralyn sings as she plays the bowls, the sound is unlike anything you can imagine. First, her voice is beyond amazing. The calming waves from the bowls melt into profound sound. Coming up this Sunday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Palos Verdes Performing Arts, Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, internationally acclaimed soprano, Jeralyn Glass, along with her special musical guests; Bryan Pezzone on piano, Ben Powell, on violin, Rory Mazzela, on winds, and Jillian Risigari Gai on harp will perform (as she sings) selections from Mozart, Dvorak, and Catalani, along with selections from the American Songbook such as; Crazy for You, The Sound of Music, No One is Alone, and may others including other selections from composers; Berlin, Gershwin, Porter and Sondheim. And at the end of the concert Jeralyn will play her quartz bowls. I can’t wait. It will be a wonderful evening with proceeds going to Trinity Kids Care and Kids Community. For tickets call 310- 544-0403 extension 221. Also, if you are interested in contacting Jeralyn for voice lessons, access Jeralynglass.com. I can’t wait to hear this amazing artist who lives right here in Torrance. Our community has treasures we are just discovering. Come out and experience the talented treasure that is Jeralyn Glass. • A Star in Our Midst Jeralyn continued studying singing and attending college until a series of events led her away from California for the lights of Broadway. “I was studying at USC at the time and then UCLA and I was taking private acting lessons and a girl in my class ended up being my roommate, Peggy Lee Brennan – she had done Grease on Broadway and told me ‘Your talent is much more suited to New York. Come with me over Christmas and I want you to meet my friends.’ I did,” smiled Jeralyn. She told me she called her parents from New York and told them she was going to stay for a month and see… Now, this is going to sound like a movie script, but here goes. Jeralyn went to her first Broadway audition and was cast in her very first show, (the 25th Anniversary Revival) of My Fair Lady starring Rex Harrison. Then she was cast in her second show, Jesus Christ Superstar, as Mary Magdalene, in addition to doing a national tour of Showboat. “I was really blessed. I did a national tour of Showboat and a production of Camelot. It was cast by Allan J. Lerner’s right hand man, [Bud Whitney], and so he was doing Brigadoon, Camelot, Showboat, and My Fair Lady and he helped - and he is still alive and so amazing,” added Jeralyn. She ‘did’ Broadway for a few years, touring with My Fair Lady for 16 months – even playing the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Jacqueline and Jerrold Glass were proud of their daughter. Jeralyn told me when she called and told them about her first job, they were thrilled. By the way, Jeralyn did 476 performances of My Fair Lady straight through. Need I mention, one must be in peek athletic condition, physically, and mentally for the rigors of the stage. Listening to a successful Broadway actress list the cities she visited on tour and the shows in which she was cast, made me wonder how opera entered the picture. While studying at The Juilliard School in New York City, one of her professors suggested she explore classical music. Annette Smith had always trained her in both disciplines, and so had her teachers at USC before she entered Juilliard. “My idols were Barbra Streisand – I thought, oh, wow, I want to be in musical theatre, and then I read about this program which was directed by Renata Tebaldi and Carlo Bergonzi. They were two mighty famous opera singers in the 60s, 70s, both Italian, and had sung all over the world. They were giving a workshop for 6-weeks in Italy and I applied for it,” said Jeralyn. Well, you know what happened. Our hard working, Broadway star learned the required 6 Italian arias (she only knew one at the time) and sent a tape in with her application. She was one of the few Americans accepted, and at the age of 22, headed off to Jeralyn Glass as Pamina Massy from Magic Flute. Jeralyn Glass at the Nice Opera, Cosi Fan Tutte and the Marriage of Figaro, benefitiing kids4kids World Foundation. Jeralyn’s Bowls. Jeralyn Glass. TerriAnn in Torrance
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