When J’Nai Bridges was in high school, she was faced with a tough decision: play in her basketball team’s finals, or go to her first opera rehearsal. Thanks to some scheduling wizardry, she managed to make it to both events, only to have her coach bench her for prioritizing music over sports. Realizing she couldn’t juggle the two, Bridges made the decision to focus on music. She went on to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in vocal performance.
Basketball’s loss has been opera’s gain. Bridges has sung with the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dutch National operas, sold out Carnegie Hall, and performed with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma. This November, the mezzo-soprano will make her Metropolitan Opera debut as Nefertiti in Phillip Glass’s Akhnaten. The Cut caught up with her in between rehearsals to talk about traveling with a blender, singing in gym clothes, and dressing for auditions.
Photo: Gabriela Herman
On the shoes she wears every day: Usually, I love a good pair of three-inch booties, but now that I’m in rehearsal, I’m usually in sneakers. I’ll switch between really fancy shoes and something more casual — it depends on my mood and what I have going on that day.
On going out after work: I definitely change! Rehearsals have the potential to be quite physical so I wear very comfy clothes that are a step up from gym gear. If I have plans, I’ll wear jeans with a cute top or a slim-fitting dress and stilettos.
On her audition outfits: I’ll typically wear a bold solid-color dress with closed-toe heels. Depending on the role, I’ll tweak the color, length, fit, and the amount of skin I’m showing, but I want to represent who I am. Auditions can be uncomfortable, and I want to go in feeling my best.
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