Fandom of the Opera

Welcome back to Fandom of the Opera! Our guest this week is Patricia [Freaking] Wallinga , composer, vocalist, nerd, and absolute goddamn delight . She's ostensibly on the podcast to chat about "Everything What's Wrong of Possums", the unhinged song cycle Gwen commissioned from her (premiering this weekend in our "Critters, Creatures, & Cryptids" concert!) -- but when you get three people with...

In this week's episode, Alissa and Gwen discuss how much better video games were when they were kids, which is totally different from every other generation's nostalgic memories of their youth because we're the main characters of the universe and therefore OBJECTIVELY CORRECT. Remember when there were only 151 Pokémon? Remember when the PS2 was the cutting edge of gaming technology? Remember when...

In this week's episode, Alissa and Gwen discuss the socioeconomic difficulties of being a professional artist in modern America: namely, that we live in hell. Along the way, we touch on the concept of inherent human dignity, the ways we've been conditioned by our culture to accept futility & dissatisfaction in our lives, and what artists can do to keep their souls from being completely crushed...

In this week's episode, Alissa and Gwen discuss the merits of a much-maligned masterpiece -- Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats ! From the original cast recording to the current revival, Cats: The Jellicle Ball , we talk about what makes it work so well, why so many people are missing out by not giving it a chance, and how the addition of queer black ballroom culture makes the revival such an incredible e...

This week, we welcome a special guest: our friend Xavier, creator of the TTRPGs Einsol's Razor and Outrunners! In tonight's episode, we discuss a variety of topics, including drag mothers, music theory, inclusion, and how to create an NPC so awful that your players will kill him every chance they get. (Fucking Trevor .) Hosted by Alissa Roca & Gwen Hyland Edited by Gwen Hyland Art by CHIMI Mus...

After a brief hiatus due to performance chaos, we've returned with what might be our most unhinged episode to date -- possibly because we recorded it at 2 AM. Please enjoy Alissa and Gwen's wide-ranging discussion on composers in hell, kink philosophy, reinventing trains, and ragebaiting Gwen. Also, Gwen does a bunch of voices, several of which may get her canceled. Is this a coherent episode? No....

On this week's episode, Alissa and Gwen chat about upcoming projects like RPG Limit Break and Don Giovanni (Abridged!) , as well as shows starting on time, the importance of taking your meds, and the proper pricing structure for feet pics. Hosted by Alissa Roca & Gwen Hyland Edited by Gwen Hyland Art by CHIMI Music by Rachel Dean and Erin Reifler

This week, Gwen and Alissa have a lengthy discussion about two things that have taken up a lot of time in their lives recently! This episode comes with a massive SPOILER WARNING for plot details of hit video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the 2009 musical Next to Normal -- which, as it turns out, are about exactly the same thing. (Give or take a flaccid Eiffel Tower.) Content warning for ext...

This week, we welcome our friend & colleague Chris to the podcast! Together, we discuss the current state of classical singing in America, what "bel canto" singing actually is, and how we've been radicalized by our experience with Next to Normal ! Hosted by Alissa Roca & Gwen Hyland Special Guest: Chris Fotis ( Instagram | TikTok ) Edited by Gwen Hyland Art by CHIMI Music by Rachel Dean an...

On this week's episode, we have a conversation about the distressing lack of theater reviewers in the Triangle region and the role of criticism in the arts in general. Are performers and critics natural enemies? Can arts journalism survive in an age of casual online cruelty? And, perhaps most importantly: how much horniness should be allowed in video games?? Hosted by Alissa Roca & Gwen Hyland...

In this episode, we discuss recent news in the opera world: budgeting turmoil at the Met, the passing of a colleague, and the viral comments a certain actor twink made about ballet and opera. Along the way, we also answer several important questions, like "is it a waste of time and effort to preserve dying art forms", "when did the first season of Stranger Things come out", and "how many alternate...

We cover a lot of ground this week! We start off with an addendum to our AI episode, followed by discussion of our upcoming opera The Genders of Gybberidge , adding some friendly competition to our ongoing fundraising campaign, and queer representation in opera. In our numerous detours along the way, we also touch on libraries, pay transparency, mezzo pants roles, and The Ugly Duckling. It makes s...

This week's episode is all about generative AI and its growing use by certain arts organizations. We discuss why exactly we hate it so much, what we think of claims that AI "democratizes" the process of making art, and what it says about the integrity of opera companies who are willing to embrace it. In addition, we discuss our artistic philosophies, why you can't grow without failure, and what it...

In this episode, we talk auditions — the good, the bad, and the deeply cursed. Drawing from our recent Next to Normal auditions, we pull back the curtain on the audition process and discuss things casting teams may not explicitly tell you they’re looking for, how decisions actually get made, and what can quietly work in your favor. Along the way, we share plenty of audition horror stories, reflect...

In this episode, we’re joined by our friends Sami & Adam for a wide-ranging conversation about music, fandom, and how our relationships with opera (and art in general) are formed. We talk about their limited but memorable exposure to opera growing up, how hearing it in the background still left an impression, and how those early experiences connect to their love of D&D, video game music, a...

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by a very special guest: Maria Roca (aka Alissa’s mom!). We cover everything from Maria’s history with opera, theatre, and the arts to her years as a legendary Con Mom, plus a whole lot of heartfelt chaos in between. There’s laughter, vulnerability, incredible storytelling, and several moments that feel like getting a warm hug — with just a little trauma sprink...

In Messiah Hot Takes & Trauma , we unleash our spiciest opinions on Handel’s Messiah — and trust us, they are very hot. We also spiral (with love!) into a whole tangent on the nature of oratorio, drag the Greek gods into the conversation, and round things out by fan-casting the Messiah entirely from pop culture . Plus plenty of laughter, fandom chaos, and a surprising amount of emotional damag...

In our very first episode of Fandom of the Opera , we introduce our hosts Alissa & Gwen, recap the absolute whirlwind that was the 2025 PXO raid train, and dive into the extremely important question: Which opera composers map to which anime genres? Plus plenty of laughter, fandom chaos, and quite a few surprising hot takes. Join us as we kick off this wild adventure! Hosted by Alissa Roca &amp...

Welcome to Fandom of the Opera — the podcast where opera obsession meets full-blown fandom energy. Join us for hot takes, deep dives, questionable jokes, and the kind of chaotic joy that only opera lovers, anime nerds, and internet creatures can bring to the same table. Subscribe now so you don’t miss our first episode!