Vesta―named after the Roman goddess of the Earth―is one of the four principal characters in Fierce, a new opera that follows four young girls (also referred to as “muses”) as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives. The opera—making its Iowa premiere—reflects the collaborative spirit of Performing Arts At Iowa and will be co-produced by the School of Music, the Performing Arts Production Unit, and Hancher Auditorium. Vesta, played by Madeline Yankell, is the youngest of the muses. She is naive, bubbly, and sometimes she takes refuge from life in a fantasy world full of otters.
Yankell is a graduate student in music education who recently defended her MA thesis on movement and choral singing. She has previously performed in La Traviata and Dialogues des Carmelites.
“I’m so excited to perform at Hancher. It’s a dream come true,” Yankell beams, “I’ve had the opportunity to perform on the Hancher stage a few times but the fact that I get to sing a song about otters on this huge stage is just kind of nuts.”
Yankell grew up on the east coast in Moorestown, New Jersey, before pursuing her BA with a focus in music teacher education from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. After graduating, she moved to Massachusetts, where she spent a few years teaching high school choir.
“I applied to a lot of different grad programs in places all over the country,” Yankell explains what drew her to the University of Iowa. “UI really has the perfect combination of research and performing arts funding. I get to participate in operas, choirs, and be part of the performing arts but I also get to do music education research.”
Since Yankell has been at the university, she’s enjoyed the collaborative environment encouraged in the School of Music and across Performing Arts At Iowa.
When she was exploring her grad school options, Yankell says, “I just happened upon the performing arts scene in Iowa City. The Iowa City community is really strong and so supportive of the arts. Also, the School of Music, Hancher, and the theatre and dance departments have been working well together to create more collaborative experiences for students. The students also really support each other here.”
Yankell is currently in the last semester of her master’s so, when the opportunity to audition for Fierce came around, she jumped at it.
The new opera was composed for Cincinnati Opera by Dr. William Menefield, a UI assistant professor of Jazz Studies, in collaboration with librettist Sheila Williams. It premiered there in 2022. For the Hancher debut, Menefield will be taking on the role of director.
“I knew Dr. Menefield was the leader of the Black Pop Ensemble and they’re such a great group,” Yankell says. “I really wanted to work with him, and this opera is so different from anything I’ve ever done.”
The characters of the four muses were created by Williams, based on the real life stories and personalities of a group of Cincinnatti-area high school girls she talked with in a yearlong series of heart-to-heart conversations. These rich conversations spanned topics such as parental expectations, the best lipstick color, ethnic identity, and college admissions anxiety.
Yankell is excited to bring the bubbly character of Vesta to life on the Hancher stage.
“What I really love about playing Vesta is that she’s got these layers of sadness and depth,” Yankell explains her role. “There’s a great juxtaposition between her bubbly exclamations about how magical otters are, and the issues she faces at home with her parents. She also gets to be brave and bold. Behind her silliness there is so much wisdom and strength.”
As Yankell has been rehearsing for Fierce, she has also been writing her master’s thesis. She is passionate about music education and would like to return to teaching high school students after graduation—with aspirations towards teaching at the collegiate level in the future.
Yankell notes “Something I’ve enjoyed about working with Dr. Menefield and the production team is that they’ve fostered an environment of growth. We’ll often stop to discuss acting methods or vocal technique, which is so important because, at the end of the day, we’re a learning community.”
“And it’s just a fun project because we have Dr. Menefield there and he wrote it,” she adds. “There are days where he’ll say he was channeling something specific, like Beyonce. It’s not often you get to channel Beyonce while working on an opera.”