SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2014 he stage was strewn with daffodils Kanawa, who played what is usually the Strauss operas, told Reuters in an inter- and a cake was wheeled out as non-singing role of the Duchess of view before the performance that she TDame Kiri te Kanawa celebrated Crackentorp in the production. was thrilled to be celebrating her birth- her 70th birthday on Thursday singing A special aria, lifted from Puccini’s day at Covent Garden. She had her first on stage at Covent Garden where the opera “Edgar”, was inserted for Te big international success at Covent New Zealand-born soprano first made Kanawa to sing, giving the audience a Garden singing the role of Countess Roger Taylor, from left, Adam Lambert and Brian May an international splash more than 40 glimpse of her famous creamy high Almaviva in Mozart’s “The Marriage of announce a Queen + Adam Lambert summer tour, on years ago. Te Kanawa, who retired from notes. “I thank you all so much and keep Figaro” in 1971. Thursday in New York. —AP the opera stage in 2004 but still sings up the spirit and the love of classical “It is really my home house, I did recitals, was misty eyed after video trib- music,” Te Kanawa said after the audi- everything from here, wrong or right, right or wrong, but I had some wonder- ful experiences at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and made some wonderful old friends,” she said. She Queen, attributed the quality of her voice to having been gentle with it during nearly Adam Lambert 40 years on the opera stage. “I suppose I’m really quite surprised that my voice is in such good shape but to embark on summer tour I never really did it a lot of damage, I did- n’t do the wrong things,” she told dam Lambert has never paid attention to the haters, Reuters in a backstage interview before and he won’t start now as the lead singer for the rock the performance. “Sometimes I over- Aband Queen on their upcoming summer tour. “You just worked and of course you pay the price can’t focus on that crap, especially in today’s day and age, the but my voice is still good, the high notes Internet, and everybody has an opinion and a comment. are still there - maybe not as high as it That’s not why we do this,” Lambert told The Associated Press. used to be but still at age 70 I’m not Lambert first performed with Queen in 2009 when he was a quite sure who sings top D’s anyway,” contestant on “American Idol,” where he placed second. The she said, referring to a note at the top band and Lambert have since performed together, including end of the soprano range. last year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas and a Although opera and music audiences European tour in 2012. They sang such hits as “We Are the know her from the stage and recordings, Champions” and “We Will Rock You.” including singing the role of Maria in a Still, Lambert has to stand in the shadow of the singer British actor Jim Carter, left, presents a cake to soprano Dame Kiri te Kanawa of famous “operatic” recording of Leonard many regard as one of the greatest to front a rock band. “At New Zealand, as she celebrates her 70th birthday on stage. — AP Bernstein’s “West Side Story”, television first it was a little daunting when we did our first incarnation viewers saw her more recently as sopra- of this. I definitely felt apprehensive. Freddie Mercury is one of utes from famous singers she has ence had sung “Happy Birthday to her. no Dame Nellie Melba in an episode of the greatest singers that ever lived,” Lambert said. “It’s such a worked with, including Frederica von Domingo, with whom Te Kanawa sang the popular British serial “Downton treat for me to get on stage and pay my respects, and pay trib- Stade, Jose Carreras and Placido in a fabled production of Puccini’s Abbey” which Te Kanawa said was “a ute to one of my favorite singers ever, and to sing some of the Domingo, were shown on a screen at “Manon Lescaut”, in his video tribute wonderful experience”. She said she greatest music ever written,” Lambert added. the end of a production of Donizetti’s welcomed her into her 70s where he Had particularly enjoyed meeting all the The 19-date US tour kicks off June 19 in Chicago. It wraps comic opera “La Fille du Regiment.” noted he had preceded her by three cast and getting “lots and lots of pic- up July 20 in Washington, DC Tickets went on sale yesterday. “After this day... I’m going to do a years. tures”, but also got a kick out of know- Original members Brian May and Roger Taylor flanked runner, and there’s no more birthdays,” “It’s a wonderful world...it’s so beauti- ing how the show ended months ahead Lambert for the news conference Thursday and, in the inter- Te Kanawa said to laughter from the ful,” the Spanish tenor said before of time. “We just said it was going to be views that followed, defended their choice as Mercury’s suc- sold-out opera audience. “I thank this launching into “Happy Birthday” to Kiri. dramatic and that’s all we would say - cessor. “‘American Idol’ is a long way in the past for Adam whole cast for the most wonderful per- Te Kanawa, who is of half-Maori descent we didn’t want to tell anyone about now. He’s a solo artist and well-established. And also we are formance and I’m so pleased that I was and made her reputation singing count- what was going on in the script,” she established as a partnership ... if you concentrate on the nega- able to do five minutes of this,” Te esses and duchesses in Mozart and said. — Reuters tive you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s very important to have focus, and you play to people who want to hear us,” May said. Blake Shelton, Keith Urban “Good is good, and quality is quality,” Taylor added on Lambert’s ability. May said the band will pay tribute to Mercury in the show. But “The mere fact that we’re playing to perform at the ACM Awards songs that Freddie wrote is a tribute,” he said. The guitarist also touched on releasing some old recordings of Freddie Mercury, including a collaboration with Michael Jackson, he Voice” coach Blake Shelton recorded in 1983. Mercury died in 1991; Jackson in 2009. and “American Idol” judge Keith “I was surprised that there was a little bit more in the can Urban are among the first round ‘T that we had overlooked for a long time, so we have a few of performers to be announced for this songs which we’re working on right now. Freddie songs as year’s Academy of Country Music fresh as yesterday,” May said. “It’s really amazing. We’re all Awards, which airs live from Las Vegas playing together, and I think people will enjoy it. While on CBS on April 6. The initial slate of per- Mercury has been gone for 23 years, his legacy has lived on. formers also includes Jason Aldean, Luke The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Bryan, Miranda Lambert, George Strait 2001, has sold hundreds of millions of records worldwide, and and The Band Perry. has a longstanding musical, celebrating the band’s catalog Shelton and Bryan are co-hosting that has played on London’s West End for 12 years. this year’s ceremony, which takes place “It’s been a constant reminder to people of our music, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. especially younger fans making us cross generational. And Bryan will also perform with Florida ‘We Will Rock You: The Musical’ has played a big part in that,” Georgia Line for the ACM Fan Jam, May said. That prompted Lambert to add: “What’s so genius which will air live via remote during about the catalog is that there are so many different colors. the ceremony from the the Mandalay There are huge power ballads that are really important like Bay Events Center. Additional perform- “Who Wants to Live Forever,” and “The Show Must Go On.” ers will be announced in the coming Huge, amazing dramatic songs. There are these songs that are weeks.—Reuters Blake Shelton and Keith Urban all different vibe.” — AP .