Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Il Divo's David Miller: Divine Intervention
by Amy Wooten
2007-12-19

This article shared 51414 times since Wed Dec 19, 2007
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


The last several years have been a whirlwind for David Miller, the American tenor for the operatic pop quartet and international sensation Il Divo.

Ever since he was invited to join the chart-topping group created by American Idol judge Simon Cowell, it has been a wild ride Miller never expected.

Il Divo means 'divine male performer' in Italian, and the group is known for its beautiful ballads, fashion and good looks. Their albums have gone multi-platinum all over the world since their 2004 debut.

Before Il Divo, Miller worked with some of the top opera companies around the globe, performing in lead tenor roles.

Miller will come to Chicago Dec. 21 for a solo concert backed by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra at Rosemont Theatre, 5400 N. River. Tickets are $40 and $55, and can be purchased at www.chicagolandpops.com or 847-671-5100.

Windy City Times talked to Miller about transitions, touring the world and stereotypes.

Windy City Times: Were you always into singing?

David Miller: Actually, no. I didn't started signing until my second year of high school. Before that, I was really interested in science, oddly enough. Math and sciences, and I wanted to go into the Air Force Academy and I wanted to be an astronaut. Around my freshman and sophomore years, my height grew to be about 6' 2', and the cutoff for a person is 5' 11', I believe, for a person to be an astronaut because they live in such confined spaces. So, that whole dream kind of went out the window, so I started searching for other things, and I found music.

WCT: At first, did you know Il Divo was a Simon Cowell project?

DM: Actually, I didn't. The other guys had been told who was in charge of it, but they had never heard of him. He's not that big in Spain, and he's definitely unknown in France and Switzerland. In a way, that was a really balanced thing. We all came together because we all wanted to do something we believed in, and not because we thought who was behind it.

WCT: Was it weird to transition from doing solo work in lead tenor roles to being a part of a pop group?

DM: Definitely, there was a transition period. You know, the four of us are soloists. Let me tell you, that first year and a half was a lot of learning to, let's just say, define boundaries. [ Laughs ]

WCT: A lot of egos in the room?

DM: A lot of healthy self-esteem, for sure. There was some ego-clashing. There was actually a lot of language and culture barriers. I actually thought that was pretty funny. You know, France and Spain are right next door to each other. You'd think they would be able to understand the cultures, but apparently not.

WCT: I bet you've learned so much, so far.

DM: When we look back at the end of that year and a half together, we had done a lot of things. But every even kept coming one right after the next, so there was no time to slow down and think, 'Oh, wow. We've done a lot.' It was all, 'What's next? What's next?' We went to Japan for the first time and we made our kind of showcase debut over there in the same performance space that The Beatles did when they first performed in Japan. That was really cool. They had this video screen that was up while they were presenting us before we went on stage. It was showing all the things we had done. A part of our video was up there, all the TV shows we were on…and they just kept putting up one country after the next of all these major TV shows we had been on. We just stood there, saying, 'Oh my God!'

WCT: Is that when it hit you that this had definitely exceeded your expectations and this is, indeed, huge?

DM: For me, that was definitely the moment.

WCT: Do you ever miss opera and Broadway?

DM: Oh yes, absolutely. I connect very strongly to musical situations, where you're a character, you're in a costume, you're on set, you're going to lose yourself acting-wise and put up a fourth wall. For me, that's so much easier singing-wise to let go of all of my preconceptions of who I am personally, and drop into a role and drop into the music. When it's me on stage, just me, that's a lot harder. Like what's coming up [ his solo show ] , it is all opera tunes, but people are coming to see just me? That just feels so different. I haven't done a lot of concert repertoire over the years. It's been mainly shows on stage. But I definitely miss it, and I'm so looking forward to it, you have no idea.

WCT: Let's talk about your fan base a little bit. You have such a huge following, not only all over the world among women of all ages, but interestingly enough, you have a huge gay following, too.

DM: I'm not entirely sure what makes Il Divo tick, in the first place, among women. Obviously, there's a kind of romantic fantasy that goes along with it, sure. I suppose that that translates to all people who are interested in that type of music. It has to do with the exoticness of all four being from different countries. We dress up nice, we sing nice music and we use our voices in the most beautiful ways that we can. I think there's something in there for everyone that connects to something of quality, something of luxury. It's really great for us to know that, especially in this MTV culture, where the memory span is about 2.3 seconds, people can stop and unplug for a little while to use our music to connect to a really emotional place.

WCT: There have been many interviews where people have asked if you guys are straight or gay, and I'm not going to ask you that because you guys have said you are straight enough times. What I want to know is what do you think that says about our culture still, where if a guy dresses nice and sings beautiful music, we automatically assume?

DM: I think there's an aspect in Western society that really tries to very clearly delineate between the sexes and in terms of sexuality. I think when people see us, we spend a lot of time creating the look, focusing on details and making sure its very high quality. I think that's naturally perceived as a feminine aspect. And then there's this stereotype that gay men are feminine men, which plays into that. So, when men are displaying creativity by taking care of their appearance and being sensitive to emotional music, they just automatically put those two categories together. But that's just my theory.

WCT: Let's talk about your show with Chicagoland Pops Orchestra. Tell me a little bit about what we should expect.

DM: It's going to be a lot of my favorite things, in a way. I'm singing the operatic repertoire that kind of got me to the point before Il Divo, like Romeo … and La Boheme, which I did on Broadway and was the only production of it I've done, which was just prior to Il Divo, … and also where I met my current girlfriend, who will be singing with me in the concert. We're very excited about that. We'll also be doing something from La Boheme and West Side Story. There're a couple other musical theater numbers in there that are just some of my favorite pieces. There's also going to be some holiday music in there. Then, I'll also be going back to opera, pieces where I've just previously been too young to handle in the voice. Opera has an age hierarchy. Some roles are appropriate earlier in the career, and some are for later. These roles you just don't touch until your mid-30s. Well, now I've been in Il Divo for four years, and it's kind of transitioned a maturation period in my voice. It's very exciting for me. I'm looking forward to coming back to Chicago. It is one of my favorite cities.


This article shared 51414 times since Wed Dec 19, 2007
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground 2024-03-24
- At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21
- Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners 2024-03-19
- Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.