The American soprano tells us why she relates so well to Mimì in Opera Australia’s erotically charged new bohème.

You’ve already sung in this production of La bohème in Melbourne. How did it go?

Well, it was my debut in Melbourne, which was a wonderful thing to do. My character does not get a lot of glamour and glitz in this production, but Act Two is pretty spectacular. To be able to unveil that in a place where people are not used to seeing these productions is very exciting. Also, working with director Gale Edwards has been a joy.

What’s special about her approach? 

Her vision was so clear. She was so specific in how she wanted to allow this world to come to life. It was just such a wonderful experience to be guided through a role like Mimì because a lot of my repertoire is more dramatic, not just musically with bigger orchestras but emotionally with larger intensities. So it’s nice to able to...