From this project’s point of view, this makes my pop-cycle areas of Family and Entertainment almost indistinguishable and weirdly melded.  It is a rather peculiar space in which to grow up.  I wonder sometimes whether a child of a performer can ever really divorce the person from the persona, although I have never encountered or spoken with any children of performers at this level.  All I know is that as my mother, she wasn't around much in my early and middle childhood, she didn’t formally teach me anything about opera, and we have a challenging relationship that is still shifting and changing.

Her name: Regina = Queen

My name: Sarah = Princess

My daughter’s name: Josephine = Empress

This diagram was pointed out to me by a friend with a wicked sense of humor and a good sense of our female family dynamics.  Who trumps who? 

Diva Regina

My  mother is a first-generation American, raised in Brooklyn, who attended the Juilliard on scholarship, and went on to have an international opera career as mezzo soprano, singing with the likes of Maria Callas and Placido Domingo.  You can buy this autographed picture of my mother for only $85. Pretty freaky, I can tell you.  This is my mom.  Major disconnect.  Here’s the caption that goes with the picture. 

“SARFATY, Regina- SP8 x 10" glamour photo of the New York mezzo long associated with the Santa Fe Opera, Frankfurt, Glyndebourne and Zurich but especially the New York City Opera where she created Weisgall's "Six Characters in Search of an Author" together with Beverly Sills. UNCOMMON.”