Broadway babies.(CODA)(opera singers in musicals)(Interview)

After his opera-singing days had ended, the legendary bass Ezio Pinza became a Broadway matinee idol in Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. We asked several major singers what their dream role would have been had they taken the other fork in the road and entered musicals instead of opera.

SAMUEL RAMEY: I've always been a great fan of the Broadway musical, and I still dream of doing a musical one day. Pinza and Siepi had their shots on Broadway. I'd love to do South Pacific or Man of La Mancha or Kiss Me, Kate, primarily because they're all such great scores and the roles fit my voice very well.

DENYCE GRAVES: Big Mama Morton, the prison warden in Chicago! When my husband and I first heard that duet she sings, "Class," we practically fell in the aisle. We couldn't breathe, we were laughing so hard. Also the role Linda Eder sang in Jekyll and Hyde. Unbelievable! I loved that woman. It's a fabulous part. And Julie in Show Boat--how could I forget that?

ROBERTA PETERS: I did do some musical comedy. I did The King and I at the St. Louis Muni Opera one summer. I also did Noel Coward's Bitter Sweet, which is a wonderful show that never gets done enough. And I also did--you know, the one with the Nazis. Yes, The Sound of Music! I was Maria. I did that with a company in New Jersey. I would have loved to do Carousel. I recorded a couple of the songs from it, but I've never done the whole show.

MAUREEN O'FLYNN: I've done quite a few musicals already. Just this summer I played Meg Boyd in Damn Yankees. I've done Eliza in My Fair Lady, Guinevere in Camelot, Jenny in Company, Julie Jordan in Carousel, Laurey in Oklahoma. I always jump at the chance to do musicals, because there is just absolutely nothing like doing theater to really hone your stagecraft and acting abilities. I think every opera singer should be required to do musical theater and even straight theater.

SUSAN GRAHAM: I've always dreamed of singing Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate. I'm trying to drum up a concert-gala performance of that. The character is so spunk, so fiery, but at the same time she's vulnerable enough to let herself be loved. That's kind a me in a nutshell!

MARK DELAVAN: Sweeney Todd is a dream role. That always tops the list, and for me to get to do it at New York City Opera in the spring is going to be great. I can think of three or four other roles I would have liked to do--like Man of La Mancha. For one thing, it's two characters, plus he's so weired ... I think I also would have liked to do Javert in Les Miz. And I suppose when I get a little older, I'd like to do Tony in The Most Happy Fella.