Four Inane Questions with soprano Lauren Auge
Photo by Cory Weaver
When soprano Lauren Auge moved to Kansas City in 2017 for her residency with the Lyric Opera, she probably thought she was just passing through. Instead, she set up shop, unpacked her vocal cords, and never looked back. Since then, she’s become one of KC’s busiest musical multitaskers—performing, teaching, conducting, and still somehow finding time to breathe between arias.
Her resume reads like a global tour—debuts in Shanghai, Beijing, and Prague, plus operatic triumphs right here at the Kauffman Center. She’s conquered competitions, tackled Verdi’s most dramatic heroines, and teamed up with everyone from the Lyric Opera to No Divide KC.
She’s gearing up for Lyric Opera’s upcoming performance of Madame Butterfly, which debuts Friday, Nov. 14, at Kauffman Center. With its lush score and timeless exploration of love, betrayal, and cultural clash, the show remains an Italian masterpiece.
When she’s not belting out high Cs, she’s teaching them—at Kansas City Kansas Community College, the University of Central Missouri, and in private studios across the metro. Add in her roles as music director, section leader, and assistant conductor, and it’s clear: Lauren Auge doesn’t just hit the high notes; she lives them.
We caught up with the songstress during rehearsals to immerse her in our ridiculous questionnaire. While she answered, we also discovered we have a one-half octave range. Bless.
The Pitch: If you were a butterfly, what kind of butterfly would you be?
Photo Courtesy of Lauren Auge
Lauren Auge: Okay, I had to look up what it’s called, but it’s a blue morpho butterfly. The big shiny radiant blue ones from Central and South America. Absolutely iconic look. They can have a huge wingspan. The underside of their wings has spots that look like eyes. But honestly, the iridescent, shiny, eye-catching “Look at me now. I’m a queen you absolutely could never be this stunning level of blue” is really why I would want to be that one.
Vibrant, shiny, and so very diva—all things that I kinda vibe with.
With Halloween today, what’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever-ever seen… ever?
Well, when I was a kid in my really small country Michigan town, I remember trick-or-treating and coming to a house that had the most insane stuffed pumpkin-headed guy sitting in a chair; straw sticking out of the shirt, fluffed up through the arms and legs, pumpkin head just perfectly askew. I knew it had to be fake, but I poked at it to make sure it didn’t move.
As I reached for candy, though, that scarecrow pumpkin guy jumped right out of the chair. Did I have a heart attack as a 10-year-old? Maybe. Was that person’s costume good enough for me to think it was fake and traumatize me to all scarecrows and jumpy things to this day? Yeah, definitely.
You can play tennis (or pickleball) with any celebrity. Who you choosin’?
Maybe one of my favorite actors/screenwriters, Emma Thompson? I’d play a round (is that a thing in tennis?) with her, casually mention I need a drink, offer her tea and a swig from a flask, stop playing tennis, sit and make witty jabs at other people on the court instead.
In the world of celebrity, she’s always seemed sort of normal to me as a person, just with exceedingly great talent in acting and writing. I like being around those types of people. And I’d like to annoy her with how much I love her version of Sense and Sensibility.
Do you have any random superstitions or pre-show rituals we must know about?
Photo Courtesy of Lauren Auge
I’m so boring when it comes to this. I need sleep, some water, and a little vocal warm-up. Usually before a show, I’m running around from rehearsals or other gigs that I don’t even have time to worry about any of it.
What would I like my pre-show ritual to be? Sleeping in the morning until at least 9 a.m., staying in cozy clothes while I sip a coffee and journal my thoughts about the upcoming show, have my husband cook me a little pasta alla gricia for lunch, a nice walk, and then a luxuriously slow 45-minute vocal warm-up with lots of breaks.
Alas, that ain’t happening, so I throw some salt over my shoulder and do my best.
Bonus 5th Question: You’re part of a progressive dinner party. What part do you want? Apps, charcuterie, main course, dessert? Go!
Eaaaasy! I’m a dessert girl! I got really big into cake decorating for a while and truly am always ready for just a little sweet treat. If I had to do it for, say, a fall-themed progressive dinner, we’d also have a progressive dessert.
We’ll start with homemade caramel for apples to be dipped in and various toppings (nuts, chocolate chips, etc.) to besprinkled on top. Move on to a cinnamon/clove/nutmeg spiced layer cake with cinnamon cream cheese filling and pumpkin buttercream frosting, ending with small ginger molasses cookies with either a nice little coffee or warm, spiked apple cider. Good luck making it home before the big sugar crash.
