BENNINGTON, VT – Oren Gradus has performed some of the greatest roles in opera, including
the title character in the “Marriage of Figaro,” Mephistopheles in “Faust,” and Leporello in “Don
Giovanni.”
He performed with the Metropolitan Opera for eighteen seasons, as well as with opera houses
across the country and abroad.
But the role he’s most proud of? Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof.” He played the lead character
in a highly acclaimed production by the Monument Arts & Cultural Center in 2024.
On January 19, Oren takes the MAC Center stage to sing his favorite Broadway tunes and some
arias too. Tickets for the show are available at https://www.monumentcentervt.org/orengradus.
“When I was growing up in Brooklyn, we went to a lot of Broadway shows. It was my first
passion,” says Oren, then quickly corrects himself. “Actually, baseball is my first passion, but
Broadway is a close second.”
Between his junior and senior years of high school, Oren attended Carnegie Mellon’s musical
theater program. And when he later auditioned for the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, he sang
Broadway tunes. Oberlin, however, had different plans for the talented teenager, steering him
toward opera. Upon graduation, Oren was invited to the Pittsburgh Opera Center’s Young Artist
Program – and his career quickly took off.
“The truth is that roles on Broadway for my voice type – bass baritone – are for older men,” says
Oren of his youthful ambitions. “Today, as a middle-aged man, those roles fit me perfectly. I
loved doing ‘Fiddler.’ It was so fulfilling.”
At his January 19 show, he will sing Broadway standards such as “Night and Day” from “Kiss
Me Kate” and “Some Enchanted Evening” from “South Pacific.” Speaking of the latter show,
Oren will be playing the lead male role in “South Pacific” at the MAC Center in March.
Oren is the son of Ari and Diana Gradus of Hoosick Falls and Brooklyn. He is the father of two
teenage sons, who are star athletes with no interest in singing, he says with a laugh.
So, what does Oren Gradus love so much about Broadway musicals?
“It’s not just the singing,” he says. “It’s the acting. I have always wanted to be a singing actor.
The Mozart roles I started out with in opera were so much about the acting. As I grew older, I did
more stand and sing roles. Now I’ve come full circle. Broadway music – I love it.”
Monument Arts & Cultural Center / 44 Gypsy Road, Bennington, VT / www.monumentcentervt.org