I loved to sing and I loved to act, and I didn’t want to continue opera because I wanted to act.

I try to do different roles and try to immerse myself deeply and see what they need to be that's different than the last one.

My spiritual life is an interesting thing. It's pretty private. I was raised Catholic in the Baptist Bible belt, so my spirituality was challenged and very much a private thing and it continues to be.

If a man thinks you're beautiful or thinks you're strong or thinks you're smart, take the power and use it, but don't need it.

I'm grateful that I feel the way that I do - to make choices based on a lot of people's feelings - even though it has been hard at times, especially when I was younger, but I feel like it has led me down the right road for me. I'm very happy with what has come of that.

If you have kids, in my opinion, your priorities better shift to them.

I mean, it feels like a homecoming in a really wonderfully comfortable place to be - the same director, the same musical director, my same dressing room! [laughs] It's a great place to build something with freedom.