Rosalinda Verde is the founder of Visalia Opera. Before participating in a panel on the role the arts play in building communities, Verde talked about mariachi, rock, and opera–as well as an encounter with Ryan Seacrest before he was famous–in the Zócalo green room.
What food are you most likely to binge eat?
Mexican food.
What was the last board game you played?
Cards Against Humanity. I guess that’s not a board game …
If you could legalize one crime, which would you choose?
I just became a homeowner. It’s a crime to build things without permits, so I’d legalize me being able to do what I want to do with my own place.
When are you at your most creative?
At work—I work at the Creative Center, a school for developmentally disabled adults, and they can really bring out your creativity with theirs.
What’s your favorite opera?
Carmen.
Did you have any nicknames as a kid?
Chula—it’s still my nickname.
What is your favorite place to sing?
In an empty theater.
What reality TV show would you be on?
The Voice or American Idol. I wouldn’t succeed, but I’d like to be on. I tried out for American Idol the very first year it aired. Ryan Seacrest could not get an interview from the line of people who were outside the Rose Bowl waiting for an audition. No one wanted to talk to him. It was 3 a.m., and he was asking people to chat—people were trying to sleep. It’s a little bit different now.
What music have you listened to today?
I listened to some mariachi in preparation for a mariachi opera. And a Latin rock group called Kinky.
What’s your greatest extravagance?
Food. A nice steak is something I think I buy too often.