I wanted to honor the memory of my father, who was a great opera singer and died very young, without knowing my success. As I inherited his voice, it is in recognition of that heritage.

One of the advantages I've had as an interpreter - because I'm not a composer - is I've had the fortune of working with great composers. Armando Manzanero, Rafael Perez Botija, Manuel Alejandro. These are the people who have built my career.

My father was an opera singer who constantly tried to persuade me not to enter into an artistic career.

Festivals are good to open the road for you, to bring in new faces and voices, but not to go back to once you've made it.

I relate to what Gov. Romney brings. I know what it means to balance a budget. I know what it means to write a paycheck and not only cash one. I know what it means to create a job, and I know what it means to struggle with my business every day in terms of keeping our doors open any day but definitely in a difficult economy.

My advice is to make acting your second career choice.

I'm happy to work when I've worked, and you've got to take the hard times with the good times. But there are times where I'm not as financially set as one might assume. So you have concerns about, 'Wow, I have this level of notoriety and... I better get a job.'

I have been in the business long enough to know what an intense amount of work it takes to operate a theater company.