About
Versatile Soprano Rachel Policar, a sought-after performer across many genres, has been described as ”spectacular” (LA Times), “arresting” (SF Classical Voice), and “a natural comedienne” (Broadway World) for her recent performances on the operatic, theatre and concert stages, “steal[ing] the show with her bravura and big hearted humanism” (SF Classical Voice). Rachel is super passionate about telling stories that are rooted in her Jewish heritage, and made her Off Broadway debut with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene as Goldele in the operetta The Golden Bride, a company with which she is a frequent guest artist.
Her current season includes Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Anchorage Opera and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg at Pacific Opera Project, where she also performs Plaintiff Angelina in Trial By Jury. She will reprise her role of Lizzy in Bryce McClendon’s critically acclaimed new play The Smallest Sound, in the Smallest Space at Lincoln Center’s Clark Studio Theatre with The Why Collective, and sing Krystyna Zywolska in Jake Heggie’s Another Sunrise.
Previous seasons included her debut as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg with Penn Square Music Festival, Anne Frank in a one-woman, operatic adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank with Opera in the Pines, Leah in the world premiere of Lori Laitman’s Uncovered with City Lyric Opera, and featured ensemble in Marian: The Musical, a new musical in development about Marian Anderson. She also workshopped the role of Krystyna Zywolska in Heggie’s Another Sunrise at the Streicker Center, and originated the role of Lizzy in Bryce McClendon’s The Smallest Sound, in the Smallest Space at Nancy Manocherian’s the cell theatre in New York City. She returned St Petersburg Opera as a headlining soloist in their Holiday Sparkle, and joined the NYU Broadway Orchestra singing Dot/Marie in Sunday In The Park with George.
Rachel has previously been seen with Pacific Opera Project (Lisetta, La Gazzetta; Bettina, Don Procopio), Southern Illinois Music Festival (Pamina, The Magic Flute), American Lyric Theatre (M Butterfly), Anchorage Opera (Gilda, Rigoletto), Dayton Opera (Gretel, Hansel and Gretel) Light Opera of New York (Marietta, Naughty Marietta), North Shore Music Festival (Adina, Elixir of Love), St Petersburg Opera ( Zerlina (cover), Don Giovanni; Suor Genovieffa (cover), Suor Angelica; Lauretta (cover), Gianni Schicchi), City Lyric Opera (Lauretta, Gianni Schicchi), and as a Young Artist with Opera On the James, Knoxville Opera (Gretel, Hansel and Gretel) and the Janiec Opera Company (Gilda, Rigoletto; Valencienne, The Merry Widow; Baby Doe (cover), Ballad of Baby Doe; Nannetta (cover), Falstaff). On the concert stage, she has been seen as the soprano soloist in Rossini’s Messa di Gloria (Southern Illinois Music Festival), Carmina Burana and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor (New York Choral Society), Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Magnificat (Garden State Philharmonic), and has appeared with Penn Square Music Festival, Coro Lirico New Jersey, the Sanibel Music Festival and in concert with the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene.
Rachel is a 2-time winner at the American Traditions Competition in Savannah and a proud member of AEA. She writes and produces Parodies and #InappropriatelyOperatic pop covers in her spare time, and runs an instagram account devoted to her love of coffee (@BrewishAmericanPrincess)