Divas, Ingénues & Vixens Podcast

Opening night of Porgy and Bess at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City did not disappoint. In this special ENCORE episode, I reflect on Michelle Bradley’s Bess debut, the remarkable sense of community onstage, and the devastating beauty of Gershwin’s American masterpiece. From the power of “Summertime” to the storm that changes everything, this production reminds us why opera endures: that heartbreak is part of the beauty.

What does it mean to witness a woman trying to survive?
In this episode, Amity turns her lens toward one of the most complex female roles in the American repertoire: Bess in Porgy and Bess. In conversation with acclaimed soprano Michelle Bradley, who brings Bess to life with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, this episode explores autonomy, embodiment, vulnerability, and presence under pressure.
Together, they unpack the musical and dramatic architecture of Gershwin’s score, from the fragile hope of “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” to the quiet devastation of the final act. Through a contemporary lens — touching on community care, harm reduction, and moral agency — this conversation asks not whether Bess is redeemable, but what she asks of us as witnesses.
Amity also guides listeners through key scenes that illuminate Bess’s development, offering context for opera newcomers and seasoned music lovers alike. Whether you love opera, musical theatre, or jazz, this episode reveals how Porgy and Bess continues to shape American sound — and why it resonates deeply in Kansas City in 2026.
This is not an episode about resolving Bess.
It’s about staying with her.

Special Edition: Preserving Women’s Legacy
In this special, follow up episode the focus shifts to the Women Religious Archives Collaborative and the vital work of preserving the stories of Catholic sisters in the United States.
Joined by Sr. Sue Durkin and historian Dr. Carol Coburn, we explore how women religious built the institutions that shaped American education, healthcare, and social justice — and why protecting their legacy matters now.
Because history survives when someone chooses to remember.

The Broadway musical SUFFS by Shaina Taub* tells the story of suffragettes fighting to be heard. But what about the women who built the institutions that made change possible?*
In this episode, I speak with performer Marya Grandy [Carrie Chapman Catt] and Sr. Sue Durkin of the Women Religious Archives Collaborative about voice, leadership, archives, and the quiet endurance of Catholic sisters whose impact shaped American life.
Some women marched.Some women built.All of them matter.
Because preserving women’s history isn’t nostalgia — it’s responsibility.
{Stay tuned for a special edition follow up episode or check out additional materials at www.AmityHBryson.com}

In this fourth installment of What Does Music Smell Like?, I am joined once again by Lauren and Taylor of Apothogothic to unveil LILITH—a scent shaped by desire, boundaries, and sovereignty. Together, they reflect on the arc of year one—MIRAGE, WILDE, EMBER, and now LILITH—and the way seasons, playlists, and lived experience inform the creative process.
From Sophie B. Hawkins to Joni Mitchell, Jill Scott to TRIBE (and more!) the LILITH playlist traces a musical journey of I want. I protect. I stand.
The episode’s finale is a slow, intentional unboxing, inviting listeners to co-create the experience as scent, sound, and story merge. Through the archetypes:
The Diva claims aesthetic sovereignty—luxury, worth, and presence.
The Ingénue discovers intimacy and first-time wonder.
The Vixen recognizes this is not self-care, but self-definition.
This episode is a celebration of women-led artistry, creative ritual, and the joy of building something with intention. LILITH marks both a culmination—and a bold invitation into what comes next.
Find the full video of the unboxing on INSTAGRAM @AmityBryson

Lyrical Belles return for a follow-up conversation as the collective prepares for their upcoming live show at Knuckleheads on February 12. Building on their original origin-story episode (S1 Ep. 6) this conversation moves beyond how the group began and into what the work looks like now — onstage, behind the scenes, and within the evolving Kansas City music community.
The founders reflect on how the collective has grown, how performing together continues to shape their artistry, and what makes a Lyrical Belles show distinct from other live music experiences. The conversation explores collaboration, creative momentum, and the energy of women creating side-by-side in a listening-room style space.
Tickets available at Knuckleheads.com 
 

In this episode, I explore how Mozart’s operatic women trace a developmental arc of feminine consciousness—from emotional awakening (the Ingénue), to selfhood and vocal power (the Diva), to embodied relational intelligence (the Vixen), and finally to something radically new: moral agency. Through arias by Pamina, the Countess, Fiordiligi, Zerlina, Susanna, and Vitellia, we hear how Mozart composes not just characters, but inner lives in motion. The episode reveals Mozart as a composer of subjectivity, showing how women in his operas become the emotional and ethical centers of their worlds—capable not only of feeling and choosing, but of transforming others through forgiveness, clarity, and conscious presence.

In this episode, Amity explores the Tony Award–winning musical Kimberly Akimbo, a tender and unexpected story about time, identity, and choosing adventure. From Jeanine Tesori’s luminous score to a heroine who lives between youth and age, this is a reflection on hope, mortality, and what it means to stand—cleverly akimbo—in your own life.

In this January episode of Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity invites listeners into a thoughtful, generous, and deeply musical meditation on what it means to begin again. Through stories from the studio, philosophy, and personal experience, she explores why she proudly claims, “I am not a purist”—and why that stance opens richer, more honest ways of listening and making art.
Answering listener questions from Evie in MN and Isak in TX, along the way, Amity celebrates the living relationship between creator, song, and listener—the heart of why certain music continues to matter across generations.
Equal parts reflection and inspiration, this episode asks you to shed what no longer serves you, honor what sustains you, and step into the new year with curiosity, courage, and openness. Whether you arrive as a Diva, an Ingénue, or a Vixen, you’ll leave feeling invited to listen more deeply, trust your instincts, and begin January with renewed presence, wonder, and possibility.

This week on Divas, Ingénues & Vixens, Amity sits down with Black Hôk, a rising young blues band from Kansas City, as they prepare to head to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge. Before the music takes over Beale Street, we pause to explore what it really means to play the blues—as a form, a feeling, and a living tradition. From the foundations of 12-bar blues to Kansas City’s rich musical legacy, this episode connects past and present, honoring the artists who built the road and the young musicians now walking it. A January reflection on beginnings, grit, and carrying the blues forward.