Behind the Business: Opera—Over Easy!

Next time that you’re at the  and your waitress bursts into a show tune as she’s delivering your meal, take a moment to savor the song and the sandwich.  

Your server might be Sheila Whitney, the irrepressibly upbeat server who's worked at for nearly 16 years.While Whitney is asking her customers if they'd "like some coffee" with their order, many of them don't realize that their capable and efficient waitress has another very different occupation outside of the restaurant.

Whitney has sung professionally, performing opera, jazz and classical music almost all her life. She also is an actress, a dancer, and has developed one-woman shows that combine monologue, song and performance. Faced with the financial reality of the arts, however, she continues to make the majority of her income from waiting tables.

Raised in Marin County, Whitney started singing for her family as a child. She laughs that, “My family was like, ‘Where’d this singing thing coming from?’” Not only comfortable in front of an audience, but on actual cloud nine when performing, Whitney plunged into acting, singing and dancing in high school.

After attaining a degree at Dominican College in Marin, Whitney traveled to Europe, then settled in Southern California, married and began performing in a small opera company. The couple had a son, but divorced when he was young. As a single mother, she came back to Sonoma to be near her family.

A job at the Breakaway Café offered a homey atmosphere and connection to the community. If a customer comes in who lives in Sonoma, Whitney is sure to know them by name and what their favorite menu item is. She has worked in practically every position at the Café, and has improved her Spanish over the years, she says, by being there.

Her musical ability has also improved, she says. She continues to take voice lessons, and has recently started a studio, teaching voice to a number of students whose ambitions range from those who want to be on "American Idol" to performers who are focused on their technique. “Your body is an instrument,” she says. “Both teaching and taking lessons help you learn where you hold your tension and how to conquer it.” 

Whitney has held the role of soloist at  for two years, where the music is strictly classical and contemporary religious. “I’m still enchanted by classical music,” Whitney said. “I get to incorporate my brain, my soul and my heart.” She also sings at weddings and at funerals, which she regards as “an honor.”

Whitney is a “glass half-full” kind of person who is not afraid to follow her instincts. She creates a yearly one-woman-show that give her a more direct and personal experience with the audience. Engaging them with humor, she uses a stream-of-consciousness approach to interweaving music and dialogue, exploring what she sees as the common ground between us all with the goal of “making people feel good and closer together.”

In a certain sense, her two careers are not that far apart. Making people feel good and providing an enjoyable experience are the key ingredients for her in both restaurant work and the world of music. Each one offers a stage of sorts where genuine communication can create lasting and positive memories of a shared time together. And in either environment, Sheila Whitney gives it her all.

You can see more of Sheila Whitney performing on YouTube, by clicking here.