It is difficult for an opera singer to warm up quietly, but Eric McKeever did his best on the train.

It was a cold day in New York City, like most days in December. He arrived early and began performing some focusing exercises to prepare for the audition.

His time came, and McKeever sang the song he had prepared. The producers and the stage manager asked him to sing some excerpts from “Porgy and Bess.”

Two days before Christmas, McKeever was told he was cast as Jake in the traveling production of “Porgy and Bess.” Ohio performances begin Friday at the Southern Theatre.

McKeever has an emotional bond with opera music. Prior to auditioning for “Porgy and Bess,” he was familiar with a large amount of the score.

He sings a few arias in the show and has a deep appreciation for the combination of jazz, opera and spirituals that inspired the music, McKeever said.

“I obviously enjoy my music quite a bit, but I have to say my favorite part of the show is the hurricane scene,” McKeever said. “It has amazing choral and solo writing and is an exciting, well-crafted piece of theater.”

Jake is married to Clara, who opens the show with “Summertime,” the most famous song from the opera.

The action is set in Catfish Row, a slum based on Cabbage Row in Charleston, S.C. “Porgy and Bess” is a love story between the title characters whose lives are complicated by murder.

The long rehearsal period allowed McKeever to develop his role extensively and to develop a rapport with the other actors, he said.

However, there are always mishaps.

“When the costumes first arrived, I realized then how many and how fast my costume changes were,” McKeever said. “After several attempts at making it out on stage in time half-dressed, I and the costume coordinator have figured out how to make those quick changes happen efficiently.”

When he began college at Capital University when he was 18, McKeever intended to become a music teacher, but attending a production of “Salome” changed his plans.

“I was amazed that someone could sing in a foreign language and act, all while projecting over an orchestra without amplification,” McKeever said in an e-mail.

He compares vocal training to sports training because it takes years to perform effortlessly.

After completing his undergraduate degree, McKeever got a master’s degree in voice at Ohio State. He chose the school because he wanted to work with Robin Rice, a professor in the School of Music.

McKeever found a job with Opera Columbus during this time. The position gave him plenty of opportunities to perform.

McKeever sang at the Columbus Zoo, in local libraries and in front of the Ohio Statehouse.

He also performed in “The Secret Garden” at the Southern Theatre, which he enjoyed because the audience is so close to the actors, McKeever said.

His dream role is Figaro in “The Barber of Seville,” he said. McKeever performed “Largo al Factotum” from the opera at the Alumni Gala in 2000 and it was enthusiastically received.

Although early training can help a singer develop a good technical background, most opera singers’ voices do not mature until age 35. McKeever is in his prime at age 39.

He aspires to be a full-time actor once more after taking a five-year break to take on administrative responsibilities with Opera Columbus and Kentucky Opera in Louisville.

“Porgy and Bess,” based on the novel “Porgy,” is famous for being what writers George and Ira Gershwin called an American folk opera. It was not taken seriously as an opera until the 1970s.

The show features an entirely African-American cast and has been controversial since it was written in 1934 because it contains stereotypes.

Opera may not be as popular as rock concerts among college students, but the music in “Porgy and Bess” can be very moving, McKeever said.

“It’s a great way to experience opera in our native tongue and get the full spectrum of performance that opera offers — great storytelling, great music and great drama all rolled into an entertaining show,” McKeever said.

Ticket prices range from $35 to $65.