Gratitude - Day 116

I'm grateful for literature that brought us such a wonderful character, wound into such a beautiful story, told across the centuries, never losing its power to move and teach.

Wherefore art thou?

Were this particular production of I Capuleti e i Montecchi an updated, modern production, I could imagine Romeo making his first entrance on this little gem parked below our window tonight:

However, it is NOT an updated production so Romeo saunters on to meet the imposing legion of Capulets on his own two feet in period costume, puffy pants and all.

Last night we gave our final rehearsal to a packed house at the Paris Opéra. It's a strange thing that happens in every theater now - we have one last rehearsal to get everything lined up and ready for the opening night, but we have to do it in front of a full house, so essentially it is our "opening night". It can feel a bit strange knowing that we are giving "a performance" for free, and while singers fall onto different sides of the debate about whether that is fair or not, I for one usually welcome the chance to feel out a role (especially a new one!) in front of a crowd, for as I've written before, performing in front of people changes every dynamic of the evening: adrenalin flows in a different ratio, energy is bounced around and traded over the footlights, and the real risk taking begins! For me, it's a good thing to test out those added elements before the "real" prima - not to mention, most of the folks attending are donors (thank you!), friends of the opera, families of the orchestra and crew, and the lucky few who "know someone".

Last night I sensed immediately that it would be an exciting night, and by all accounts that made their way to me, it most definitely was. I think it was the case of bel canto music really weaving it's magic on the performers (allowing us to trust the simplicity of the lines and emotion), and on the audience - for the cavernous Bastille was pin-drop-quiet all night. EXCEPT, ah yes, except for what I took to be gentleman who found perhaps, the all-time worst time to let loose on a resounding sneeze-type explosion that rang through the would-be rafters: in the most hushed tones, Roméo and Giulietta say their final, eternal goodbyes, and there is a most precious rest in the music before Giuletta QUIETLY declares that Roméo has died ...

"Ei muore...."

Silence.

"Aaah-$%&*$%^#(@*#$%" Only it wasn't really a sneeze - it was one of those shattering sort of shout-sneezes. The kind that makes you feel someone has just suffered the fright of their life and may not survive to tell about it.

God bless him, I'm sure he couldn't help it - but wow, the timing was deftly cinematic!

Giuletta promptly followed that with her own shattering "O Dio", and followed Roméo to his eternal fate.

In what I took to be a testament to the impact of the moment, oddly, it wasn't that disrupting all things considered.

So it was my very first complete run of the role - without stopping, in costume, and in front of an enthusiastic public. I'm completely head over heels in love with this guy - for his youth, his exuberance, his passion, his failed but heartfelt attempts to bridge the enormous gulf of warring factions, his pleas, his heartbreak, his loyalty, his PURE LOVE for Giuletta, and finally, for his tragic, inevitable fate.

I feel as if I'm stepping into big shoes with this role, but the sense of honor and privilege that accompanies those shoes fills me with TREMENDOUS excitement and prompts me to give it all that I have - and I simply cannot wait. I also couldn't think of a better cast, crew, or theater in which to debut this role - this is one of those shows where all the elements are working in the best manner to produce a REAL SHOW: no extraneous nonsense or egos or distractions - and in a very relaxed and positive atmosphere so we can just enjoy bringing this all to life. It's beautiful.

Although, I have to say, I wouldn't HATE having to drive that Vespa...

Gratitude - Day 115

I'm grateful for a beautiful view. One of my MOST favorite things about Paris in the springtime is how light it stays into the evening. Right now, the last blue fades from the sky around 10:00, but by the summer solstice, it will stay light until 10:30 or later - and it carries with it youthful joy and a feeling of possibility! I love it. And to see the pink and yellow tint fall onto the rooftops of this beautiful city NEVER grows old!

Gratitude - Day 114

Picking back up where I left off - I'm grateful for a charming place to experience a wonderful meal. David Zobel, the brilliant pianist and dear friend introduced me to this place last year, and it has since become a favorite "evening out" place in Paris. Nothing fancy, but just great food. Of course, it's Paris - so I could take a photo of most any place and call it great, but what's nice about spending time in a city is finding the places you like to return to, which go far in making it feel a bit more like home.

I'm game!

So it seems the venerable and original "Desperate Operawife" has tagged me in a "meme". Let's have at it:

Rules:

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.
At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten years ago:

Exactly 10 years ago I had just graduated from the Houston Opera Studio but still had no artistic management - having been politely but soundly rejected by 7 of NY's bigwigs, I had jobs lined up for the following season in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona, I had badly misjudged short hair, and was busy living a life according to how I thought other people expected me to live.

Five things on today's "to do" list:

* Wake up next to my husband for the first time in nearly 6 weeks
* Buy fresh baguette from the downstairs bakery to accompany the peanut butter my husband brought me from home
* Review recits in Capuleti so I can FINALLY get all the text correct in today's dress rehearsal
* Tell my co-star what a blast it is to perform with her
* Take my husband to my favorite Italian place for the most amazing pasta in the world (we can have French food another day!)

(OK - for those near Paris, it's "Gli Angeli" on Rue St Giles in the Marais, and they have the most ridiculously delicious pasta!)

Things I'd do if I was a Billionaire:

* A lot of charity - mostly Children's charities. Children and music - yes, a lot of that!
*Take a safari every year.
* Fund research

Three Bad Habits:

* Not hanging up my clothes at the end of the day
* French fries
* Swearing. Often quite loudly. Often in multiple languages.

Five places I've lived:

Permanent residences: Prairie Village, KS, Wichita, KS, Philadelphia, PA, Houston, TX and Kansas City, MO.
Temporary residences: the rest of the world.

Five jobs I've had:

In order: Church secretary, Waitress, SINGING waitress, Church choir director/organist, Opera Singer

Five People I'm Tagging:

Bill
Nick
ACB
Little Miss Bossy
Melear

It's probably more information than you ever wanted to know!

And for more pressing business, one more rehearsal left - which is really, essentially a performance since the theater will be packed with donors and friends of the opera, and other lucky folks who scored tickets. We're all very excited about the show - everyone sounds wonderful, the chorus is on top form, lights still need to be tweeked, and we need this last run to be 100% ready for the opening, but this mezzo can hardly wait - it's such an honor to sing this role. I still have to figure out how to make it through the last scene without crying.

Time to run - that pasta is calling my name!

UPDATE!!!

THE pasta:


Paglia e Fieno: Fettucine giallo & verde con Prosciutto Crudo di San Daniele con crema di TARTUFO!!

Love is in the air....

So I know I have been absent here for a bit - my apologies - but duty was calling! We don't have the longest rehearsal period for this particular revival (this is, I believe, the 4th time putting Robert Carsen's brilliant staging up), and considering it is my first stab at the role (sorry for the pun), I've just had all of my mind, energy, and attention pouring into it - and I think it may just be worth it. I think I perhaps underestimated the scope, intensity and density of this role - it's an easy mistake: you look at the notes Bellini jotted down onto the page, and they look oh-so-simple. "It's a few chord changes, a simple melody, the odd chromatic leading tone to bend the phrase - seriously, how entailed can it be?", she foolishly thought!

Well, as I posted earlier, I'm in love. I quite simply LOVE this role, and am pinching myself in each rehearsal that I have been entrusted to sing it. Are you kidding me? It's bliss. We're having a wonderful time, our first orchestral rehearsals have gone extremely well, everyone is excited and positive, there is a great rapport between cast, chorus, orchestra - and hopefully the audience will catch the fire, as well!

However, my work is not done, so I will write more once my "day job" is settled. We have a big week ahead, building to an exciting opening night on Saturday, so I'll be back. The brilliant part of having some time off this weekend was spent with my camera in a blissful day in Paris, thunderstorms and all, enjoying nooks and crannies, and a delightful, full-fledged Parisian dinner party: the writer, the singer, the painter, the banker, lots of talk of literature and cinema and laughs - not to mention aromatic wine and a GREAT Camembert - is there anything better?

In the meantime, because I am in a "Romeo Mood", I seem to be catching lovers everywhere, as in the pigeons above, and of course, to put a smile on your face, I introduce you to Odie, the pug:

Gratitude - Day 113

(So, I think this catches me up on my postings...)

I'm grateful for falling in love.

It doesn't always happen to me. Sometimes I want it to happen, but the chemistry just isn't there. Sometimes I am sure it won't happen, and it sneaks up on me out of nowhere. Sometimes I know it will happen, but when it actually does remains unknown.

Today it snuck up on me, and I fell in love with my newest role. I knew I would fall for this Capulet sooner or later - it's Bellini, it's Italian, it's ROMEO - what's not to love? But I know I can't ever force the issue with new roles, or music in general - it will only ever happen when it happens, not a moment sooner.

Today I sang through the final scene for the very first time with the conductor. I'm hooked. I'm done. There is no turning back. I'm a goner. He has my complete and total devotion, this one. I mean are you KIDDING me with this music? Are you kidding me that I get to SING this? Yes - I'm completely done for!

Gratitude - Day 112

I'm grateful for SUNNY DAYS!!! Oh, am I grateful for that! The weather here in Paris has been UNBELIEVABLE and while it pains me to be indoors all day working, it lifts me up to WALK to work in it!! (and the lovely thing of Paris is that it stays light so late in the day, that I still get the benefits of the blazing glory!)

This is one of my very favorite spots on the planet, let alone in Paris - the Places des Voges, and I get to walk through it every day. Paradise!