30 April, 2008

cooolest room ever

Well yay for swanky gigs!
I just checked into my uber-cool borough hotel.
It's really bright and light, I have a balcony, there is a SEE THROUGH GLASS SHOWER that's HUGE (well, with a curtain when you want it, but who wants that!?!, and in general it's really slick and modern and I love it.
If this is how you get treated on concert gigs--bring it on!

I kind of want to have a party in my hotel room!

got meme?

In the spirit of being too tired to think of something original or update the blog about my final rehearsal before the performance, I'll respond to ACB's tag/meme:

But back to the meme. Here are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Uh- oh, though, my nearest book is not in English.
So I'll have to do my best to translate:

Isaac watched the movie and a few days afterwards left for the city. As a novice journalist, in order to try and interview Paul Newman he knew he would have to find him in the port city filming Exodus. All of the journalists, old-timers included had gone through the same process.


Ok, that was very random, and not as interesting as ACB's explanation of her food odysseys.

UP NEXT for me:
Swanky hotel in a 'borough' of NY, rehearsal Thursday, hair cut Friday, concert Friday, hang out with tons of family that will be there, but not TOO long, beeecause-- Opera Saturday!

28 April, 2008

2:21am...

Not doing much better tonight in terms of that whole..getting to bed thing.

The sitz today was lovely. (shhh, I recorded most of it on my minidisc player)..but it doesn't really matter--nothing that can be excerpted because we had a bunch of starts and stops PLUS the smart-alecks that were pressing record for me decided to have fun little conversations into the recorder--DURING the musical interludes of the arias--thanks guys. I appreciate your language and your topics of discussion.

This week is going to be a bit crazy..but only in terms of transportation to and from the city--not performance-wise.
I have to be here for rehearsal tomorrow, tuesday and wednesday, get in my car wednesday and drive to nyc, have a really really and I mean REALLY early morning rehearsal on thursday, another rehearsal thursday afternoon, and then perform in concert 1 on Friday, say hello to the family and friends that are congregating from ALL over the place to see this (better not screw up! haha), hang for a bit after the show, go to some donor's house, try to sleep (probably impossible)..since the NEXT day I'll be driving back for opening night of current-opera!

Oh yea, with an added competition that I have to drive back and forth to the city on Tuesday.
I'm still debating that one..but I really should do it. There is no reason not to, really.
Already in the semifinals.

ps- do you know how many infomercials are on major networks between the hours of midnight and 3am? I guess I do now!

BORING. Why can't I get a channel that has perpetual law and order episodes that I
a.have not seen
b. do not remember the end
c. think i have not seen and then realize during Trial Part 49 (chung chung...) that indeed, I do remember that cross examination and verdict.

27 April, 2008

it's 1:45 a.m. ...

why am I awake?
WHY NOT?
It's the week before the show opens so why wouldn't my sleep pattern be completely insane?
I'm so not tired.
Because when I got home from rehearsal earlier, I NAPPED---the evil nap. It ruins my entire sleep schedule.

Tomorrow is the sitz and I'm really looking forward to it. It's fun to do things for the first time with orchestra and see how they'll evolve in the few rehearsals I have left with them.

Off to bed. Or at least to try to go to bed.
Lucky I don't have to sing a note until 3pm tomorrow.
I will surely be sleeping in.

24 April, 2008

25 things

Ooooh, can I play too? Lil'Ms.Bossy via some other fun blogs and lists came up with her 25, so here is my attempt:

25 (or so..we'll see if I can come up with around that number) things to do--before, no, not before I go, but just to do. In life. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

1. Learn how to bake a dessert that will make everyone that eats it ask for the recipe, henceforth becoming known as 'coloraturaaah's dessert', and served among their friends and families to the delight of all of the guests.

2. Rent a car (learn how to drive stick) and drive really really fast on the autobahn in Germany and then stop at cute towns that the express/intercity trains never stop at to be a tourist for an afternoon.

3. Publish my book (this requires finishing writing and editing it first).

4. Spend a summer visiting as many of my 'facebook' friends as possible IRL (in real life).

5. Play in a celebrity tennis tournament.

6. Spend one week as a 'survivor' on some island in some tropical locale (and then be promptly picked up by boat, ON time, by the company that offers that kind of 'extreme tourism' package).

7. Raise a lot of money and support for a cause that I believe in.

8. Have three, beautiful and healthy blue-eyed babies (preferably 2 years apart each).

9. Live in The City. Live in The Burbs.

10. Have the opportunity to work abroad and the excuse to live abroad for one year and split my time in Paris, Milan, and Munich. (And visit everywhere else on the weekends).

11. Overcome my fear of rollercoasters, ziplining, and parasailing. (heights?) But really, I don't think I'm scared of heights in general...hmmm...

12. Speak fluently and accent-less to 'native speakers' in all of the languages I speak and study.

13. Release a cd of Porter, Gerswhin, and Berlin songs for jazz trio: voice, bass and piano. Maybe drums. We'll see.

14. Fly first class on an international flight.

15. Write poetry again, like I did when I was a kid and didn't even know what I was doing.

16. Perfect one Chopin etude on the piano. And Beethoven's 6 Bagatelles.

17. Learn to love high heels. (thanks to the hotttness of Armani on sale)

18. Go to the gym 3 days a week for one whole year. (hahahahahaha....)

19. Sing Zerbinetta in a crazy European (but not Euro-trash) production that involves acrobatics and upside down singing- preferably on very high notes.

20. Start the libretto for my opera. Finish the libretto for my musical.

21. Tell the ones who count how much I love them.

22. Find someone to leave love-notes for underneath his pillow.!!

23. Print out all of my digital pictures and put them in albums and scrapbooks.

24. Drink hot tea without first putting some cold water in it.

25. Fall asleep (as often as possible) to the sounds of the waves from the Mediterranean.

23 April, 2008

tech and patience

Last night we had our first tech in the theater.
That means full sets and dealing with everything that has previously been make-believe and according to a line of either red or yellow tape, depending on which act I'm in and whether I enter on the 2nd floor (my room and balcony) or through the first floor.

These rehearsals are always long, and almost always frustrating--for me, at least. Because I've worked so hard for x number of weeks to feel comfortable with every little move that I make, and then all of a sudden- BAM! The stairs are rickety, there are more of them (than the tape had indicated previously), they are set apart at bigger levels, there is more space here, less space there, that exit needs to be totally re-timed, that entrance was way too late because I had to get there by climbing up to the 2nd floor from offstage via wobbly ladder....ahhhh---it's just never the same. And after the initial shock of having to actually be very 'present' physically as opposed to just continuing to 'do my thing' in terms of character development, voice, comfort, I can get frustrated with it very easily.

I think I've written about this before. Whether it was the underground lift into Queen of the night that shot me up in the air, the huge heels and double-y large costume for Olympia, the sitting onstage for 20 minutes because there was no entrance once the act started...
surprises everywhere.

I have to learn to be more patient, I know..but these nights somehow feel like it's back to square one...like- what was the point of staging something if now it totally doesn't work (well, until we retime, re-set, re-spike, etc).

At any rate, last night I got annoyed to the point of comedy.
When a scene that has been completely 'staged/blocked/choreographed' (Bricconi, birbante...) just falls apart onstage with the new cape, the new shaving cream, the new sheetmusic, the new everything...that it becomes hilarious.
We all just stopped and said--uh, can we do this again?
So we stumble our way through the staging again--this time not choking the Bartolo (as much), and all of our nerves of 'crazy' seem to wane a bit, as we understand that everyone is going through the same thing.

Yes, we have to re-spike, stop so that everyone knows where they have to be standing while the set rotates from inside to outside and then back to inside during the storm scene, to readjust everything that we have been 'used' to doing in the rehearsal space that is now flat out just not going to work here.

Tonight is tech-take-2.
It will go more smoothly, I'm sure.
As will the rest of the week leading up to the performances--and at that point, this post will seem so so long ago and irrelevant.

g

22 April, 2008

competition today

The past 24 hours or so: (after singing a run-through of current-show last night until 10pm).
12:45am- finally make myself get in bed and set the alarm for 5am. Ouch.
3:45am- wake up because my body refuses to EVER let me have a good night's sleep before important things the next day.
4:59am- wake up a minute before my alarm (duh).
Shower, blow-dry hair which is getting REALLY long, and, sidebar- should I get it cut in a bob or should I deal with the length and cut layers into it? Hmm...
5:25- get all my things together, make sure I have my music, my rep.list and I know where I'm going.
5:53- arrive at bus station (yes, I decided not to drive into the city so I could sleep for a bit--sleep-on a bus-HA).
6:10 bus departs, all of a sudden, air conditioning is on full-blast. NOT cool.

Sometime between 6:10and 9:55- me waking up, me being cold, me being tired, me thinking I'm going to sound like CRAP, me wondering if I'll get there in time, me eating an apple.

10:05- arrive at Port Authority. Get in a cab.(YES, a CAB). Drive to UES for competition.
Got there early, so I walked to the park and warmed up outside.
People walking by and staring, etc. etc.

Was in my audition dress, and (of course) sneakers...so I'm sure it was even stranger than usual.
Walk by a construction crew- twice--once in my hoodie and black sweats (whistles and catcalls) once in my audition dress (same)--guess you CAN look like crap and they'll still think you're hot.

Sang- Zerbinetta. When I announced my piece they freaked and needed to make sure that I was not about to sing for 12 minutes. Yes, I assured them, I would be starting from "so war"..
ARGH! Get over it people! I sing long songs and no, I'm of COURSE not going to sing the whole thing, are you crazy?!
You just let the girl in front of me sing all of o leggiere hirondelle and THEN asked for the recit to Norina! COME ON!


-breathe-
But it sounded good and felt good. And afterwards one of the old ladies said that she really enjoyed it and thinks that I'll get a call....which means..NOTHING..but it's still amusing to hear. These competitions, I swear, are ALL run by the same people.
I have decided there are SEVEN total people in NYC and CA that care about giving money to young opera singers.
And they all run all of these competitions.

Basta.
I made the noon bus back, and now I'm here, insanely tired, and trying to pull it together for the first night in the theater--first tech tonight.

Eek.

20 April, 2008

Passover, abridged

Family time! I'm so lucky that this year I got to celebrate Passover with a majority of my family:
mom, aba, middle brother and his gf, grandparents, cousin from TX, cousins from MA, aunt, uncle, 2nd cousins and their daughter, 2nd cousin's older sister, and bff from undergrad!

I'm used to being away from my family, not being able to see them very often, but one of the hardest parts of the vagabond singer lifestyle is missing big events like holidays where all of the rest of your family will be together, or weddings and other celebrations where bunches of friends will be reunited...and you'll probably be in a chorus rehearsal for the young artist program that you got into that summer.
(oooh, bitter much?)..No, I'm thankful for all of the opportunities that I've had, wouldn't change anything, but am doubly and triple-y thankful that this year I got to see my family on this important and celebratory evening.

And now, a run-down of last night (abridged, and fit for print)
By Michael Rubiner

Opening prayers:

Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)

Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)

Overview: Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we're free. That's why we're doing this.

Four questions:
1. What's up with the matzoh?
2. What's the deal with horseradish?
3. What's with the dipping of the herbs?
4. What's this whole slouching at the table business?

Answers:
1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread.
2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.
3. It's called symbolism.
4. Free people get to slouch.

(Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children and how to deal with them:
Wise child—explain Passover.
Simple child—explain Passover slowly.
Silent child—explain Passover loudly.
Wicked child—browbeat in front of the relatives.

Speaking of children: We hid some matzoh. Whoever finds it gets five bucks.

The story of Passover: It's a long time ago. We're slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh is a nightmare. We cry out for help. God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. We escape, bake some matzoh. God parts the Red Sea. We make it through; the Egyptians aren't so lucky. We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in Israel, get a new temple, enjoy several years without being persecuted again.
(Let brisket cool now.)


The 10 Plagues: Blood, Frogs, Lice—you name it.

The singing of "Dayenu":
If God had gotten us out of Egypt and not punished our enemies, it would've been enough. If he'd punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, it would've been enough.

If he'd parted the Red Sea—(Remove gefilte fish from refrigerator now.)

Eat matzoh. Drink more wine. Slouch.

Thanks again, God, for everything.

SERVE MEAL.

17 April, 2008

twice in one weeeeek?!!

This is just getting ridiculous.
Just got asked to fly and cover an adele because of a 'situation'.
Same night as opening night here and then three more days.
ARGHGHGHHGHGHG.
No.Can.Do.

Wow. At least I feel the lurvvv.

back to normal

Day 'o insanity being over, it was rehearsal as usual today.
We had a fun time for the past 2 rehearsal blocks doing some recitative blitzing.
Usually this happens a bit earlier in the production, but due to circumstances beyond our control, we had to get the show blocked and now we're taking the time to go back and really blitz musically.
There's a LOT of recit (not for me---wooo hoo!---but for Figaro and others). Well, I do have quite a bit..but not that much compared to everyone else.

Blitzing musically first is a game I totally enjoy. For barbarina last year (in both languages)...we blitzed and I made a game out of it--whoever can say as many of their recits IN scene and act order, WITHOUT breathing--wins.

ie, take one big breath and go:
buongiornosinorfigaro..simuordinoia..ah,ahmifateridere,chemiservelospiritochegiovanla..
bellezzasechiusaiosemprestofraquatromurachemipardesserproprioinsepoltura...

etc.etc.

but the breath actually goes much much longer because there is more recit and you just ignore what comes in between and say your whole big phrase.

Am I weird for thinking that's a fun game?
Hmm...
Either way, I like winning it. And I have good breath support!

Last year's one in English was something like:
thepavillionontheleftside, isitthisone, nothatone, supposehedoesn'tcome...theyweresostingyintthekitchen..theyonlygavemeanapple,apear,andapastry..
and'whoseitforyounglady'?oh foracertainperson..'justasithought' 'ahwell'...

etc.
And in that way I never forget recits.

15 April, 2008

the 411---real part I

Ooook. Yesterday started just like any other day.
Rehearsal begins at one, and me trying to decide whether to haul my butt to the gym or not at any point before then.
Order of events via text between me and my agent:
12:something
A: why are you always in a production when they need a last minute Zerbinetta?
Me: dammmmmmit....seriously?
A: Yes.
Me: Booooo...When/where?
A: Brazil- Now.
At that point, a phone call to share more info.
Another agency heard about this last minute replacement through a S. American agent, my agent doesn't have more info. because the other American agent is in a meeting, but if I want to be submitted, they can submit me.
Me- ok--I know it would mean giving this up right now, but Zerbinetta is the role I really need to be singing in my career, and WILL be singing in my career--so, if the decision has to be made about pulling out of this contract, it may have to happen.

Fast forward to the hours between 1-4pm (I'm in rehearsal, but really only paying attention to when I'll get the next text)
Texts:
A: I'm submitting you. Don't know the chances. Will get back to you
M: Guess I have to get the score and brush it up!

More calls to let me know that:
-They can't take an American citizen because of visa issues, do I have my "other nationality" passport? Yes--but not here--it's a 5 hour car ride away.
-It's 80% sure, it's 90% sure, you may have to talk to your director and exec. director about this contract.....it's 95% sure.

Me, in the meantime--after rehearsal, and going to the local U. music library and getting the score...(FREAKING out with excitement!!) OMG. Zerbinetta. Ok, well I've staged and sung the entire commedia act. I've coached and 'scene' staged the rest, but it's been a while. Can I really revisit these FORTY pages of Strauss insanity/recit? AND memorize it by a performance on Thursday night?
OH GOD.
And what about what I'm doing right NOW? How do I just leave them? Ok, no, this happens ALL the time...I mean, people get a call, they get a call. They leave one place for a better place. They leave for more press, bigger house, more money--I can't believe this is happening, and it's already happened like FOUR times already this year with NONE of those times working out..and NOW, the ONE time where I'm freaking out that it's happening because this is my 'hometown' opera company and I really wanted to always have good ties with them and do a good job and feel like I give back to them as much as they gave to me during my younger years just starting out.

Now,
Who can I tell about this while the frantic text messages and emails are flying?
NO ONE!
My parents are on vaycay in the Bahamas, everyone I know is at work, my coach is coaching...and there was NO one that I could run this by...it didn't need to be someone in the business..it just needed to be someone with AN opinion...preferably a calming one...that yes, I could do this, Yes, I SHOULD do this be it offered to me, and YES, everything WILL BE OOOOOKKKKK!!!

....later that night...after checking out the score and convincing myself that yes, I could re-memorize the Vorspiel by Thursday night....
9:30
A: Call the exec. director. This is pretty much happening unless they can't fly you down there or pay you enough to do it
ME (ohmygodohmygodohmygod): ok.

AND THEN---at approximately 9:37----
NOPE. It's not happening even though they were ready to put me on a plane.
Complications that shall not be discussed here...but suffice it to say, I impressed the people that needed to be impressed, and although it didn't work out this time, who KNOWS about next time (when it's actually SCHEDULED and not a last minute substitution)

I'll have you know that I was excited/freaked/nervous/happy/anxious and any and every other emotion throughout the entire day.
And for dinner (since I was too crazed to eat lunch or dinner) I treated myself to a large glass of chianti AND (DO NOT JUDGE) a Wendy's spicy chicken sandwich.
I'm NOT a fastfood girl, EXCEPT for this ONE scrumptious sandwich which I ONLY allow myself a few times a year when I'm on really long road-trips.


And just like that, a 95% percent certainty was back down to zero again.
This life is LOCO and I LIKE it!

O.M.G. ---teaser....pre-part1

When I do get around to writing about my absolutely exciting and amazing and ridiculous and crazy and have I mentioned just insane day...it will be a good story- PROMISE!

Bottom line for tonight- I'm not on a plane to Brazil.

More tomorrow.

13 April, 2008

career/life

I've had conversations recently with a few different people about having a career and being in a relationship.
I've heard things like-
wow, with all that traveling, you must be lonely.
it must be so amazing to travel so much.
how often do you come back to nyc?
how often are you on the road?
where is all of your stuff?
where do you see yourself in a few years?
what is the ultimate goal for you in your career?

At first, after I explain my 'cool' and 'artsy' non-9-5 lifestyle that involves living mostly out of 2 large suitcases, being in different cities for about half of the year, living on friend's couches, subletting in nyc, traveling some more, rehearsal process, how you can have between 1 and around 8 or 10 shows after only 3 weeks of rehearsal, etc. etc., everyone thinks that's so cool.
Wow, doing what I love. Having an agent. Getting 'gigs'. Meeting people, traveling, how do you memorize 400 pages of Italian.

And then it's- well, how do "I" (meaning, they) fit into this picture--or could possibly fit into this picture--depending on the friend or situation.
It's the 'where do you see yourself' question.

Where do I SEE myself--meaning, in the 'best of all possible worlds'?
Or which direction am I realistically hoping to be working in?

Best of all possible worlds:
I get hired by one place in one city for 3/4 of the year or more (and by place I mean a famous opera house in one of TWO ...or maybe three...cities in the US, and one of five or six cities internationally) to miraculously sing a NUMBER of roles in a NUMBER shows in their season.
I can make my home in that city of choice (which is already a 'choice' city on my list), make enough money to be calling what I'm doing a career for most of the year, meet the man of my dreams, be in the same city, pop out some kids and still have a full-time career (after the kid-popping that is), visit my family (and most likely his, too) abroad in the summers, and continue with 'music love' and 'life love' forever more...and they lived happily ever after, the end.
A girl can dream, right?

More realistic of all possible worlds:
I get hired to sing a NUMBER of roles in a NUMBER of operas a year, each in a different place. I leave for a month and a half, every month and a half. I rely heavily on the hope that people do still believe that long distance relationships can work. Even from the beginning stages of a relationship. What I can 'come home' to is, hopefully..a someone..or a someplace...could be anywhere.
What seems most certain to me about career/life right now, is that the career has a leading role. I always want it to have a leading role. And I'm quite content and even excited about the prospects that next year and the NEXT year bring as well!
But being a gal that wants it all, I'd like all of those other 'best of all possible worlds' things to happen too.

12 April, 2008

still!

this is getting unacceptable.
No more real symptoms, but still a general feeling of not-wellness.
And I'm supposed to sing at some donor event tonight.
Ughghhg...
NOT. COOL.

10 April, 2008

the time has come

yes, it's time for Robitussin.
My nose has been stuffy for three days, it hasn't gone down to my throat, but NOW I have a dry cough...NOT cool. If I don't nip this in the bud right now, it could easily get worse.
Luckily, I was able to sing my audition today. I woke up early, felt ok, warmed up, and the only thing that I really noticed was that because I was stuffy my m's and n's got a bit stuck. Otherwise my voice sounded fine (I assume..I mean, no problems warming up, no holes, no nothing out of the ordinary) and I sang a nice Zerbinetta and Oscar.

Headed back for rehearsal here and things really started to deteriorate. Nose always stuffy, eyes watering (is this ALLERGIES now?!!) and throat itching/dry cough...shoot, does sound like allergies.

But what can I do besides push fluids, and alternate as much mucinex and robitussin (now) as possible?

I hope I can avoid coughing. I usually can. But I want to SOOOO badly.
But I won't.
I'll try.
Boo.

I don't even FEEL that badly....I can SING! Except I need like 4 tissues a minutes.

08 April, 2008

fighting it

Two members of the cast got sick last week. This week, it seems to be my turn.
Sunday night after the audition I started feeling a bit bla, Monday I was stuffy and tired, today I was the same. It would seem that I can easily sing on this (although I'm not testing that theory out), it's not really "bad", or in my throat. It just seems like my nose is stuffy, then running, then stuffy, then...etc. etc., my throat doesn't hurt, I'm not coughing, but I do feel generally yucky and not so excited to warm up and see how long I can sing for without something starting to take its toll.

So I've taken my mucinex, emergen-C, bought the OJ, downed water, tea, throat coat, tomato soup, theraflu, and cough drops. I have no surefire method of kicking things but what I do know is if I don't feel like I have to pee every 5 minutes, I'm wrong! I have to be drinking fluids ALL the time and flushing this out of my system.

The thing is, if I HAD to sing right now, it would be fine. Better than fine, but not my best. It would feel kind of stuck in my nose, and I'd probably not feel super great afterwards.
So that's the upcoming question--I'm supposed to have an audition on Thursday morning in the city. Yes, that's two days from now.
I haven't gotten WORSE, so it could only get BETTER, and it's "fine" for singing right NOW, so that's ok, riiiight?

I think so.
If I had to warm up and do an audition right now I'd do a light, careful warm up that was SHORT and sweet and to the point, sing the audition, and shut up for the rest of the day.
So assuming that things keep getting better and not worse, I'm going to go for it (since it involves driving back into the city for 3 hours, staying over, waking up earrrrly, singing, and then driving back to rehearsal all in the span of about 12 hours).
And I'm sure it will be BETTER than fine...great even. Like Sunday.

06 April, 2008

driving machine

I drove to my audition in the city today---3hours and 20 minutes there, 3 hours and 7 minutes back (yea, that's how I roll!---cruise control on 73 mph).
Needless to say, it was very very worth it.
Sang Chacun and Una Voca. Felt REALLY good about both- esp. since the Rosina is being asked for more and more, and I feel really comfortable with it.

Now I am tired. And hungry. And can't see straight because of so many hours of concentrating on the road in the dark. And also the throat is starting to act up a bit--not a big surprise since half of the cast has been sick for the past few days...it's just making the rounds.
Better now than during dress or show.

04 April, 2008

audition

I have what I would consider a pretty important audition coming up this weekend.
And how did my brain and body want to deal with it last night?
By having an awful nightmare in the early morning hours that involved:

Driving around NYC, not finding parking and being late for the audition.
Realizing I left my red audition dress in the closet (where it is now) and not having anything to wear.
Realizing I left my heels also in the suitcase that I have here and not in NYC.
Remembering that I had a pair of other black heels, patent leather (which I do in real life) and that they were conveniently..at this consignment shop...that I had to stop by and pick them up, and then I got there and couldn't find them.
I'm driving all around NYC and have to cross the park and there's tons of traffic and I can't find a parking space and then suddenly I'm not with my car.
Then magically I'm at the audition at 5:45, the exact minute I'm supposed to sing.
I haven't warmed up, but thank god they're running late (as usual). I don't have a pitch pipe and have this weird feeling that the G isn't going to come out easily today since my throat is burning.
Someone walks out of the audition (a girl I recognize from about 5 years ago who looks at me like I'm some insignificant twit who is bother her by asking her if I can borrow her pitch pipe), she doesn't give me the pitch pipe but I can hear someone inside singing an aria that I know, and from their note, I get my notes.
I walk outside and try to warm up and make sure I have the g before attempting to have to sing it since I'm starting with Chacun le sait.
I can't sing it, or I can for just a second--not good enough.

And then I woke up feeling just AWFUL. Throat burning. Tired. Body Aching.
So much for going to the gym this morning.
I stayed in bed until about 30 minutes before I had to be at rehearsal (1pm), and felt like I could sleep for an eternity.

I feel better now, but sheeeesh! Thanks for that mental anxiety, brain! Not.
Ugh.
I suppose I'm looking forward to it and don't really think that it will be anything out of the norm, except that I'll be offering a lot of Italian--that I always offer, but still, the odds of it getting chosen this time are much much greater than normal (due to person that I'm singing for).

ughghgh..I hope I sleep well tonight.
Can't take these crazy dreams.

02 April, 2008

the process

Days at gym: 2 out of 3. Not horrible. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Healthy food eaten: 3 out of 3 days, plus some M&Ms when I went to see Juno (finally) at the THREE DOLLAR theater.

Rehearsals are going very smoothly and I think that this is going to be one cute and funny show.
We're in the middle of staging the Finale right now (not of the show, of the act, you know, that long one with all those words).
And breaking it down and giving each repeat a meaning, or a movement, or some definition really makes this stuff stick in my head much easier!
And here I wasn't sure how well I actually had it memorized! Well, after 3 hours this afternoon going over and over AND over it, it's definitely memorized and then some!

Not much else to report except that I did a bit of work on next-show last night, and I'm excited for this character, the show, and the fun times ahead.

Now if I could just get myself to do anything productive in the evenings after rehearsals (meaning, from 10:15pm to 1am when I go to sleep)...that would be nice.
I feel so drained afterwards (I'll get into the swing of things eventually, but right now it's draining), that I can't really do much that's useful.

Back to refreshing the email and waiting for some e-love.