13 November, 2011

tech week and career stuff

Today we had our piano tech...called at 12:30 for hair and makeup (1.5 hours before the show), ran the show/teched the show from....2 until SEVEN.
Yyyyeaaaa.... it was a LONG day.
People were having slight breakdowns all around because it's pretty frustrating to think that you're going into a 'run' but then being stopped in the middle. Numerous times. For whatever reason. Also, when your 30 minute break (which is actually during the intermission of the show) has a makeup and wig change...you don't EAT all day...
so, yea, I had THAT going for me.

By the end of the day those that hadn't either burst into tears, inappropriate sarcastic laughter and back-talking onstage, or silent raging in a corner, had also had just about enough when the staging of the BOWS was going to take us past 7pm.
We had 2 minutes left in rehearsal and luckily the stage manager was noticing everyone's... just... exhaustion from the day- and we were released.

(For the next 30 minutes of getting out of hair/makeup/costume).

The GOOD thing is at the end of this LONG day, I went to dinner with two of my colleagues and just LAUGHED for three hours straight.

These girls are lucky and talented enough to be at a place in their careers where they don't really have to 'audition' anymore for much of the work that they have (and might I mention they have offers through, oh, 2017ish!). They've made a name for themselves as young and reputable singers from two very notable young artist programs which they were involved with in the past few years...and added to that are managed by two of the 'big name' people in the business.
They are in a place in their lives where things are pretty set for them for the next few years. They're not scrambling to try and find regional auditions or sing for mainstage roles in summer programs where just a few years ago they would have been considered young artists or go to Europe for an audition tour...they are pretty much learning whatever rep. is coming up next and packing for the next gig- which takes them through the next few years.
And besides being some of the funniest AND nicest people I've hung out with on gigs, they have the PIPES to back it up.

What I see around me with where they have come from and the opportunities they now have makes me wonder if I should have stayed in the young artist/resident artist game just a bit longer.
I'm not sure if it was the opportunity to sing small roles and cover big roles in big houses, or the visibility of them having the chance to sing for EVERY manager, EVERY artistic director that came through to see the productions, or the way that their respective programs were really supportive of their 'next' move once they graduated...
But somehow, they landed these top people immediately who backed them 100% and continue to do so--even during dinner the text messages and emails were rolling in about future gigs, calls that were being made on their behalf, and upcoming offers.

I guess I've always thought of myself as a go-getter. I gather as much information as I can about upcoming opportunities or seasons, and if I can do anything about it or find any previous connections or current connection, I'll try to use that information. Whether it's an inquiry email, an 'update' email, or an email passing along the information to the people who are 'more' in the know and can make calls on my behalf. But I do wonder what it would be like just to be on the receiving end of such transactions/calls without having to dig and 'go-get'...and perhaps be on that receiving end precisely because of a certain residency or young artist program that had enough of a 'name' to get the ball rolling.

I can't obviously pinpoint whether it was their residencies, competitions, their voice types, or their current managers who are the main reason that so much work is rolling in. OBVIOUSLY if they didn't have the talent to back it up, none of this would be happening.
But there are MANY talented singers ... some of whom this type of thing happens for, some of whom it does not. And I'm wondering if there is one major factor that contributes to the phenomenon or .. whether it's just - who you know/who the managers know/ timing/ relationships with GD's, etc...

I also can see that I'm starting to make a name for myself across the pond- in a not-so-unknown house at that...and I really wonder whether or when that may lead to a time where, simply based on the level of house and role that I've sung, that would be 'enough' for a 'call to be made'-- and that I could possibly get offers from US houses and houses abroad-- to just 'do' a role..in, say 2014/15 or something like that.

I mean, of course I'm never just going to rest on my laurels. I always WANT to know what future seasons are, whether there is anything for me to sing OR cover, whether I can just do an 'informational' audition or 'reminder' audition and get my voice known out there in opera-land both in the US and abroad.

I'm feeling pretty comfortable with the rest of the work I have through next December, but after that is a big ole' question mark. And of course, being in a gig in November/December this year pretty much cuts out any chances of auditioning for companies that are heading to NYC during that time.

Kind of the same situation as last year. Work is GREAT, but, at some point I also have to be available to get MORE work through auditions, right?
And how much time is TOO much time that has passed without 'reminding' people that I'm still around, and hey, I have some really good work both in Europe AND the US!

I certainly don't have the answers. What I do have is a set of pipes that I believe in, that the companies that have hired me believe in, and the will and want to make this art form and this passion into a hopefully ever-evolving and ever-satisfying career.

1 comment:

grahamophone said...

Bwah!! I just wrote about meltdowns and career stuff, too. What a coinky-dink. Who knows?? Toi toi toi for Saturday! CG