Wednesday, March 28th
Much of the last month was about 'Carmen' with the opera. Three weeks of fairly intensive rehearsal to get it up and on stage for two glorious performances before being packed away for eternity. I must say I enjoyed singing it. How could you not have fun singing The Toreador song or the Habanera or the bullfight parade music, all pieces that have reached far beyond the world of opera to become part of the soundtrack of western civilization. The production - well, it was not without problems.The principal roles were all well song, if not necessarily well cast and everyone got along well and were nice to us peons in the chorus and there were a few that were old friends from prior productions and a number that I hope I will have a chance to work with again in the future. The maestro was very laid back, which was refreshing and I think we sang well for him. The stage director was young, energetic and had good ideas. The physical production... Well the set, rented from another opera company turned out to be too big for the stage and came mixed in with pieces from another set entirely and without the expertise needed to assemble it in a timely fashion. The first tech had to be canceled while the crew wrestled with it and eventually, huge swaths of it were cut and pieces of what was supposed to be a mobile set were plunked down on stage and just stayed for all four acts. This required the entire opera to be restaged second tech. We had two dresses to get it all down before performance and the cast rose to the occasion, headed by a very able stage management team. The costumes were old and not terribly attractive and smelled very strange. I wore a rather tatty wig that made me look entirely too much like Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. I kept saying 'Potter or is it Weasley' in a very slow drawl for my on stage ad libs. There are a couple of photos over at facebook and I will try to put them here as well.
Now that that is over, I am trying to get caught up on various work projects. Things are a bit insane in geriatrics land with all of the changes roiling the health care system. Whether or not Obamacare survives the supremes, demography is changing and those pressures are putting pressure on the system to move towards a more chronic care based system and I and my specialty are at ground zero for all of that. Now if we could just get the dollars to flow with the workload.
Tommy and I are starting into pre-production for 42nd Street which I am directing and he is production manager for. Three smashing performances this July in beautiful downtown Gardendale, Alabama for anyone in the mood. Should be fun. Still in need of a good stage manager, a costumer and a rehearsal pianist.
Going to be in Seattle in early May for nearly two weeks. Geriatrics meetings are there and will be able to spend some time with family as well. Just maybe I'll be able to relax for the first time in about a year and a half.
posted by Andy @ 2:25 PM
