I
can’t believe it. I simply cannot believe it. This is my third year of tour and
this has never happened before. Never. Nothing out of the ordinary work me up
this morning. In the past there have been trains, coyotes and even a bird
flying into my window, but this morning, not a thing. I’m feeling a little
wary, like I’m waiting for the next shoe to drop. Good morning readers, welcome
to day 2! It’s gorgeous outside. Blue sky against snow covered mountains;
Colorado at its finest.
Everyone
is up and on their own this morning. Well, I assume they’re up, I haven’t actually
seen anyone yet. We have a Master Class with some students from Western State
University at 12:30 and then we have to set up for tonight’s performance. It’s
going to be a late night, but that’s OK. After getting ready and doing some
work, I decide to take a break and walk around main street. Everyone else is
resting, which they don’t often get a chance to do, so I head off on my own. As
I’m walking around, I see a few posters here and there advertising our
performance of Barber of Seville
tonight at 7:30. I’ll admit, I’d like to see a lot more. So, I decide that I
need to do a little personal marketing. Readers, you would be so proud of me. I
went into every store, restaurant or business (and one private residence, met a
man named Chet, but that’s a story for another blog) and introduced myself,
told them who we were and invited them to the show tonight. This is quite an
accomplishment for me. I used to be incredibly shy. Performing certainly
changed that, but I also have to give some credit to my boss – here’s a shout
out to you Greg Carpenter – for teaching me the art of the introduction. I got
lots of excited, and surprised, responses, so hopefully that translates to a
full house. One woman I talked to said she was already planning on coming
because her daughter had told her that we came to her school and she wanted to
see the “good singer people” again. Love it!
After
finishing my rounds, I head back to the hotel. I’m able to get a little more
work done, checking over mezzo soprano applications for next year’s residency,
and then it’s time to meet everyone in the lobby. Guess what. We’re a party of
5 again. I know Steven isn’t napping this time because I saw him just a few
minutes earlier, but there’s still no sign of him or Joshua. So, we wait. Jared
is becoming one with a leather chair, Cassidy and Morgan have gone into the
couch again and Alex, well he’s immersed himself in the paper. Steven and Jared
show up and we’re off, headed to a Master Class with some of Western State’s
students. It’s a quick drive to the college and we meet up with our contact and
get settled in the recital hall. I’m raring to go. I love teaching and working
with students. Steven is too, he’s got his game face on. The Young Artists
however, they look like deer caught in the headlights. They are so used to
being on the receiving end of a Master Class and not the teaching end, they’re
nervous. Steven and I could very easily teach this class together, but we feel
that there is some real value to having the Young Artists do the bulk of the
teaching. I give a quick pep talk, complete with instructions on how to
approach the class and we get started.
Our
first victim, I mean student, is a baritone. He’s a freshmen and this is his
first Master Class experience. Jared and Alex will work with him. Now, I’m the
one who’s nervous. He sings a German artsong and does quite well. Alex and
Jared take the stage, I take a deep breath and the teaching begins. They work
with him on breathing, support and opening up more resonance. All very
technical terms for what we do as opera singers, but Alex and Jared are great.
They keep everything relaxed and fun and pretty soon, the student is supporting
more and I can already hear the difference in his sound. Way to go gents!
Next
up, we have a mezzo who Cassidy and Morgan will work with. She’s adorable and
sings a musical theater piece that all three of us Opera Colorado ladies have
sung, so we know it well. Right away, we can tell that she’s got a lot bottled
up inside of her. So, Cassidy and Morgan decide to work with her dramatically
and I’ll support them as needed. They talk with her about making conscious
choices about her movements and making the character larger. Morgan says, “go
bigger, we can pull you back if we need to.” I’m grinning from ear to ear; this
is something they’ve heard me say over and over when I work with them. I feel
like He-Man, “I have the power…” They work a little with her on getting her
body more engaged in her singing and again, there’s noticeable improvement.
Nicely done ladies!
Our
last students are a tenor and a baritone, singing The Pearl Fishers duet. This is not an easy piece, but they do
well. All of the guys are on deck to work through this one. Joshua begins by
working directly with the tenor, because, well… he’s a tenor. He spends some
time getting the student to relax and release jaw tension. He and Alex work on
getting him more grounded in his voice. Steven works with him on freeing up
sound and moving forward through musical lines. Alex and Jared then move on to
working with the baritone. He’s a senior and is looking at what his next steps
will be in his vocal career. Alex and Jared work with him on placing his sound a
little more forward and Steven also works with him on musical lines. I’ve
reached the point where I can’t sit and not teach any longer so I go up for the
last few minutes to work with them too. I work on releasing shoulder tension
and aligning the spine so things flow as freely as possible. Yeah team – the
students seems really pleased with what we’ve been able to work on and they’re
feeling more confident. The Young Artists comment to me that they had fun. I
knew it all along.
We
spend the last few minutes of class answering questions from the students and
the audience that has been observing. We talk about graduate programs,
repertoire choices and what it’s like to live as an artist. We could keep going,
but we run out of time. The Master Class and the Young Artists’ interaction
with the students have exceeded my expectations. Way to represent Opera
Colorado, everyone! The professors are thrilled too. Another successful tour
program – check. Our contact walks us over to the Taylor Auditorium where we
will be performing tonight. It’s a wonderful house and we’re excited to be able
to perform on a stage, with lights. It’s the little things that make us the
happiest. Alex and Joshua get the Yukon and the tank to the loading dock and we
go into full set up mode.
We
get everything out of the cars and into the elevator. The plan was to take all
of the set and props up in the elevator and but the people would take the
stairs. Heck, we’re feeling good after the Master Class, so we go for broke and
pile in: set, props, costumes and people. You know readers; hindsight really is
20-20. Alex does a balancing act and operates the buttons, Steven becomes a
coat rack, Jared is almost skewered by the bag of poles, Morgan and Cassidy get
very cozy with Joshua who is sitting on a chair between them and I get to know
one of the prop benches much better than I’d ever thought possible.
We
make it and the elevator is unloaded, this time in stages. Set up begins with
Mr. Quacksworth supervising. He and Jared have had a talk and it seems he wants
to be included more. The duck and I are still mending our relationship after
fall tour, so we’ll see. Back to set up.
If you’ve never seen us do it, it’s a fascinating process. It’s like a ballet –
choreographed motion. Well, maybe not a ballet, maybe more like mud wrestling. Still,
at least we do it with style; Morgan and Cassidy are always fashion conscious. With
some team work, the set goes up, furniture is spiked, costumes are hung, and
the prop table is set. Steven tries out the piano while I work out the lighting
and – viola we’re done. (How many people just read that word and said “vee-o-lah”
instead of “wah-lah”?)
We’re
ready for a break and some sustenance. We had to skip lunch again because of
how things played out with our schedule, so we head off to grab something to
eat. We settle on a local restaurant that’s won awards for its chicken fried
steak. Alex decides he is driving and before we know it, we’re at the
restaurant. Is there such a thing as warp speed? Our table is next to the fire
place. Why tell you that? Because on said fireplace is an elk. No, not a real
one, well, it was real at one point, now it’s not. Joshua ponders it. He tells
us, with great emotion in his voice, to look at its expression. He says he can
tell what it must have been thinking just before its demise, “Hey, I just got
shot.” Our Joshua can be quite profound. Morgan hears her favorite karaoke tune
over the sound system and treats us all to a little performance. Cassidy
becomes overjoyed at her discovery of curly fries and Alex, Jared and I ascertain
for ourselves that the chicken fried steak is indeed award worthy. Jared
apparently also feels that I am award worthy because I am told I’d win a blue
ribbon. Why I deserve this honor, usually reserved for prize farm animals, I
have no idea, but I’m grateful. It’s the thought that counts. Hear that Jared,
the thought. He turns five shades of red and we make our exit, still laughing.
We’re
back at the hotel before we know it (Alex drove again. Warp speed, seriously,
do some research and get back to me) and we have some down time before we have
to head back to the theatre. On the way back to our rooms, we discuss what we
want to do after the performance. Some people vote for watching a movie, Jared
and Alex want pie, and Joshua wants to play a game. He apparently “likes group
activities.” See, profound. We decide to decide later. I’m able to get a bit
more work done before it’s time to meet up, yet again, in the lobby.
By
now, you have to know what I’m going to say, right? Party of… 5! Those of us in
the lobby take a moment to say complimentary things to each other. Joshua
arrives, shortly followed by Steven (they did better this time) and we’re off! Alex
drives us again and although we do not reach warp speed, we do experience a
maneuver that leaves us baffled. Alex, with the lane of traffic clear before
him, chooses to circle around a motor home in the parking lot and then back
onto the correct path. I hear whispers coming from the back, and then Cassidy
bursts into giggles. Apparently, Morgan is not happy with the driving, but
since it’s not Mr. Harmison-Bouillon at the wheel, she just whispers her displeasure.
I have to remember to tell Joshua. We reach the theatre and navigate the entrance
which is coated in ice; a graceful group we are not. There’s just enough time
to get into costumes and makeup and get me set up with a microphone for the
introduction and the Q&A before the house opens. Steven comes backstage and
tells us that the teachers we worked with yesterday have come to the
performance and they brought us something. Thank you cards from the kids! (For
those teachers reading this blog, I want you to know that we love getting
these. We read every single one. Keep them coming!) Steven also shares a story that
one of the teachers told him. After we left yesterday, one of her students came
to her and said “You know, since I was little, about 4 or 5, I knew I wanted to
be a singer. I still want to be an opera singer, now I just know what it sounds
like.” (He’s all of 7 or 8 now) You go for it young man. You certainly inspired
us!
It’s
time for the show to begin and I go out to greet our audience and talk for a
bit. It’s a good size crowd. We’re thrilled to see so many of the kids we
worked with yesterday, some of the teachers and students and faculty from
Western State. I see a few of the people I met in town today too although, to
my disappointment, Chet is not there. The show begins and right away, I know
this is going to be a test of endurance and pacing. Rossini is never easy to
sing; we’re at really high altitude. Put the two together and you’ve got the
opera world’s equivalent of the Boston marathon. The audience is loving the
performance though; the laugher keeps building as the show goes on. It’s great to
hear. I sit backstage for this show so I can help page the curtain. Little did
I know what goes on behind the scenes. Jared and Cassidy have moves they do to
Alex’s aria, actually most of the opening scene. It’s mainly made up of arm
gestures, disco moves and bouncing. Joshua makes me laugh by putting his tie
around his head and Morgan does one of the funniest character postures I’ve
ever seen her do. It’s a show within a show!
We
make it to the finale. Everyone is tired and in need of about a gallon of
water, but we’ve still got the Q&A to do. Questions start out slow, but,
with the help of the students from Gunnison Elementary, they soon pick up. My
favorite of the evening? A little girl in the back of the audience stands up
and says, “I really loved your show.” Well young lady, we loved performing for
you and your “question” just made all of our hard work worth it. Questions
over, we do a photo op with Mr. Quacksworth and some students. I have to admit,
that little duck gave a fine performance tonight. I think our relationship is
on the mend. One of the teachers comes up and gives me a big hug. She loved the
show and wants to keep in touch so we can look at next year. Another student
takes a picture with us; her mom says it’s all she’s talked about for the past
two days.
Successful
tour program #3 – check. The night’s far from over for us though. We now have
to tear everything down and load the Yukon. Working as a well-oiled machine, we
get done pretty quickly. We load the elevator; Joshua takes the stairs this
time, but the rest of decide to tempt fate. Joshua is still amped up from the
show and decides to spar with Jared. Apparently this is a regular occurrence. It’s
like watching a bear play with a cat. Joshua is quick though, I’ll give him
that. Yukon is loaded and Joshua goes to start it and… Well, it started but
there was some hesitation. Great, now I will worry about a dead battery. The
rest of us pile into the tank and make the trek back to the hotel. We stop for
dinner at one of the only places that’s still open this late – thanks
Subway. As we pull into the parking lot,
I make what I consider to be a simple observation. “Oh look,” I say, “there are
young boys in the hot tub.” The entire car erupts in giggles as my simple
statement is again misconstrued. Alex loves this, I know he does. That’s it,
bedtime everyone. No movie, no pie and no games. (This He-Man power thing is
cool, but I think I’ll switch to Wonder Woman, she has a better outfit,
complete with magic bracelets.)
I
relay the plan for tomorrow. We have to be back on the road in the morning.
We’re heading for Lake City and it’s going to be another long day. We’re
looking forward to it though. Thank you to everyone in Gunnison. Sharing opera
with you has been fabulous. We hope to do it again. You know readers, what we
do through our touring and education programs is really quite a privilege. We
are the very first opera experience for about 80% of our audiences; students
and adults alike. We’re proud of that and we’re going to keep working to make
sure that, whether it’s your first experience, or your hundredth, what you see
at Opera Colorado leaves you wanting more!
Till
then readers,
Buona
notte,
Cherity
1 comment:
I am loving this! And, having worked with all these characters, I love picturing all these events as they happen. Thank you for such a vivid narration! Enjoy!
Post a Comment