As far as I can tell, opening night was a big hit. It was far from perfect, but I appreciate blips that keep me in check for the next time. The best part though, was that I had one of those out-of-body experiences during the Act 3 "card" trio. You know, the kind that happens in the twinkling of an eye, but is so layered and overflowing with awareness that time must have stopped to allow for all the action and you can't believe how sharp and ready you must be to receive all of it? Yeah, that happened. My character reads in the cards that she will meet a rich old man who wants to marry her, put her up in a fancy chateau, buy her more diamonds and precious stones than she could possibly wear, and then convenienly die. As Mercedes proclaims her happily widowed status, she wails a big, honking high note (it is opera, after all). It was in the lead up to the money note when I felt my breath, noticed my card (5 of swords - totally arbitrary, but I noticed), and felt the audience following me to center stage. On my inhalation I checked in with Maestro, who flashed a grand grin, and I was off, wailing like a cultivated banshee (Happy St. Patrick's Day!) and milking the tone and text for all it was worth. I know the supertitles translated the text, but the audience was with me, laughing with me, and playing with me in that twinkling moment of levity before Carmen portends her death at the hands of Don José. It was my evening's moment of magic, and singing my face off felt damn good!
Thanks for letting me share this week with you and thank you for the warmth and encouragement! I'm off to Louisiana the end of next week to sing Handel's Messiah, followed by a month of preparation for my summer gig in VT with the Opera Company of Middlebury. I'll be playing a sexy slave-girl in Massenet's Thais. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the gym I go! Hi-ho the glamorous life!
