Hooray 10,000!

So, sometime in the last two days I surpassed 10,000 hits. I just had to do a little happy dance and acknowledge this fact on my blog.

It's nice to be well-read.

And in a reflection of nothing at all, here's a little clip of the climax of "Anna Karenina" at Florida Grand Opera. I'm still not convinced by the "train" special effect in this moment, but Kelly Kaduce is FANTASTIC in the role. She is truly an artist to be reckoned with...

Anna Opened

"Anna Karenina," the new opera by David Carlson with a libretto by the late Colin Graham, opened last weekend. I actually had a seat in the house which was terrific and unexpected.

I love opening nights. There's a wonderful energy in the air that doesn't exist during the rest of the run. This is especially true for new productions, and even more so for world premieres, where this is the absolute first time that the public will be experiencing any aspect of the performance. Not only are the sets and costumes and direction new, but all of the notes and voices are too. The excitement (and nerves) that surround the fated evening permeate everyone's spirit as they walk into the theater.

I loved the show. I think the singers sounded and looked great! Kelly Kaduce is a terrific actress as well as vocalist and everyone looked beautiful in Neil Patel's giant, open set. I love knowing people in shows when I'm out in the audience. I felt so proud of everyone out there, having seen the hard work they put into the product and heard about the trials they went through to get this piece to stage.

At bows I burst into tears. Silly, perhaps, but the crowd was on its feet and roaring, stomping and cheering. It's an awesome sound and I know what it's like to realize all of that noise is for you. Your psyche can barely handle it sometimes.

The New York Times was there and gave a very favorable review, which is great publicity for Florida Grand as well as the opera itself, which is traveling directly to Opera Theatre St. Louis and then I think will go to Detroit.

New and young work is what excites me. There's something about being in on the creative process from the very, very beginning that opens up so many more possibilities. New productions are great because they allow the artistic team to reconceive the look and feel of the piece despite the familiarity of the music. But working with a new score altogether is the absolute tabula rasa. I hope I get to work on a new opera someday. The opportunities are few and far between, and shouldn't be...

The picture is from the New York Times of Kelly Kaduce and Robert Gierlach (who played Vronsky). The opera plays in Miami until May 13, and I would encourage you to see it if you're in Southern Florida. If you're in the St. Louis area, the opera runs from June 3rd through the 21st.

Support new work! It's the only thing that will truly keep this art form alive and kicking. Remember that every opera you see in every opera house in the world was a world premiere at one time in history, and needed the same support that new work needs today.

Here's a YouTube video of my friend, Liam Moran, singing "How Strange She Is Tonight," Karenin's aria from the first act. Enjoy.

Put It In Your Pocket

I saw the biggest meteor I've ever seen tonight as I drove home on the Dixie Highway. I was in the middle of downtown Miami, having just gotten off Interstate 95, so no stars were visible. Right in front of me this thick, white streak of light fell straight down from the top of my vision, burning brightly until it hit the horizon. I was almost ready to see an explosion at the other end, it fell so far and looked so massive.

John says it's good luck. I made a brief wish, so we'll see how that turns out.

I was coming back from observing "Anna Karenina" rehearsals in the echo-y Peacock Room at CCPA. This incredible new work by David Carlson (with a libretto by the late Colin Graham) is having its world premiere here during Opera America in two weeks. I've watched a couple of their rehearsals during this time I have off before remounting here in Miami. I always find it interesting to watch other directors work, especially on new work. I love the old standards, but watching a rehearsal where the composer is actually sitting in the room, where dialogue changes as the show goes up, where singers and conductors are creating roles for the very first time, well...that's just juicy and wonderful. I long to have the opportunity to work on a world premiere myself.

And in a more cynical light, there's something satisfying about sitting in on a rehearsal in which you have no responsibility whatsoever.

That all changes tomorrow morning.

A Few Days Off

The weather's been beautiful in Southern Florida. The humidity dropped to nearly nothing and the temperature has been warm but comfortable with a cool breeze. Like the most perfect day in San Diego, Miami's been experiencing weather perfection. Granted, they're in the middle of a horrible drought, but I was still soaking it up over the weekend.


It's funny how blue skies and cool breezes can make everything seem okay. This was a really tough opening for several reasons and I needed a few days off. I walked on the beach, did some shopping on Lincoln Road, sat al fresco and wrote in my journal while sipping coffee, and people watched in Coral Gables.

I actually forgot that I don't particularly enjoy walking on East coast beaches. The sand is gritty and full of broken up shells that cut into my feet. Miami beaches are littered with junk, bottle caps, straw wrappers etc, which makes the sand unattractive as well. I took a brisk walk for about ten blocks until I got past the cove at 27th street, filled with fishermen standing on huge rocks and sunbathers hiding in the little open, sandy areas around them, then I went back up to the board walk and went a few more blocks before turning back. I actually like the board walk because the surface still has give but my speed is better and I'm not worried about getting sand in between my toes.

It's funny. I really have this need to live near water but have barely any interest in hanging out on it or on the beaches surrounding it. I think I could never be a beach bum because I feel like it isn't productive enough. I'm too high strung to wile away the hours sitting in the sand and staring at the sun.

Things start up again on Thursday when I go into the Ziff Theater at the Carnival Center in Miami to begin the tech process over again for a different venue. This one should be a bit easier because we know the pitfalls and the theater space is more accomodating to the size of the set. We have a brush-up technical rehearsal for the cast on Friday night. Our director's coming back since there were so many elements that were impossible to do in Broward. For her, the technical process was never really completed so the show will actually be truly opening in her vision for the first time in Miami.

Saturday was our closing in Broward County and I feel like it was a pretty tight show. The temple crash is starting to really do its thing, the singers looked good and the dancers were beautiful as always. I am in awe of them dancing on a rough surface and leaping around on a rake. I remember how difficult it was to look natural while trying not to stub my toe and fall on my face on impossible opera sets.

I only briefly wished I could have been up there dancing. Then I had another mocha and sat back behind the tech table in the dark...happily behind the scenes.

Things I Take As Fact

Denyce Graves is an incredibly beautiful, graceful stage creature.

We open tomorrow.

I go home to my husband in a month.

Banana oatmeal cookies made from scratch cure all frustrations and sadness, if only for a moment.

The performing arts are neither easy or glamorous. Especially not glamorous . . . or easy.

One Tech Down...

...and one to go.

I'm on a bit of a caffeine kick at this moment, mainly because I left the theater in Ft. Lauderdale after midnight tonight and swigged down some cold coffee as I made my way down Highway 1 so that I wouldn't swerve off the road during my 45 minute drive.

They're doing construction on Interstate 95 at night right now, so every time we leave the theater we have to take the extremely long way home. I've never seen a place shut down freeways the way Southern Florida does. It's baffling and frustrating when your entire job revolves around making your way through these massive construction zones. It took me nearly 2 hours to get up to the Broward Center this afternoon because of construction and various stalled vehicles. And I thought I'd be happy to have a car...

So we had our first tech rehearsal tonight. We got through all of Act I which is a LOT of chorus work. There are deaths and huge running exits, supers running down temple steps with huge spears and live torches being handed off during frantic chorus sequences. I was proud of how swiftly we moved through despite the fact that there was no bridge to the stage from the house so I had to run out of the house, down the hall and up onto the stage many, many times to adjust spacing and make sure everyone knew where they were going.

We were going to work a couple of things in Act II, but this was the first time the crew had done the move from Act I to Act II and it took the entire rest of the rehearsal, so our rehearsal ended with a brief conversation with one of the principals about stair useage and spacing, and we released everyone else..

Tomorrow is all Act III all the time. It's a spacing nightmare because of the dance and the dark exits at the end, plus the amount of rail moves, trips, falling statues and rubble drops put it somewhere in the sixth level of tech hell. It's all about remaining calm. Easier said than done.

The picture is a sphinx on the grounds of Vizcaya in Coconut Grove. My stage manager and I took a sight-seeing trip to the lavish mansion on our last day off. Sometimes it's nice to abandon work for a few hours and be a tourist.

The Advil Chorus

Chorus rehearsals always give me a headache.

It usually has nothing to do with the people in the chorus. Florida Grand's chorus is lovely and willing. We've been through a lot together and I feel I have a certain rapport with them which makes for an ease in work.

Chorus rehearsals are just stressful because there are so many things to accomplish in such a short amount of time. Trying to move 52 people around the space (as well as dancers and supers in most instances) and give them all motivation for their actions as well as make sure they aren't going to be crushed by scenery or slammed into a corner when they're placed in the space is a huge undertaking. It takes a massive amount of prep work, good notes, and intense concentration. I multi-task more in a chorus rehearsal than in any other rehearsal situation. I have to take copious notes about placement, answer questions about motivation, make sure that the director has given all the information they need to, and in many cases I have to stand in for missing principals. The latter is generally the most fun, but often times makes it difficult for me to get the first things done.

I really appreciate directors who deal with chorus well, who recognize that the chorus is also a character in this musical play we are making. Operas are much more interesting when all of the chorus members understand who they are in relation to the principal characters and when reactions and interactions among chorus members and principals are well thought out.

When I was doing a Figaro once, we were in rehearsal for the chorus sequence where they all come in and thank the Count for lifting the law that allows him to have first grabs at new wives. It's a lovely little ditty and they could have all just stood their with their little gifts and flowers and looked quite pretty. The director, however, walked down the line and said to the first guy, "You have fleas." He then proceeded down the line giving each a direction, "You're in love with Almaviva, you've got a toothache, you just found out you're pregnant, you and the guy two people down are having an affair, you're a little slow, you're in a terrible marriage, you think it's a great marriage...." etc. etc. The chorus walked in to sing their bit and their new-found knowledge about individual character gave the whole chorus a life that wasn't there before. They had context above and beyond what the meager chorus libretto could give them.

It's a gift to take a full chorus to the next level like that. It makes them appreciate the piece more and makes these huge headaches of rehearsals much easier and more enjoyable. Isn't it always worth all the work when you can sit back down at the table, have the music begin and get completely uplifted by what this group of people are giving back.

Today's a day off. I'm working like a dog on paperwork, but it's been terrific to sit at my own table listening to my own music. I got my hair cut today and will make dinner and enjoy some time to regroup before our fourth chorus rehearsal tomorrow, which will mark the completion of staging for "Samson."

Dalila . . .Dalila . . . Je T'Aime!

We had our second chorus rehearsal tonight. We started out staging the "Hymne de joie," which is a liturgical chant done by all of the chorus baritones and the Old Hebrew, which is actually the name of his character. It's a beautiful, moving prayer that's broken up by the appearance of Dalila and a bevy of Philistine women who lure Samson away from his faith.

Musically, I like this opera more than I thought I would. The chorus sequences are truly gorgeous, especially the opening, which is 40 pages of harmonic desperation. When that first cry of "Dieu..." rises up above the orchestra, it makes me shiver. I am also quite enamored of the second act duet between Dalila and the High Priest where both of their true natures come out in full force.

This production is reminiscent of Cecil B. DeMille in all of his grandeur. The set is from SFO and is the biggest thing I've ever seen . . . only in photographs thus far. I won't get to tread the boards until next week. The costumes are lavish, the temple huge and jeweled, and the collapse at the end is truly fantastic. It will be quite an adventure to watch this massive thing go up (and an even bigger adventure to move it down to the Carnival Center and see it put together the way it was truly meant to be).

This is the biggest show I've ever done. "Pearl Fishers" had a bigger chorus in New York, but the set was all drops flown in and out so it didn't have the massive set-piece factor that we're struggling with in Ft. Lauderdale. I didn't know how I'd feel about grand opera. In general I seem to be partial to the small, psychological operas, mostly because I feel like so many grand operas are stuck in "park-and-bark" land, the chorus always seems to be standing in a chorale arc, and the dance doesn't seem to do anything to move the story forward. I don't think it has to be that way though. Diving into this opera has given me some insight and also allowed me to really see dancers and chorus become storytellers in their own right.

I'll always be in love with the smaller more obscure pieces, but it's nice to find the magic inside these larger operas as well. The challenge for a director, I think, is to not feel like a cattle herder with a massive chorus, and how to keep the sections of heavy, difficult singing from becoming too static or concert-esque without overtaxing the singers.

Tomorrow is our first principal run. It's great to start feeling the continuity.

Living With My Husband...

Days got much better this week. Rehearsals started like a moving train, slow for a few seconds then quickly jumping up to speed. We're into Act II right now and we started on Wednesday. I think this whole show is going to be a hurricane (hopefully not IN a hurricane, however. I already did that).

Our biggest issue is actually the size difference between our theater space in Broward County and our space down here at the Carnival Center for Performing Arts. The set fits beautifully into CCPA (as most sets would...in fact, many would seem swallowed up by its cavernous space), but Broward is going to be a tight, tight fit and will require some very specific choreography backstage to get all of the large groups of people out of giant traffic jams. We had our first chorus rehearsal tonight and the group didn't look as large as I thought, but when we get principals and supers into the mix, we're going to feel quite cramped quickly.

News was very very good today. I got a job that will have me working in San Diego for five straight months, which means I'll actually get to come home and spend time with my husband after each work day. I know that's normal to most people, but I've spent exactly 3 months with my husband since September, and will only have another 2 months before Christmas. 5 months in 16 is pretty sparse.

I'm not complaining. This is the career I chose. I love what I do...will love it even more when I'm directing my own shows, but when the opportunity arises to work in the same place my family lives, I'm going to jump on it. And so I did.

It'll be good to see the cats too, and to walk to the Farmer's Market on Sundays and lay on my own couch and do free laundry and get to use my orange Kitchen Aid mixer and be able to research stuff out of my library of books and do my taxes without having to have package after package sent to me...so many things get missed out of when you live out of a suitcase.

I'm sure the wanderlust will grab at me again once I've been home for a bit. I don't think it will ever go away entirely.

All Work and No Play . . .

. . . I've learned from years of experience that I have to take breaks. I remember my first day of work at Florida Grand last year. I had a list of things to do and was determined to touch on all of them by the end of the day. I didn't eat lunch, my blood sugar dropped, and I was a very unhappy person by the time I dragged my ass home.

Life is a balance between periods of intense concentration . . . and dancing. I've certainly had both this weekend. I finished all the work I set out to do, did laundry, made food, then danced around my living room, took a long walk and browsed a bookstore. I'll be more and more unbalanced as the rehearsal week starts so I have to get in my relaxation time now.

Some random observations from the last couple of days:

1. Public transportation should be less stressful than driving. You should be able to read the newspaper or go through your to-do list or just people watch. This week has been that way for the most part. I've never waited longer than 15 minutes for a bus, the weather's been nice so sitting on a park bench is delightful, and I've always gotten a seat. Friday night, however, I waited an HOUR for the bus, didn't have a seat, and stressed the entire time that I wouldn't make it to the ballet. I did, but I kept thinking to myself, "it shouldn't be this hard to get around without a car..." Not that it's any easier WITH a car in this here city.

2. Too many friends and family members have been losing pets lately. It's devestating and makes me think about the kitties I've left at home for so long. This is especially so for Lucius, my 13-year-old white cat with cardiomyopathy. I keep telling myself that I'm prepared for him to go since he's been so sick for so long, but it's not true.

3. I wonder if piano tuners ever get used to the noise? The props were loaded into the rehearsal hall on Friday at the same time that the piano was being tuned in there. We all tried to be as quiet and polite as possible but after a while you just have to roll your eyes and stick your fingers in your ears as he pounds key after key after key over and over and over. Surely they must be used to the monotony, but they must just want to sit down and play once in a while instead of the incessent tapping. The day we were focusing in Fairfax, a guy was tuning the harpsichord for 4 HOURS! We were all poking pencils in our eyes by the end of the session, and when he started pounding out the theme to the Addams Family, our stage manager marched down to the pit and asked him if he could possibly be finished soon...

4. Speaking of nightmare jobs, I could never be in charge of scheduling. I'm trying to put together a detailed schedule for "Samson" right now and it is a headache beyond headaches. I have trouble dealing with my own time, let alone everyone else's. I haven't scratched out everything and started over this much since I first learned long division.

5. I'm actually acclimating to this weather. I think it's because it wasn't that hot here when I first arrived so my body has had a chance to deal with a more gradual climate change. Humidity still stinks, but I'm not physically ill this year.

6. I miss my husband. Only eight more weeks.

Gaining Momentum

Monday afternoon I arrived in Miami. I stepped off the airplane waiting for it to be humid, balmy, stifling and there was actually a lovely breeze. Thus far the weather has not been oppressive in the least, though I have a terrible feeling that will change soon enough as there's rain moving into the area this weekend.

The picture is me collapsed on the bed after arriving at my new apartment in Coral Gables. It's a great little place with rattan furniture, antique tables and armoires and a full kitchen. The walls are tall and white; everything looks clean and summery here. Walking onto the stone floors and across my sisal rug, feeling the cross breeze in my little bed nook actually puts me in a good mood. I have a feeling this Florida experience will be a far cry from what I was dealing with this last year. As long as we can keep those pesky hurricanes away.

We started prep yesterday and I already feel like I have a good handle on the show. Our production team seems to be together and friendly, no one is trying to overexert control and no one seems too green. The energy at the opera house is actually feeling pretty upbeat despite the fact that the company is suffering from some growing pains this year. They've added one more opera to the season and they've moved into this GIANT new theater, plus they have quite a few newbies on staff. All of these things make for rough transitions but thus far everyone on "Samson" seems to be taking things in stride.

As long as we're all capable of laughing with each other.

What makes me the most nervous is the fact that I haven't worked with this director before. It's actually been over a year since I've stepped into a rehearsal hall to assist someone I've never met. It's a whole different type of prep period because I have to guess how someone's going to work. When I walk into a studio with Lillian or Harry, I've worked with them
enough times that I know exactly what they're going to want and how they're going to react to certain situations. When someone asks you a question about schedule or preference, there's confidence in being able to say, "She'd rather have it this way," or "He's not going to like that, we need to contact him right away and let him know..."

Otherwise, things are going well. I have a handle on my paperwork, I've tabbed my score and printed off a synopsis, put together a scene breakdown. Once I start putting my full attention to a show it doesn't take me that long to prepare. It's because I get obsessive, I know, but maybe that's not always bad.

I'm also happy because I haven't yet needed a car. I'm a full public transportation girl, and have been taking the bus down Coral Way every day to get to the Florida Grand Offices. I should be able to do this all through staging rehearsals and I'm going to travel up to the theater tomorrow to find out if I will or won't need a car during the run at Carnival Center... It makes me feel environmentally and economically sound.

How wonderful to lounge in a comfy chair, feel a cool breeze run over my bare legs as I type on my laptop, sipping tea, not rushing through mounds of paperwork and stressing about getting everything done on time. I think this may be one of the first positive postings I've had in a while.

I'll let you know how that goes once it heats up and starts raining...