Almost Forgot!! Jawas in Don Giovanni!

How could I forget to post this most important thing about Don Giovanni???

At several points during the performance, a monk-like figure would silently walk across the balcony at the back of the stage. Then there were monks at the end too. Monks... in exactly the same outfits I wore as a monk when I supered in Romeo.



Of course my exact robe probably wasn't on stage, since I'm just 5 feet tall and I think these were all guys, but it was from the same set. And now I see that yes, we did look like Jawas. And so did they.

Again, Not Again

Just got the word (after following up) that my local opera co "is all set" for supers this summer. I wonder if my name fell off the mailing list - Now that I think about it, I haven't gotten any of the emails about supering over the past several months. Then by the time I follow up, it's too late - the parts are filled. Oh well. I'm sad, because I really do like to do it, but also relieved, because that means, no conflict with the upcoming Opera Project recital, if I am chosen to sing in that. And no conflict with various upcoming parties and other events. I won't miss the waiting around at rehearsals, the sweating and the possibly uncomfortable costumes. I will miss seeing how a production evolves through rehearsals into its own organic entity. I will try to get out there this summer to see the performances. Definitely Don Giovanni - the director is the same person who directed Traviata, which I did super in, and I'd like to see his take on Giovanni. Plus It's Mozart!!!

A Whole Lot of Nothing, PLUS Being (a) Super

I'm still wondering if/when I'll hear about supering this summer. I'd love to, but like I said in a prior post, I don't want to get my hopes up since I was so sad about not getting in last year. So really, except for right now as I post this, I have sort of tried to ignore it. Sort of. Except that by this time the past three years I already knew if I was supering or not. Which translates to, I went back in the blog to check. Then I think, it's just as well - I have so much stuff going on in June -Alex's birthday, his little stand/bow/stand recital, school events and so on. Plus the next tentative Opera Project event is in July, which means rehearsals and the recital can potentially conflict with 1 or more potential supering rehearsals and/or performances. And then there's the fact that I don't know if I'd even be singing in that recital. And I don't know if I'll be supering. A whole lot of I don't knows.

The one thing I do know is, I'd never commit to one and then back out. So the question is, which would I rather do? The answer is, both. Which, I am aware, isn't an option. But since nothing is scheduled anyway then what the heck am I writing about?

So here's why I love supering. The waiting around at rehearsals, the sweating backstage, the lack of stage vocab that causes the spark of panic when they say, "Stage left" and you think, "wait, which left is that? Is that when I'm facing the audience or ...?" , the uncomfortable costumes, the struggle to jam my hair into a bun... OH WAIT! That's not it. Seeing the process of an opera coming together, hearing the singers develop the roles, the feeling of community with the cast, being surrounded by beautiful music and talented people and being part of something beautiful. Being on stage. And, of course, crawling on stage to wipe up spills.

Ok, not going to think about it any more.

Summer Non Plans

So here's a list of what I'm probably not doing this summer.

No idea if I'll be supering. I have submitted my info and I now wait to hear. The latest unsubstantiated rumor is that they'll need servants for the wedding party in Don Giovanni. And all my long-time readers know how much I love serving tippy champagne glasses on stage. But after last year's disappointment I'm assuming this year that I won't get picked, and then it'll be a surprise if I do.

Opera Project - I'm actually NOT singing this coming Saturday. They had way too many people interested. They have local composers debuting their pieces, plus the Lucia sextet and an entire section of Wagner. So hopefully I can sing in the following recital, which will be in June or July.

The Met's Summer Recital Series. Free opera in the park. Look. Michael Fabiano, Nathan Gunn and others on the same stage, on the same day. Um...how can I not go? I know how - if we have our regular 99 degree, high-humidity week in the middle of July. But it's free so it's not like I'd have to decide until pretty much that day. And I bet I know who would come with me!!! I have to inform her of this asap. (ok, done) And I have other people I'd like to meet in NYC. This might be a great thing to do. If the weather isn't totally gross.

I'll continue to post about what I'm not doing as I learn about it.

Even More Layers

Well of course now I watch that video and cringe, cringe, cringe. I know, the video quality is nothing like Real Life. The horrid beginning is more horrid to me than to anyone else. Sometimes I watch and I'm like, hey, that sounds ok... and other times I'm like, Ohmygod, that note, that screech, what was I thinking. I also feel like I didn't stay in character the entire time. I can totally see my worried expression at the beginning, then other times I sort of lapsed out of it. But I guess the bottom line is: I had a great time, people applauded instead of laughing at me and I am learning a lot - I mean, just seeing how my reactions show up in my face and body - that's something I can learn from, learn to improve my stage presence. Also the bow. Had no idea what to do. Was sort of shocked at the explosion of applause and the shouts of "Brava!" (That loud one was Husband!!) So all those little things, in addition to adding layers to my vocal and singing technique, will make me a better performer in addition to a better singer. Just more layers, more layers. And some, I'm learning, you have to experience in order to even realize they exist.

To change the subject for a moment, I received the info on how to apply to be a super in Carmen. I have to send an arts resume and a full body photo. I'll have to dig up last year's resume and add the singing experience. Then I've been chatting with a friend who is a photographer and she's been giving me some tips on how to get a nice looking full-body pose that doesn't look like the camera is aiming up (or down) your nose. So if I get in, the performances are the first two weekends of Feb, with rehearsals the few weeks prior. They're all over the northern half of the state, and one is in Baltimore. Remember last February... or was that March? When I wanted to go to Baltimore and there was a huge snowstorm? Hm. Anyway, one step at time. Let's get a photo submitted and wait to hear from them.

Update on Next Summer

I reported here that according to the list in the back of Opera News, my local opera company is doing Don Giovanni, Street Scene and Faust next summer. Still nothing on their official website about that, but I peeked at the audition application they've posted. It lists Don Giovanni, Don Pasquale and Faust for next summer.

So whether I super or not, looks like it's going to be a great summer season! The next question is, will I be able to see all three for $15 like I did this year?

Isn't This What Always Happens?

I post an entry about not knowing something, then the info comes to me 20 minutes later.

Got the latest Opera News in the mail today. It lists the upcoming seasons for a whole lotta opera companies, including the local company where I super. So next season, according to the listing, they're doing Don Giovanni, Street Scene and Faust. Will they need supers? Adult female supers, that is? Who knows?

I wonder when they'll update their website and send out the emails?

Torturing Myself

I've been getting the updates about rehearsals from a friend of mine who's supering this summer. Of course they're having a great time. And it doesn't help when she also wonders why I didn't get picked, because she thinks I'd be perfect. Of course we'll never know, but as I am just as self-centered as everyone else, I can't stop thinking that it's because of the blog and what happened last year. Of course that is total paranoia as that would mean that someone in the office would have had to remove my info from the list the super captain sent in to be forwarded to the director, and I doubt they have the time or energy to do that, plus in an ideal world they'd give everything to the director to allow him to create the best possible cast. And trust me, I've learned my lesson- I wouldn't post anything specific - just generalities about the good stuff. Oh well. Maybe someone will drop out.

Clearly I am not used to rejection without a reason.

I can hear my 25 readers thinking, "Oh no, she's not STILL whining about this, is she?" Well, yes, I am, so get over it.

So I wonder if I go back through the blog from the beginning and mark on the calendar the happy and angsty posts if we'll see a monthly pattern. There's a thought.

Disappointment to the Max

Just heard from the super captain. I wasn't picked for Abduction.
Why why why???? I'm eager and willing. I have experience. I love supering. I bring gummy worms to the green room. Do I not fit the slave girl suit? Or...?? I'm ready to cry. I cry too easily, I know. I'm just so bitterly disappointed.

On the positive side, that leaves my summer free...

That didn't work. I still feel like crying. Boo hoo.

A Post About a Post About Supers

Y'all know I'm a supernumerary with my local opera company. So of course I was very excited to find this blog post about supers in Houston. Yet another treat I wouldn't have known about if not for twitter!

Remember, all you professional opera singers out there, supers love chocolate.

Waiting...Waiting...

Got an email from the super-captain (Every time I write that I think, Da da da DA!) sent to all the potential supers (with a secret, "undisclosed recipients" list) informing us that he has submitted our pics and info to the directors and will let us know when they contact him with their selections. So... there is a chance that I won't get picked. Hopefully my previous supering experience and my curvy, not-skinny stature will get me the part. I'll be uber-sad if I don't get it.

Ideas are Simmering

I have an idea for a video. No, it's not Beethoven's Wig. No, it's not me struggling through some song or another. NO it's NOT Nathan Gunn or anyone else. I just need some time home alone to do it. No! Stop thinking that! It's not inappropriate!! This is a family blog, remember! If it works, it might be silly. I promise, if it's silly enough, I'll post it.

Next order of business.

Sadly, a very young coworker of mine has recently been diagnosed with leukemia. He may have to fly from Baltimore to Seattle for a bone marrow transplant. He is relevant to the blog for two reasons. 1. He is also a super in the local opera company and was in a production last summer, and 2. My department at work is putting on a talent show to raise money for his medical and travel expenses.

No, I'm not pulling out the flaming baton for the show. No, no no.

Truth is, I've been itching to do a duet. Luckily for me, I have a musical friend at work who is willing to dueticize with me. We decided that English is best for this particular projected audience, so we're going with the English version of the Pa Pa Pa duet found on The World's Very Best Opera for Kids - In English. Hmm I thought they used to have their own website but I can't seem to find it. Anyway, we have someone who is willing and able to accompany us on piano so now we just have to procure the piano music for it. Anyone have a copy they'd like to fax to me?

Interestingly enough, my singing partner is interested in becoming a super, and might do one of the roles this summer if he gets his act in gear and contacts the super-captain before they fill all the positions.

Moving right along.

Besides supering, my next operatic adventure is Rape of Lucretia in Philadelphia on Friday, June 12. As of now, I am not nor do I have any intentions of working any connections to go backstage.

Sequins and Leotards

The director for this summer's opera has requested, via the super-captain (can't stop picturing him in a cape and tights every time I type that), for a facial photo, a full body photo and a one paragraph artistic bio. I have plenty of photos since I always take a pre-opera fashion shot on my way out the door, so that was no big deal. I guess they want to make sure I have the curvy look they're looking for.

Artistic bio - I write for work. I write this blog. So naturally my mind went blank when asked to write an artistic bio. Write? I can't write. All I could think was, Um... I was a baton twirler... (yes that's me at age 5 or 6) and I wore a sequined leotard... (yes, that's me at age 14 or so, sporting the Little Orphan Annie look) I even twirled the fire-baton a few times... (yes that's me with a look of sheer terror on my face) so I have experience wearing less than the audience... But I came up with a few more appropriate lines about my prior supering experience, voice lessons, radio comedy shows and so on. And yes, I did mention the baton twirling. Left out the part about the leotards though. Do you think I should have mentioned it? Maybe I should have sent those photos...

Either way, I have a feeling I'll get the part...

Four Voluptuous Women

Well well well. This might be even better than crawling across the stage.

Just got an email from the super-captain... Summer opera season is coming up and the directors have put in their orders!!

I think I fit the suit, so to speak... And no, I don't mean for the watermelon-eater. Or the shirtless servant.

• • Abduction

• 1 Fat Man

• This gentle man should be portly with a belly
• He will be eating throughout the production Specifically Watermelon.

• 4 Slave Girls

• Voluptuous women. Not skinny. With womanly curves
• These women will be in revealing costumes (bra top and sheer pants)

• 4 Male Servants

• Should look strong
• Will most likely be shirtless

Mozart, Mozart I might get to be in a Mozart opera!!!! In a bra and see through pants!!! Ok what is wrong with me??? I am just giggling at the idea of being on stage in my bra. And see-through pants. With my not-skinny voluptuous womanly curves. Wait a sec one of my coworkers is an usher at the theater. Ah well he didn't recognize me in Traviata, he won't recognize me in this. Ha!

Adventures Are Afoot!

Adventures are upcoming!! Let's get excited!

1. April - Nozze di Figaro in Florida with Elizabeth Caballero as the Countess. Taking my mom. My cousin is joining us. Should be a fun evening.

2. May - La Cenerentola in HD. Once again I have to find someone to join me.

3. June - Rape of Lucretia in Philadelphia with Nathan Gunn and William Burden. And OHMYGOD I just found the most horrifying page when I did a search to link to his name. Someone is handy with photoshop, that's all I'll say. And I'm not searching again, thankyouverymuch. I think I'm traumatized, ha ha. Yet another thing to get over. Where was I? Oh yeah - Ann (Banawoman) is coming out and we're going together. I am excited to finally meet Ann in person. She has been very supportive in the situation referenced above. Dang I'm done with that... something more pleasant please ... oh I know ...I'm looking forward to seeing Nathan Gunn perform again even though I just saw him last week. I'm not so sure I'm looking forward to an opera about how a woman's life is ruined. But either way the whole event/adventure will no doubt be fun.

4. June/July - Hopefully my local opera company will need supers for one of the productions. Adult female supers. Otherwise I'll have to *gasp* pay for my tickets, and that would never do.

Circle Gets the Square

How could I forget to include this yesterday???

All summer long I stressed about dropping those damn champagne glasses. It was like an obsession. Will I drop the glass? Will I have to (ok, get to) crawl out on stage to wipe up a spill???

Now, the one thing about an HD broadcast is, you're right up on stage with the action. And in Act II the action included supers with trays of champagne glasses. At one point the mean brother uncorks a bottle, pours two glasses and hands one to Arturo, the groom he has chosen for Lucia. The glasses were pretty much the same ones we used over the summer - your standard plastic champagne flute. Only up close I noticed something different. Yes, the bottoms were round, but... what was I seeing there? Some sort of... edge? Oh yes. Someone is very smart.

No wonder their glasses didn't even wobble. Each flute had a clear plastic square on the bottom. Like, glued to the bottom. From the audience you can't see it. For the supers it means a much smaller chance of spillage. Why oh why didn't anyone (and I include myself in this bunch) think of this????

I'm sure none of the movie audience noticed the square-bottomed glasses. In fact, there's a good possibility that of all the people all over the world who saw Lucia in HD yesterday, I'm one of maybe 100 who noticed, and I'm being generous with that number. I figure, any other super, prop person and possibly actor familiar with drink-serving on stage or screen might possibly have noticed. If they were looking.

Super Chocolate

I don't know if any professional opera singers read the blog, and if so, how often they do so, but I do know of at least 3 who have read it in the past so... here's a request:

I know you're all always super-nice to the supers because you're all super-nice people. But did you know that supers LOVE chocolate? So it would be super if you'd give them some to share in the green room on opening night.

Thanks for being so super to the supers.

Supers, Patrons, Chorus. But mostly Patrons.

It's a three-thing post.

Numero Uno:

The super captain sent an email asking the supers for our background and so on so he can put together a flyer or something to send to the director of the upcoming winter opera. He's heard that they don't need any supers, and he's also heard that they'll need 3. Love that.

Number 2:

Had another chorus rehearsal at work today. We sang Silent Night in English and German. It's weird singing in a chorus that anyone can join. Some people think they're singing but they're just monotone. What's up with that? But it doesn't really matter. The idea of the chorus isn't to be technically perfect, but to have fun and perform around the holidays. We're doing a set of international Christmas carols. Oops I mean, holiday music. It's not all about Christmas... just 99% of it is.

And finally, C:

Still debating the tickets for Italian Girl in Algiers in Phila. They're so expensive!! It adds up so quickly. Cheapish seats are $72 x 2 = 144 + 11 processing fee = $155, and then we'd have to pay a babysitter like $50 or more, plus either gas+parking or else 2 train tickets, plus dinner, equals a whole lotta cashola that we just don't have right now. I don't want to sit in the nosebleed and/or partial view seats, and I don't really feel like going alone. Really what I need is to find a personal patron who, in the interest of my cultural education, is willing to fund these things. In exchange I'll uh... let's see... oh I know, I'll dedicate my blog to my patron. Anyone interested?

Word of the Day!

One of my friends (who, incidentally, begged me to mention her in my blog, so I won't) pointed out that today's Word of the Day at Dictionary dot com is ...

Word of the Day

Monday July 21, 2008

supernumerary \soo-puhr-NOO-muh-rair-ee; -NYOO-\, adjective:
1. Exceeding the stated, standard, or prescribed number.
2. Exceeding what is necessary or desired; superfluous.

noun:
1. A supernumerary person or thing.
2. An actor without a speaking part, as a walk-on or an extra in a crowd scene.

The Justice Department contractor, the Biogenics Corporation, of Houston, studied blood samples from thirty-six residents and concluded that eight of the people had a rare aberration it called "supernumerary acentric fragments," or extra pieces of genetic material.
-- Michael H. Brown, "A Toxic Ghost Town", The Atlantic, July 1989

Momart is where private collections are put out to pasture, where works that are too big, too precious, too fragile or simply supernumerary to their owners' homes are discreetly tended by expert staff.
-- Laura Cumming, "What the Sensationalists did next", The Observer, April 23, 2000

And yet, important as its role has been in the history of civilization, the bookshelf seldom even gets mentioned in the program; it is treated as a supernumerary, taken for granted, and ignored.
-- Henry Petroski, The Book on the Bookshelf

Sweetums, the Swiss chef and many others serve principally as supernumeraries in the picture's extravagant production numbers.
-- Rita Kempley, "Seeworthy Muppets", Washington Post, February 16, 1995

Supernumerary is from Latin supernumerarius, from super, "over" + numerus, "number."

Graceful Navigation

Received an email from the Guy In Charge of the Supers:

Dear la Traviata Supers

My son and I saw la Traviata Saturday evening and really enjoyed your performances. I'm impressed at how you all gracefully navigated the congested stage.

We filled out a questionnaire which had 5 categories to rate from A-F. We added a 6th, Supers, and gave you guys an A.

Sincerely,

<>

p.s. The show received a standing ovation and several curtain calls.

I have to say that the chorus members make it possible for us to do this - they are aware of our presence and help us appear to navigate gracefully. I don't feel particularly graceful when I'm mincing across the stage with that tray of glasses! I just take a deep breath, stand up straight and plunge into the crowd. But they step aside or part for us to move through as part of the action on stage. What a difference from last year when we had to maneuver a pallet with a person on it around someone who refused to take one step to the side to let us pass.

I have one more opportunity to mince gracefully across the stage, but it's a week away. I hope I don't lose all my glass balancing skills between now and then.

That leads me to a question... One entire week between performances... with no rehearsals... will that matter? I wonder if the principals rehearse or go over the music during their time off. I imagine that they sing every day as part of their routine. But do they take this time to review, or do they use it to prepare for their next engagement?