Reporting In and Getting Excited!

Reporting in!!

Opera Project Recital was November 13. There are still a few shrieky, straight-out-of-my-mouth moments, but overall I think it's ok. I was feeling a little intimidated because all the other women who sang are absolutely fabulous.



The venue was interesting. It's a winery, hence the wine you can see in the video. And it's a castle, hence the wall hangings and chandeliers. Our "green room" was a conference room upstairs, through a gift shop/museum type area. Singing there was odd because there was pretty much no echo so it was hard to hear yourself.

There was no food there, and I hadn't eaten since lunch, so afterwards a friend and I went out for dinner. (Husband was home with Alex.) Oh also we got our picture taken for some newspaper... just did a quick search and can't find anything online.

Then a few days later I sang in the talent show for work. This was held in a theater at a local college campus. We had a rehearsal earlier that day and they asked me if I wanted a stool and where did I want the microphone?

Me: No stool, and I don't need a mic.
Them: No really, where do you want the mic?
Me: I don't use a mic.
Them: Don't you want to be heard?
Me: I'll be heard.
Another one of them, joking: She doesn't want to be heard.

Then, I sang.

"Oh. You don't need a mic."
"Yeah, I know."



Husband made this video. I really wish he had kept the recorder on. They applauded and applauded and hooted and hollered and I didn't know what to do! I bowed once and said thank you about a hundred times, and they were still doing it as I left the stage. I was shocked but I must say it felt pretty good! It was so strange to be on that stage. The spotlight was SO BRIGHT that I couldn't see a thing. NOT A THING. The other acts were fun. There were a few singers, a magician and a jazz guitarist. Also a poetry reading, a short story reading and a chair-yoga demonstration.

My goal now is to really stop all that head movement. I guess it's back to the mirror for me...

Coming up:

Cosi fan tutti next Saturday at the Met!!!! I was about to say that it's been over a year since I've seen Nathan Gunn perform but NO I saw him in March and again in April this year. Lucky me. A girl could get used to this.

In Mars news, remember that video I was an extra in? It's allegedly going to be released any day now. There's a preview here. Gulp. No, I'm not in any of those scenes.

Other Mars news, I'm going to see them in February!!! With the same group of people (plus a few more!) I met in Atlantic City. Planning is underway!!!

Whirlwind

I just can't seem to get my brain out of this whirlwind it's in!! So much going on. I have one voice lesson a week, and I try to squeeze vocal coaching in every week. I'm participating in the holiday chorus at work again this year and we rehearse once a week. I have an Opera Project recital this coming Saturday. Then there's some sort of benefit talent show at work next week and someone involved with it who saw me at that benefit show we put on last year emailed me specifically to see if I'd like to sing in it. So I have to find an accompanist, and then figure out what to do with Alex since the rehearsal time overlaps with when I have to get him from school, and the performance starts at about the same time Husband usually gets home from work that day. So I'm thinking that I just might not be able to participate in that - too much baggage. But then, let's see. Cosi at the Met on November 27. And then December. What's going on in December? One possible Opera Project recital. And then if I happen to win a contest (hahahaha as if) to go to Las Vegas on New Years Eve (how unlike me is that???) then I'll go to see 30 Seconds to Mars do their New Year's Eve show. Of course by the time the contests (for there are 3) close the show'll probably be sold out.

So that's where I am. Constantly checking the calendar to see where and what I should be singing. Crazy fun! I love it!

Paper Moon - Take Whatever

Trying again... here's the YouTube link. It's marked private there so I don't know if this will work... let's see:




So can you tell we never rehearsed this? And I didn't know the words? It didn't matter - we had a blast!

Videos, Part Two

Here are two more videos from the Talent Show.

We didn't rehearse Paper Moon with the main singer guy - can you tell?


Okayyyyy video isn't processing. I'll upload it another time. Moving right along...


The chorus - final number. The words to both choral numbers were changed to reflect where we work and also the coworker who we wish well.



And did you notice, I was wearing my character shoes? Decided to dig them out of the closet and wear them, you know, to get my money's worth.

But seriously, I must say again how talented everyone was. My Papageno partner is great! Such a nice voice, great stage presence, goes with the flow (meaning, my mistakes!!) and so on.

There were a few dance acts - so cool! One couple did the tango. Another did some Israeli dances. A third did real ballroom dancing with all the fancy and crazy moves!! People read poetry, there were a few skits and some more musical numbers too. All in all a very impressive showcase of the talented people I work with. I can't wait to find out how much money we raised.

Talent Show Clips

Wow! Singing tonight was SO.MUCH.FUN!!!!!

We opened with the chorus and my special lambada-esque thing. Improvised the dipping - hilarious when he caught my head near the end!




So for the duet... Technically I could have been better, but in the end it didn't matter. We pulled this together with one or two rehearsals. My Papageno and I sang it through once before with the music. So yeah, there are errors, and truthfully that's all I hear, but I think for the most part it's ok.

The fun stuff: We had the music set to play on this iPod player system... and it didn't work. So we had to stand there and direct someone to bring the CD over and set it up... so by the time we started singing we had already been "on stage" for a long minute or so.
I sang the wrong words at one point!! The words are "It is the greatest of all feelings" and I sang, "The greatest happiness is many," straight from the Met's English version of Magic Flute. Oops. My Papageno went with it as if it were planned. There was another line somewhere that we were supposed to sing together and he didn't sing... we both had sections where our voices just cut out... I could go on and on... I didn't sing from low enough in my body... I could have sounded richer had I remembered to do that. You know, use proper technique. Oops. Try not to cringe too much. Trust me, I'm doing enough cringing for everyone. In fact I think I just injured myself cringing.



There are two more videos to upload but it's taking sooooo long that I'll put them in another post.

Ok, here I go, hitting "publish" and embarrassing myself once again. If I had a nickel... hahaha I'd be able to always afford orchestra seats.

The Thing Tonight!

Just got home from the final run-through rehearsal for tonight's thing. They've redone the order of the acts and now our Papageno duet is the 2nd act. I'm disappointed because Paper Moon is nice and low - it really warms me up nicely. Not that I don't warm up before - I do - but singing Paper Moon actually does make my throat feel warm. Now that's near the end. Oh well.

We had the accompanist today, and while it wasn't a total disaster, it wasn't good. We couldn't get the tempo and kept losing our place. Turns out my partner and I both practiced along with the instrumental version on the Very Best Opera CD, so we decided to sing with that instead. They have an iPod player and a CD player so we did get a chance to practice.

Now I have a few hours before I have to figure out what to wear and get back there... my goal is to NOT sing between now and then, which is hard since I'm always absentmindedly singing something. The director wants me to lead the chorus in a warm-up in some little room somewhere before we begin. Yes that does sound vague, because it is. Then I have to remember to stand up straight, breathe low in my body, make eye contact, use those abs, relax the jaw and just have fun. And I believe the evening will be fun. We have ballroom dancers, martial arts demonstrations, a yoga demonstration, poetry readings, skits and music. There's a silent auction and there will be food. Hopefully we'll raise a nice chunk of change for our ill coworker.

Tech-ish Rehearsal: Interesting things

Yesterday we had what I would call a tech rehearsal for the talent show. It was interesting since not everyone could make it. Basically we practiced getting on and off the stage quickly as each act was introduced. I volunteered to be the stage manager which means I have to tell everyone, "Now! Go!" when they need to get out there. By the way I use the term "stage" loosely. It's really just an area of the floor near the wall of the cafeteria where the tables and chairs have been cleared away.

One of the acts is a guy playing guitar while someone sings, "Paper Moon." The singer guy couldn't make it so my Papageno partner and I ended up singing it. I didn't know the words or the tune so that was interesting. Actually it's a pretty easy song and fun to sing. The director decided that we should be backup singers if the scheduled singer shows, otherwise we'll be the main singers for this one.

Then my friend and I did our Papageno Papagena duet. Interesting thing about this was that we had no accompanist because she thought the rehearsal was in a different location so she was there wondering where everyone else was... so we sang a capella and it was great fun! We improvised the movements and it was... easy! We played off each other and sang to each other while still singing to the audience. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! I felt really good about the rehearsal. Hopefully the performance itself will be as fun - I'm really looking forward to it! We have one run-through on Thursday afternoon and then the show is Thursday evening.

Oh one other interesting thing - the Paper Moon guitar player was standing there when the director was explaining about my lambada-ish thing during the opening number. She asked if he would be willing to stand sort of near the stage so I could do my thing. Then I went over to him, put both my hands on one shoulder and said, "Sort of like this..." So totally deadpan he said, "I don't think I'm comfortable with that." The director was like, "Uh, ok... if you're not comfortable, we don't..." and he cut her off, "Are you kidding? Of COURSE it's ok." *blush* It was funny. And sort of flattering. But mostly funny because he totally got us with his deadpan line.

The whole thing will be recorded so I'll eventually post the relevant parts.

Let... Me? Entertain You

Ahhh the fun never ends.

I posted a few days ago about this benefit talent show thingee we're doing at work to help raise money for a very ill coworker. Now if you recall, we have this sort of makeshift chorus at work. We'll be singing a song to open and close the show. A very talented coworker has revised the lyrics of "Let Me Entertain You" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" so they now reference the coworker and where we work. We had a mini-rehearsal today to learn the songs. I walked in about 3 minutes late to, "Oh great! She's here."

"She's here?" I thought...

"Susan, we've volunteered you for something."

"Okayyyy.... what?"

"Oh, you'll see. A special solo, sort of. You'll love it. It'll get you ready for your role in Abduction."

Riiiight. The role in which I'll be in a bra top and see-through pants. In a theater. Not at work...

So we go over the songs and then our "director" says, "Ok Susan, here's your part. The 2nd time we go through "Let Me Entertain You" you'll pop out from behind everyone and do this to people... " and she came over and basically did a G-rated lambada-style lappish dance sort of next to and sort of... on... me. And then, "Can you wear something revealing? Maybe under another shirt so you can take off the first shirt and surprise everyone?" Wait, what??? This is for a work-related event. A benefit for a guy who is young enough to be my child. But... what the hey, it'll be fun. Then we rehearsed it, which was interesting since there was only 1 man in the room and he happens to be gay. I guess that just made it feel safer for me. So that was fun, and I was thinking, "Ok, I can drape over my fellow chorus members..." and then she hit me with, "So you'll go out into the audience and pick people to dance on."

Scrrreeeeech. <--- That's the sound of my brakes screeching.

Excuse me? Into the audience? Will they give me tips? Because I'm not rubbing up against unsuspecting coworkers unless there's something in it for me. But seriously, I'm not quite sure about that part. I may have to plant people in the audience, people with whom I'd be comfortable doing the lambada lap dance. Husband and Alex will be there, so maybe it can be them... Otherwise, I'm sticking to the chorus, thankyouverymuch. At least they'll all be standing...