Tuesday was a day full of logistical nightmares. It was the first time I had to transport some serious desserts across town in a subway. Melanie hosted a wonderful southern dinner party for our fellowship group in her lovely country chic midtown apartment. Before the dinner, I had a My Fair Lady national tour audition to attempt, and Melanie was so kind to let me drop my delta cake and creeping crust cobbler off at her house before I headed to Actors Equity. When the non-equity folks were released, I was strangely relieved to not have to fit the audition in an otherwise crazy over-scheduled day. The party was a lot of fun and Melanie's roast was delicious. With her extravagant fruit display and buffet of goodies, Melanie was quite the hostess with the mostest. Rose-Marie led a group of us to an Easter dinner for the homeless that she was helping out at. My new friend Megan came along and we sang some gospel songs to entertain the folks and also had some nice opportunites to chat with them. It was such a nice way to continue celebrating Easter and also to remember how truly blessed I am with the family and home that I'm able to live in. I'm excited to start helping Rose-Marie on a more regular basis with the choir she leads as a homeless ministry. Her heart for people and for God is so amazing and I admire her tenderness and passion so much!
I went home with my heart full and my bags still unpacked for my trip home! And the bad news was that with a 6:30 flight out of JFK, my super shuttle scheduled a 3-3:15 am pick-up!!!! Ah!
Flash forward a few hours and I get a call at 2:41 in the morning!!! Super shuttle was early and at my door. Luckily, I had fully packed and just threw on my pants and went downstairs. I then settled in a short van ride to LGA and then, JFK, where I was dropped off at 3:30, 30 minutes before the airport actually opens. Fully garbed in CA spring attire, I was fffffffrrrrrreeeeeezing and reflected further on the homeless folks I had met the night before, and what little comfort they must feel.
What a lucky girl I was to be headed towards Mom and Charlie's pick-up!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
He is Risen Indeed!
Happy Easter! The Lord is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!
On the coldest Easter morning I can ever remember in the requisite all-black attire, I walked to the Hunter College Auditorium, feeling not the least bit kissed by the Easter Bunny. But, oh, what glorious music and stories awaited! When we arrived Megan, the soprano soloist, was rehearsing her “I know that my Redeemer liveth” with full orchestra which included my friends Kyle on trumpet and Louise on violin. Glorious! Megan’s creamy soprano was just the right flavor and she handled every peak and valley with amazing ease. She is my new friend, so yes, Jenny, I believe the count is back to 40 to 1. We rehearsed our pieces with the orchestra, so much more exciting with all their colors and precision. Do I really get paid to sing this favorite music with all these amazing singers and instrumentalists? I love my job! We sat up on risers on the stage which allowing us to see all the cute Easter dresses underneath layers of bundling from the outside cold. We sang both morning services, the first mostly full, the second ripping at the seams with folks trying to enter the auditorium at every door. It is not a small job to usher a Redeemer service, let alone on Easter Sunday. Yikes! The services were amazing and I was blessed to hear the sermon twice about the empty tomb and the assurance that Jesus lives and forgives. I especially enjoyed the testimonies that three different members gave about coming to Christ and didn’t tire of those the second time. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous singing our last song with Tim Keller a few feet away. But mostly, I just felt my cup running over in thanksgiving for the opportunity to express in such lavish music the awe and wonder I feel ever Easter. It was amazing and the two services filled me to overflowing. I joined Laura and her husband Joe as well as the rest of Jenny’s small group for an Easter brunch at Pershing Square, a cute restaurant across the way from Grand Central Station. We had a great time reflecting on the various services and quirks in each (Jenny and others had sung at the West Side) and I ate the best whole-wheat pancakes I’ve ever met. YUM. We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
I was on my way to meet Heather Gilles, a dear friend from CCM days, and to enjoy an Easter dinner with her family and friends. She has recently moved into an amazing loft apartment on the property of one of her voice student's where open space and horses abound! I loved getting away and seeing the stars, not to mention meeting all of the funny horses! Abby, Heather's longtime friend and fellow singer was there and it was nice to catch up with her and have her serenade us with some Tori Amos and original songs at the piano after dinner. Heather's parents were also a hoot and overall, it was quite a lively time. We ate all sorts of interesting things, including a wild goose that Heather's dad's friend had shot. I have to say, I don't have a favorite new meat to report on...it was strangely dark in color. Heather and Abby made some delicious sausage risotto and of course, there were tons of desserts to share!
Abby and I spent the night. Heather's funny dog, Chipka, spooned me on the coach and kept Abby up with her snoring and farting. It's so nice to have a little animal around on which to blame all those unattractive functions. :)
The three of us enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee and dishes from the night before (no dishwasher!), only mildly cursing those who had left pieces of salad on their plates. We ate the leftover cherry tart and the girls measured me for my Millbrook Playhouse costume information sheet. Heather was so kind to drop us at the train station where the real adventure began. I guess the day after Easter is the best day to start construction on the Wassaic rail line...and because of that we took shuttle busses for an hour or so until we got to the next big station that took us to White Plains and finally transferred onto an NYC bound train. It was long but it was nice to be with Abby and share stories. Abby and I first met in Aspen in 2000. She and Heather were best friends at Juilliard. It's so nice how all these worlds collide and we keep meeting eachother's favorite people in this crazy business. Heather, a wonderfully talented singer, has turned her amazing brain towards directing opera and she's fixing to move back to the city soon to reimmerse herself in that world. yay for us!
I arrived in Harlem after 1 in the afternoon, much later than anticipated, but such is life. In the short half-a-block walk to the subway from the train station I'm pretty sure I walked through two "transactions." It was pretty scary, even at that hour of the day. Definitely not Kansas, or even the UES. I was happy to get home and collect myself.
I had to race across town to turn in my Millbrook materials and took the opportunity to do some Fairway shopping. I also "drove-by" Jenny's office for a lemon bar delivery and later, after fixing the sunday, now monday pizza as per tradition, dropped by Chris and Laura's. I had made them a box of Easter treats as well and hadn't the time to drop them by earlier as I wished. I just love hanging out with those two. Tressa and Ellie sadly had to go ni-ni. Chris and Laura are the kind of couple I want to be someday and their honesty and listening and vulnerability is so refreshing and inviting. It's funny because I remember where I was spiritually and socially when I knew them at Rice and how I wasn't at that time ready for the kind of Kingdom people they were and continue to be. I love that I totally stopped by without notice and they welcomed me so genuinely. Why do they have to move so soon? :(
On the coldest Easter morning I can ever remember in the requisite all-black attire, I walked to the Hunter College Auditorium, feeling not the least bit kissed by the Easter Bunny. But, oh, what glorious music and stories awaited! When we arrived Megan, the soprano soloist, was rehearsing her “I know that my Redeemer liveth” with full orchestra which included my friends Kyle on trumpet and Louise on violin. Glorious! Megan’s creamy soprano was just the right flavor and she handled every peak and valley with amazing ease. She is my new friend, so yes, Jenny, I believe the count is back to 40 to 1. We rehearsed our pieces with the orchestra, so much more exciting with all their colors and precision. Do I really get paid to sing this favorite music with all these amazing singers and instrumentalists? I love my job! We sat up on risers on the stage which allowing us to see all the cute Easter dresses underneath layers of bundling from the outside cold. We sang both morning services, the first mostly full, the second ripping at the seams with folks trying to enter the auditorium at every door. It is not a small job to usher a Redeemer service, let alone on Easter Sunday. Yikes! The services were amazing and I was blessed to hear the sermon twice about the empty tomb and the assurance that Jesus lives and forgives. I especially enjoyed the testimonies that three different members gave about coming to Christ and didn’t tire of those the second time. I have to say, I was a little bit nervous singing our last song with Tim Keller a few feet away. But mostly, I just felt my cup running over in thanksgiving for the opportunity to express in such lavish music the awe and wonder I feel ever Easter. It was amazing and the two services filled me to overflowing. I joined Laura and her husband Joe as well as the rest of Jenny’s small group for an Easter brunch at Pershing Square, a cute restaurant across the way from Grand Central Station. We had a great time reflecting on the various services and quirks in each (Jenny and others had sung at the West Side) and I ate the best whole-wheat pancakes I’ve ever met. YUM. We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
We all had to jet pretty quickly afterwards, many had more rehearsals and services to come and I had a train to Pawling to catch! I raced home and collected a few things for my overnight adventure as well as the treats I’d prepared and took a cab to the Harlem Metro-North station on 125th Street. Even on a day as filled with light as Easter Sunday, shadiness abounded! And snow was falling as I waited on the platform for my Wassaic train to arrive.
I was on my way to meet Heather Gilles, a dear friend from CCM days, and to enjoy an Easter dinner with her family and friends. She has recently moved into an amazing loft apartment on the property of one of her voice student's where open space and horses abound! I loved getting away and seeing the stars, not to mention meeting all of the funny horses! Abby, Heather's longtime friend and fellow singer was there and it was nice to catch up with her and have her serenade us with some Tori Amos and original songs at the piano after dinner. Heather's parents were also a hoot and overall, it was quite a lively time. We ate all sorts of interesting things, including a wild goose that Heather's dad's friend had shot. I have to say, I don't have a favorite new meat to report on...it was strangely dark in color. Heather and Abby made some delicious sausage risotto and of course, there were tons of desserts to share!
Abby and I spent the night. Heather's funny dog, Chipka, spooned me on the coach and kept Abby up with her snoring and farting. It's so nice to have a little animal around on which to blame all those unattractive functions. :)
The three of us enjoyed a leisurely morning of coffee and dishes from the night before (no dishwasher!), only mildly cursing those who had left pieces of salad on their plates. We ate the leftover cherry tart and the girls measured me for my Millbrook Playhouse costume information sheet. Heather was so kind to drop us at the train station where the real adventure began. I guess the day after Easter is the best day to start construction on the Wassaic rail line...and because of that we took shuttle busses for an hour or so until we got to the next big station that took us to White Plains and finally transferred onto an NYC bound train. It was long but it was nice to be with Abby and share stories. Abby and I first met in Aspen in 2000. She and Heather were best friends at Juilliard. It's so nice how all these worlds collide and we keep meeting eachother's favorite people in this crazy business. Heather, a wonderfully talented singer, has turned her amazing brain towards directing opera and she's fixing to move back to the city soon to reimmerse herself in that world. yay for us!
I arrived in Harlem after 1 in the afternoon, much later than anticipated, but such is life. In the short half-a-block walk to the subway from the train station I'm pretty sure I walked through two "transactions." It was pretty scary, even at that hour of the day. Definitely not Kansas, or even the UES. I was happy to get home and collect myself.
I had to race across town to turn in my Millbrook materials and took the opportunity to do some Fairway shopping. I also "drove-by" Jenny's office for a lemon bar delivery and later, after fixing the sunday, now monday pizza as per tradition, dropped by Chris and Laura's. I had made them a box of Easter treats as well and hadn't the time to drop them by earlier as I wished. I just love hanging out with those two. Tressa and Ellie sadly had to go ni-ni. Chris and Laura are the kind of couple I want to be someday and their honesty and listening and vulnerability is so refreshing and inviting. It's funny because I remember where I was spiritually and socially when I knew them at Rice and how I wasn't at that time ready for the kind of Kingdom people they were and continue to be. I love that I totally stopped by without notice and they welcomed me so genuinely. Why do they have to move so soon? :(
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Anne with an "e"
I punished myself a bit at the gym before heading out to midtown for Easter Choir rehearsal. I was glad to see Kathy and John K. again and also happy to meet several new Redeemer singers. We knocked out “Lift up ye heads” and “Worthy in the Lamb/Amens” for two hours. I was reminded of how much I miss singing in choirs and how painfully out of practice I am! And just a note…I think in all those years of singing the entire Messiah at Rice, I never really sang all the notes of the Amens….wowsers, it was 11 pm by then and most of the audience was gone. I was probably thinking about the next day’s music history exam! With this ensemble of 5 to a part, there was no hiding and it was both thrilling and terrifying to sing those crazy passages!
I walked a few blocks to an audition for a children’s theatre company where three really sweet girls about my age listened to my short “Mr. Right” monologue and asked me to sing a bit acapella. It was a pleasant and encouraging few minutes and I was glad I had made the stop.
I then headed to meet Amy K, my friend from Rice, who as a musical-theatre performer but now full-time copy editor, moonlights as a theatre critic. She had an extra ticket to an off-off Broadway musical version of “Anne of Green Gables” that I had been dying to see. Who doesn’t heart Gilbert Blythe after all? I was to meet her at the theatre in the West Village and on my way down Thompson Street I stumbled upon a Cuban restaurant which had a bright mural inside with a large “La Bodeguita del Medio” trademarked sign! The super sly Cuban spy is back in action! I took a picture and their glossy and incriminating to-go menu as souvenirs and patted myself on the back all the way towards Amy. The show was delightful, tuneful and aimed at children. A precious one behind us, on cue, gasped “Ew” at the less than steamy Anne and Gilbert kiss and a dad was wiping his eyes at the same moments as me, to the snickers of his young family. Always a kindred spirit, Amy’s company brought even more delights than raspberry cordial, or blackberry wine, for that matter, and we wiled away the afternoon hours dreaming of our Village mansions to come and catching up over coffee and Brazilian cheese puffs. You can read Amy’s review here:
http://www.offoffonline.com/reviews.php?id=991
After parting, I walked to Union Square for some last TJ wine and some last-minute baking supplies and headed home to begin the sugar extravaganza. I made the world-famous brownies, Mom’s now NYC famous lemon bars and some sugar cookies in the shape of eggs to share with Heather Gilles and family who I would be visiting the next evening. As always, it took far longer than expected to bake all the goodies and I didn’t get my Easter choir voice to bed as early as I had hoped.
I walked a few blocks to an audition for a children’s theatre company where three really sweet girls about my age listened to my short “Mr. Right” monologue and asked me to sing a bit acapella. It was a pleasant and encouraging few minutes and I was glad I had made the stop.
I then headed to meet Amy K, my friend from Rice, who as a musical-theatre performer but now full-time copy editor, moonlights as a theatre critic. She had an extra ticket to an off-off Broadway musical version of “Anne of Green Gables” that I had been dying to see. Who doesn’t heart Gilbert Blythe after all? I was to meet her at the theatre in the West Village and on my way down Thompson Street I stumbled upon a Cuban restaurant which had a bright mural inside with a large “La Bodeguita del Medio” trademarked sign! The super sly Cuban spy is back in action! I took a picture and their glossy and incriminating to-go menu as souvenirs and patted myself on the back all the way towards Amy. The show was delightful, tuneful and aimed at children. A precious one behind us, on cue, gasped “Ew” at the less than steamy Anne and Gilbert kiss and a dad was wiping his eyes at the same moments as me, to the snickers of his young family. Always a kindred spirit, Amy’s company brought even more delights than raspberry cordial, or blackberry wine, for that matter, and we wiled away the afternoon hours dreaming of our Village mansions to come and catching up over coffee and Brazilian cheese puffs. You can read Amy’s review here:
http://www.offoffonline.com/reviews.php?id=991
After parting, I walked to Union Square for some last TJ wine and some last-minute baking supplies and headed home to begin the sugar extravaganza. I made the world-famous brownies, Mom’s now NYC famous lemon bars and some sugar cookies in the shape of eggs to share with Heather Gilles and family who I would be visiting the next evening. As always, it took far longer than expected to bake all the goodies and I didn’t get my Easter choir voice to bed as early as I had hoped.
Good Friday...
The benefit of waiting so long to fill in this blog is that I can’t remember anything before the Good Friday church service. I was excited to meet Jenny at church and especially so because she saved me a seat while I was stuck on a slow cross-town bus. This service was full of worship that brought tears and short reflections by the associate pastors on Jesus as prophet, priest and king. The highlight was a time of meditation accompanied by Louise’s string quartet playing my most favorite of all Beethoven Op. 131 selection. Like the perfect Pinot Noir paired to the choicest dish, this music in that moment of reflection of Christ on the cross was a combination unmatched. The transition from prescribed stillness and silence in our exit to the bubbles of friends uniting and catching up on the street outside was jarring, but indicative of the “alleluias” to come! Jenny and I lingered for a bit looking for friends from her small group to meet for dinner. She was tired and not finding them, we headed to Whole Foods in the Time Warner building for some quick soup. Jenny’s sister Katie is a bona-fide rockstar and I had listened to some of her songs on Jenny’s ipod and loved them! Jenny had been out to visit her in Nashville and returned with my very own Katie Herzig CD! Yay! Check her out on itunes and Myspace....http://www.myspace.com/katieherzig…a little bit of alt-rock, a little bit folksy, very beautiful songs and sounds…my favorite is the one she wrote for Jenny…”Jennylynn.”
Maundy Thursday
They say you should have a headshot and resume with you at all times. I admit I’ve been guilty of forgetting one or the other at home and either ripping into submission envelopes I’ve happened to have in tow or trekking back home between sign-ups and auditions to retrieve one. For the record, I haven’t done that since at least February. I had spent most of the morning preparing for my coaching with Laura and was thrilled to discover some glorious art songs that could almost be disguised as musical theatre pieces (or vice-versa) by Ricky Ian Gordon. I gave myself an hour to make copies at Staples, hop on the subway and arrive at the 411 Space, a “church” that looks an awful lot like a blackbox theatre that Laura uses for her lessons. Small miracles along the way allowed my passage in record time and I found myself catching my breath on one of the couches in the performer’s lounge, a sort-of oasis for the worn-out auditioners that frequent midtown, with 20 minutes to spare. The space was missing the usual squeals of pre-school aged kids waddling about in tutus and ballet slippers, and other than Laura’s lesson, all was still. As I organized the 10 or so songs I was eager to try out, a man stepped into the lounge and comfortably settled into the desk where the computer sits. As he turned it on and started typing away he immediately began a conversation with me, asking if I was an artist. I explained I was there for my lesson and asked him if he was an actor, so unassuming and frank was his manner. He was a producer, director and artistic director of a small theatre company, he said. He mentioned “Fritz and Froyim” a play he was going to be auditioning next week and then asked if I had a headshot and resume with me. Well, what do you know? CA girl is learning something. He looked over it briefly, counseled me to not join Equity in any hurry and then asked if I had a monologue. Well, what do you know? I did and I ended up following him to his black box theatre on the same floor where I performed “Popo Martin,” my schizophrenic, teenaged cheerleader monologue whose propriety I’ve been questioning. He engaged me to try it again as “me” truly communicating the points, waiting until they landed on him, until I moved on. He worked with me for about 10 minutes, encouraging me to use my own voice and to allow the material to be infused by me. Without any prodding, he told me I was “quirky” which is officially 3/3, and that I didn’t need to add anything to the material but find my path within it. So, for arriving early at my coaching, I managed to work in an audition and a mini-acting lesson!!! I love this city! John, the director, was so generous with his time and even offered to help me any other time I was in the building and he happened to be around. I don’t even think he is shady because I looked his company up online and saw that his mission is mentoring young people and producing theatre for public good.
My coaching was wonderful, of course, and Laura convinced me that while not audition-appropriate, my Ricky Ian Gordon songs were treasures to be laid out at a future recital or recording. Exciting! I also made the discovery that I’m never going to be an Ethel Merman belter. I don’t need to be Ado Annie and Laurey in Oklahoma. I realized I was looking for material for all types instead of honing in on what my specific gifts allow me to do…plenty, by the way! What freedom there is in knowing I don’t have to do it all!
So, it does seem like you’ll never here this girl do any brassy Broadway belting…can you settle for a high mix? ☺
After my coaching I dropped some of my heavy music books off at my favorite home away from home, the performing arts library, before hoofing over to the Ethical and Cultural Society for the Maundy Thursday Service.
Max McLean is an amazing Christian actor who travels the world presenting different readings of the Gospels and selected Christian literature to churches and in theatres. This night, he performed the book of Mark, memorized, as a sort of one-man show. He embodied every Pharisee and disciple, and changed from Jesus to the people and back to Jesus with just a flip of his posture. I don’t have enough words for these 90 minutes…totally transfixing each of us, I wish everyone I know could have seen it. We laughed (it’s really funny, some of it) and yes, I cried and I wondered at the arc of the story, of the transformation of the people and the constancy of Jesus. After collecting the applause from enlivening all these pages in a perfect Scottish accent, Max began to address us and answer FAQs…in a perfect American accent! Ha! I loved that for the sake of the drama, he turned up the McLean aspect of his character. It was an unforgettable event and was made richer from the context of weeks of Tim Keller’s sermons on Mark. I’ve always loved the power of God’s word and its capacity for drama…and this, well, he definitely took it to the next level!
My coaching was wonderful, of course, and Laura convinced me that while not audition-appropriate, my Ricky Ian Gordon songs were treasures to be laid out at a future recital or recording. Exciting! I also made the discovery that I’m never going to be an Ethel Merman belter. I don’t need to be Ado Annie and Laurey in Oklahoma. I realized I was looking for material for all types instead of honing in on what my specific gifts allow me to do…plenty, by the way! What freedom there is in knowing I don’t have to do it all!
So, it does seem like you’ll never here this girl do any brassy Broadway belting…can you settle for a high mix? ☺
After my coaching I dropped some of my heavy music books off at my favorite home away from home, the performing arts library, before hoofing over to the Ethical and Cultural Society for the Maundy Thursday Service.
Max McLean is an amazing Christian actor who travels the world presenting different readings of the Gospels and selected Christian literature to churches and in theatres. This night, he performed the book of Mark, memorized, as a sort of one-man show. He embodied every Pharisee and disciple, and changed from Jesus to the people and back to Jesus with just a flip of his posture. I don’t have enough words for these 90 minutes…totally transfixing each of us, I wish everyone I know could have seen it. We laughed (it’s really funny, some of it) and yes, I cried and I wondered at the arc of the story, of the transformation of the people and the constancy of Jesus. After collecting the applause from enlivening all these pages in a perfect Scottish accent, Max began to address us and answer FAQs…in a perfect American accent! Ha! I loved that for the sake of the drama, he turned up the McLean aspect of his character. It was an unforgettable event and was made richer from the context of weeks of Tim Keller’s sermons on Mark. I’ve always loved the power of God’s word and its capacity for drama…and this, well, he definitely took it to the next level!
on an airplane...
I’m on the plane, headed towards JFK, armed with a new/old computer that might have more than 10 minutes of battery power. I won’t let this extended battery life get the best of me and wax poetic on the 10 plus days of adventures that I’ve left undocumented. Instead, I’ll try to boil down the highlights. One of the greatest highlights of the past few days in CA, was the Joh wedding, of course! At that celebration, I was so happy to see my church family as well as faces from the families of my past. Greg Mitchell, Steve’s best man and a long-time friend of mine “used his words” so well to animate the best of Steve and Amy. A blogger himself who admitted he’d read mine, (OH NO! people read this besides Lis and Jenny???) Greg reminded me, “Quality over Quantity.” And with that, I’ll try my best and briefest.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Disappointment and...guests of the star
I realized that this is a slow week in the audition circuit, probably because casting directors are on vacation like everyone else in the country! So, again, I didn't go out for any auditions but instead went to Nia class and did some library research before heading midtown to meet Jenny for lunch. It was a miserable, miserable rainy day. Like I've said before, rainy days in NYC are not very pleasant...between navigating around dangerous umbrellas and flooded subway stations, it's just not a lot of fun. At least Jenny is fun and I loved hearing all about her weekend with her sister in Nashville and plans for her upcoming knee surgery. I took a crosstown bus and then the subway to get to my tap class with Germaine. So fun! I recently switched over to heeled tap shoes and it makes life so much harder but apparently you are a sissy if you are still in flats. No sissies here. I met Kat for coffee after class and we had such a great talk. It is so nice to have her support and friendship...we are both trying to navigate life out here and beyond opera together and we are always trading tips and coaches, etc. While we were together I got a call from Melanie. She had mentioned on Sunday that she might have an extra ticket to "Die Agyptische Helena" at the Met starring Debbie V. I had been waiting to hear from her if her "friend" had been able to get her tickets. Well, her "friend" came through and I made plans to meet her at 7:30 at the box office.
I rushed home to change and grab a bite to eat. Earlier in the day I had gotten my contract for Millbrook via email and had inquired about the fact that it said, "Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan and nun in Do Black Patent Shoes..." whereas he had offered me Sister Helen specifically over the phone. I emailed him back and asked for clarification to which he replied that IF he had said that he was very sorry and mistaken and that I was indeed going to be playing the soprano nun but was down for the Sister Helen cover. He said he would understand if that changed my decision. My stomach turned under me with disappointment. I know that Sister Helen wasn't a big role but something about it was really exciting to me and who wants to be "nun" when you can have a name? I'm so glad I called Mom and received her sweet words of encouragement as well as precious Charlie telling me he loves me. What more could a nun wish for? You know, I am disappointed, because I feel like I just got demoted, but I also recognize that it's a three-week show and is not going to determine my future. God is taking care of me and even in this He reminds me that I'm not on earth to be a star or even a semi-star in the middle of PA, but rather to be his child and bring Him glory in the face of disappointment and success. And boy did He have a sweet gift to soothe me in store!
I feel like I need to set this chapter apart...because this may have been the most amazing experience to date in NYC!!!! So, I knew that Melanie had recently become friendly with Debbie V. but when she was dangling the carrot of these tickets via her "friend" she never made that connection clear. Well, when she walked in armed with 2 dozen tulips for her "friend" my question was answered. Debbie hooked her up with two tickets on the front row, on the center aisle!!! Soooooooooo awesome! I LOVED being so close because not only could I see every breath each singer took, I could also see every breath each instrumentalist took, not to mention hear the sighing and grunting of the conductor engrossed in the Strauss score. I read in the program notes that this opera, one of Strauss' less famous works, had not been seen at the Met since 1928 and was in fact by Ms. Voigt, considered the leading interpreter of Strauss. She was amazing, illustrious, beautiful, so composed and in control of the stage in each moment she was on it. I also fell in love with Diana Damrau singing the lighter, more coloratura part of Aithra. Beautiful, beautiful voice and such an actress. I am so excited to follow her career and hearing her inspired me to practice my Strauss! The production was "interesting" with an extremely raked stage and a harsh set with cutouts of oversized doors and running men with extreme colors in the costumes pointing to the different worlds of mortals and gods. My favorite costumes were the chorus of elves in bright blue with white wigs and beards. At intermission we saw Karen and Mark and chatted with them. I think Mark introduced me to someone really influential in the opera world but I have no idea who she was. I guess Mark had done the opera before at Santa Fe and neither he or Karen were big fans of the work. It's not particularly tuneful but the performances alone were just amazing. I couldn't get over the long phrases that were sung with such ease and all the colors and depths and heights that Debbie had to navigate. At the curtain call someone actually threw a bouquet of roses from the 4th balcony and nearly missed Diana D's head. Melanie opted not to throw her heavy tulips to Debbie. Dangerous! We made our way to the backstage entrance where we had to pass through 3 different guards before being shuffled to the artists' guest lounge. On the way there, we ran into mezzo Jill Grove who played the strange Mussel character and Melanie introduced me to her. We waited for quite a while for our "friend" to get out of costume and make-up and I enjoyed the time chatting with sweet Melanie. She is a singer as well and such a character! I mean, how lucky am I that she chose me of all people to share this opportunity. I enjoyed watching Debbie take the fawning compliments from her fans with such grace and humility. She is so down-to-earth. I tried not to gush too much but thanked her for the ticket and then she invited us to go eat dinner with her at Fiorello's. Weighed down with bouquets Debbie led us out to where her car was waiting. As we got to the parking garage a group of about 12 die-hard fans were eagerly waiting to give her gifts and have her sign programs. She knew many of them by the name because they come to EVERY single performance and wait for her each night. One man had a stack of 6 programs and he named each one that he had missed getting her autograph...I was thinking "EBAY!!!" as he brought out each program. One woman is from Poland and was wearing a home-made t-shirt with her picture on it. She travels all over the world and sees every one of her performances. WHOA! I wish I had videoed the whole scene...it was amazing. We got into the black car and literally drove across the street to Fiorello's where we (because we were with SHE) were treated like royalty. Prosecco and antipasti brought to the compliments, via the management, etc. But other than several interruptions of adoring fans, the four of us chatted mostly about the perils of dating, online and otherwise. I really liked Debbie's friend Jane as well. I had a piece of Debbie's yummy pizza margherita even though it was midnight...and Melanie and I ate some fruit. I hugged them good-bye as they were whisked off to mid-town in the black car and headed home on the subway and then via cab because it was after 1 and apparently the bus wasn't going to come for another 20 minutes. As I sat in the cab I just kept thinking, did that really happen? I mean, how did I go from singing Strauss in my shower to dining with the star of the Met? WHOA. I guess the short answer is the church. Another reason to go to church, folks, in case you needed one! :)
I rushed home to change and grab a bite to eat. Earlier in the day I had gotten my contract for Millbrook via email and had inquired about the fact that it said, "Mrs. Darling in Peter Pan and nun in Do Black Patent Shoes..." whereas he had offered me Sister Helen specifically over the phone. I emailed him back and asked for clarification to which he replied that IF he had said that he was very sorry and mistaken and that I was indeed going to be playing the soprano nun but was down for the Sister Helen cover. He said he would understand if that changed my decision. My stomach turned under me with disappointment. I know that Sister Helen wasn't a big role but something about it was really exciting to me and who wants to be "nun" when you can have a name? I'm so glad I called Mom and received her sweet words of encouragement as well as precious Charlie telling me he loves me. What more could a nun wish for? You know, I am disappointed, because I feel like I just got demoted, but I also recognize that it's a three-week show and is not going to determine my future. God is taking care of me and even in this He reminds me that I'm not on earth to be a star or even a semi-star in the middle of PA, but rather to be his child and bring Him glory in the face of disappointment and success. And boy did He have a sweet gift to soothe me in store!
I feel like I need to set this chapter apart...because this may have been the most amazing experience to date in NYC!!!! So, I knew that Melanie had recently become friendly with Debbie V. but when she was dangling the carrot of these tickets via her "friend" she never made that connection clear. Well, when she walked in armed with 2 dozen tulips for her "friend" my question was answered. Debbie hooked her up with two tickets on the front row, on the center aisle!!! Soooooooooo awesome! I LOVED being so close because not only could I see every breath each singer took, I could also see every breath each instrumentalist took, not to mention hear the sighing and grunting of the conductor engrossed in the Strauss score. I read in the program notes that this opera, one of Strauss' less famous works, had not been seen at the Met since 1928 and was in fact by Ms. Voigt, considered the leading interpreter of Strauss. She was amazing, illustrious, beautiful, so composed and in control of the stage in each moment she was on it. I also fell in love with Diana Damrau singing the lighter, more coloratura part of Aithra. Beautiful, beautiful voice and such an actress. I am so excited to follow her career and hearing her inspired me to practice my Strauss! The production was "interesting" with an extremely raked stage and a harsh set with cutouts of oversized doors and running men with extreme colors in the costumes pointing to the different worlds of mortals and gods. My favorite costumes were the chorus of elves in bright blue with white wigs and beards. At intermission we saw Karen and Mark and chatted with them. I think Mark introduced me to someone really influential in the opera world but I have no idea who she was. I guess Mark had done the opera before at Santa Fe and neither he or Karen were big fans of the work. It's not particularly tuneful but the performances alone were just amazing. I couldn't get over the long phrases that were sung with such ease and all the colors and depths and heights that Debbie had to navigate. At the curtain call someone actually threw a bouquet of roses from the 4th balcony and nearly missed Diana D's head. Melanie opted not to throw her heavy tulips to Debbie. Dangerous! We made our way to the backstage entrance where we had to pass through 3 different guards before being shuffled to the artists' guest lounge. On the way there, we ran into mezzo Jill Grove who played the strange Mussel character and Melanie introduced me to her. We waited for quite a while for our "friend" to get out of costume and make-up and I enjoyed the time chatting with sweet Melanie. She is a singer as well and such a character! I mean, how lucky am I that she chose me of all people to share this opportunity. I enjoyed watching Debbie take the fawning compliments from her fans with such grace and humility. She is so down-to-earth. I tried not to gush too much but thanked her for the ticket and then she invited us to go eat dinner with her at Fiorello's. Weighed down with bouquets Debbie led us out to where her car was waiting. As we got to the parking garage a group of about 12 die-hard fans were eagerly waiting to give her gifts and have her sign programs. She knew many of them by the name because they come to EVERY single performance and wait for her each night. One man had a stack of 6 programs and he named each one that he had missed getting her autograph...I was thinking "EBAY!!!" as he brought out each program. One woman is from Poland and was wearing a home-made t-shirt with her picture on it. She travels all over the world and sees every one of her performances. WHOA! I wish I had videoed the whole scene...it was amazing. We got into the black car and literally drove across the street to Fiorello's where we (because we were with SHE) were treated like royalty. Prosecco and antipasti brought to the compliments, via the management, etc. But other than several interruptions of adoring fans, the four of us chatted mostly about the perils of dating, online and otherwise. I really liked Debbie's friend Jane as well. I had a piece of Debbie's yummy pizza margherita even though it was midnight...and Melanie and I ate some fruit. I hugged them good-bye as they were whisked off to mid-town in the black car and headed home on the subway and then via cab because it was after 1 and apparently the bus wasn't going to come for another 20 minutes. As I sat in the cab I just kept thinking, did that really happen? I mean, how did I go from singing Strauss in my shower to dining with the star of the Met? WHOA. I guess the short answer is the church. Another reason to go to church, folks, in case you needed one! :)
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