flight delay

Oh, the joys of Chicago airports. I'm currently sitting in Midway airport, which is usually better than O'Hare, waiting for my flight, which was supposed to leave at 3:45 but is delayed until 5:00. Mrrrrrhhhhh. And I just realized I forgot my camera. Double Mrrrrrrhhhhhh. But on the upside, I had a lovely lunch at the Walnut Room at Marshall Fields (now Macy's, but we refuse to call it that) with Mom and Elaine, who are in Chi for the day on a shopping bus trip sponsored by my parents' country club. Then I got to spend a little time with my honey before hopping on the orange line to Midway. I'm going to miss him on this little trip, even though it's only three nights. We haven't been apart much since he returned from Greece, so we were acting like silly teenagers, making out in a coffee shop before I had to go.

Luckily, I have plenty to keep me busy. Not only have I found my way to the interwebs, where I can catch up with emailing and yaptracker and the like, I have a one minute monologue to memorize for my audition tomorrow. That's right kids, not only do I have to have five opera arias in four languages polished and ready to go, I have to perform a monologue. I haven't done a monologue since 2005 when I attempted a few music theater auditions. Of course, being the last minute person that I am, I realized yesterday that I needed to come up with this monologue. After searching my home library and consulting with Robert (who insisted I go with Libby Mae Brown's outttakes audition monologue), I found the Complete Plays of Gilbert and Sullivan in my collection and decided to select from there. I have no problem memorizing on short notice, it's just the "acting" part that gets me. I'm a decent actor, not brilliant, but I can say so much more with my singing than with words. But, since I have to jump through hoops of fire to get hired somewhere, this is what I'm doing. Literally, why don't they just put out hoops of fire and see who will jump through them? It's about as arbitrary as that, kids. Problem is we'd all do it. And figuratively, we are all doing it. But honestly, the fire thing might be easier. What's a little second degree burn for something you really really want?

And I really really want it. I realized last night at the Lyric, as I do many times when I go see performances: I can do this.. The soprano last night was great, but her voice wasn't ridiculously amazing. Her voice was good, but no better than mine will (hopefully) be in 5 or 6 years. And I can sing runs like a badass too. Plus I'm tall and slim and look great on stage. I'm just dying for someone to give me the chance. I'm super excited for Opera for the Young, where I'll be performing every day in front of audiences (children, mind you, but they can be the toughest audience sometimes). I know that there's a major luck factor involved, but I think that I have pretty good luck. Didn't Robert Altman once arbitrarily choose me out of thirty women to play a role in his opera? If that's not luck, I don't know what is.

So I'm waiting. Waiting for someone to notice me, for someone to take a chance on me and find out that I will work my ass off, put my heart and soul in it, and be a good colleague. As Nick always tells me, I just have to keep plugging away. I'm so lucky to have him as a supporter and number one fan. So I'm going to go in there and be the best damn Norina these peeps have every heard. And maybe I'll get lucky, and I'll jump through their hoop of fire and come out on the other side, unharmed.

NYC, here I come.