jet setting

Well kids, I'm getting ready to jet set my way to New York City for audition trip number two, or as I like to call it: "Hope and a Prayer NYC Weekend". Basically I'm just praying that these auditions go splendidly, and hoping that, by some act of God, I am the prototype of what the auditioners are looking for. I received my rejection email from Natchez yesterday, which I must admit, was quite a blow. Of all my auditions, I felt like that one had gone the very best, and I had gotten such a good vibe from the auditioners. Besides that, it's the smallest company I've auditioned for so far---most of the other ones, like Florida Grand and Seattle, I was just happy and amazed to have even gotten through the first screening and received an audition. So this weekend, I'm going to bring it. I just have to.

Luckily, after the aforementioned rejection letter was received, I had tickets to see Julio Cesare at Lyric, so my spirits were lifted by an extremely innovative, creative, and astoundingly well-sung production. I will explain it to you in one word: DANCE! And with this clip of the end of Cleopatra's aria "Da tempeste":



There were three, count them, THREE amazing countertenors in this production. The Ptolemy was extremely mean and scrappy, and in one scene he did a front flip! ACH! The Cleopatra, Danielle de Niese, was just awesome. Every one of her arias was choreographed, and she danced and flitted around the stage with such charisma. The whole production was totally delightful and it didn't seem like four and a half hours at all! The funny thing about when the operas are so long is that they sell "box dinners" during the intermissions. The lobby becomes complete mayhem as all the rich oldies camp out on the floor and the stairs, eating their box dinners and sipping champagne. Since Nick declined seeing a four and a half hour long opera (imagine that!), I took my friend Mark, and we lived it up, sitting on the floor of the Lyric Opera with our turkey sandwiches and glasses of champagne. Toward the end, I was getting a bit tired of the ABA format (do I really have to hear that A section again? I mean, let's just get on with it. We know you want vengence). It was a terrific time, and it reminded me of how much I love Baroque opera. I need to work on some Handel. I'd love to be a Handelian. Or a Mozartian. or an -ian anything, really.

I'm going to be off the radar for a couple of days but hopefully I will have some good stories and pictures when I return. I get to see Robert play young Scrooge this weekend, so I really can't think of a better way to spend the non ten minutes I'm auditioning. Hope and a Prayer NYC Weekend 2007. Keep me in your thoughts peeps.