what had happened was....

In the time since my last post I have gotten to do two notable things along the theme for this blog (and many more that don't fit in this categorization).

1) Sing in the 24 hour opera project

2) dance with other theatre professionals at the Ball Masque for Theatre du Reve in Atlanta.

I'd been looking forward to both for such a long time! They recorded and edited the opera and tagged me in it on fb for your viewing pleasure :) For me, the process started at 8:00 in the morning. (Others had been up all night writing the bit we performed.) They gathered the singers into one of the rehearsal rooms where we saw all of our head shots on poster boards with our names beneath. The directors had picked numbers and based on the order of their numbers, they picked which singers they wanted--like a draft. Not the usual casting procedure!

I was chosen for the team working on "Scrub a dub Raw." Summarized: a comedic soap opera in English sung with opera technique.

I memorize best by sleeping on information, so getting the songs at 8:00 and then performing them at 7:30 wasn't the easiest.

We had different rooms we were scheduled to practice in. (very appreciated) and they had a complete spread of healthy snacks out for us all day long. Coffee would have been included in the spread, but the overnight shift had consumed all of that.

So we practiced, and practiced, and practiced. When we were blocking, our director gave us some flexibility which was much appreciated.

At 4:45 we headed from our rehersal space at the Atlanta Opera to the GSU performing stage. This would have ordinarily taken 15 minutes max, but we just so happened to be leaving as a falcons game was getting out. Yeah. It took 1 hr +. So we finally arrived, ran through it a few times, and then it was time for the show!

Everyone was so great and hilarious!

2) I got to dance with acting professionals who speak French. The style was Baroque i.e. pre-ballett. (I LOVE ballet) we rehearsed 3 times (in Colony square in Atlanta [my new favorite spot of land]) Everyone was marvelous and creative. And, the dance was beautiful.

I am so grateful I got to do both of those events. But, during each of them, I was feeling that I wasn't being 100% me. Something about the performing wasn't as fun as I remembered and anticipated.

24-hr project

The details are in.

Each "opera" will have 4 singers soprano-alto-tenor-bass. That means I was one of three sopranos chosen out of I don't know how many. This thought makes me smile. I will arrive at 8:00 a.m. and be assigned to a team. (Singing is difficult at 8:00 a.m.) and we will begin rehersal.

The Atlanta Opera will be facebooking and twittering the entire process and encourage us to do the same and even have something called a "confession clam" set up. This is some sort of booth where are required to go at least once and give some sort of statement about how we feel the process is going.

So this is really opera meets reality TV. HE HE HE!!!!!! I'm still excited to be in it b/c the idea of only having 12 hours to prep something is quite marvelous.

The singers have to wear all black. Bummer. No sparkling for this performance.

success

The Atlanta Opera people called Wednesday to invite me to participate and see if I was still interested in participating. Absolutely still interested! I was dreading a logistics issue, but the singers don't partake in this until Sunday at 8:00 a.m. which leaves Saturday night free to sing for the Pathway fundraiser. I'm really grateful for that answer to prayer!

I was told to show up at GSU Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. on the 7th. And, that more details would follow. They haven't come yet, but I wanted to go ahead and let you people know.

This is SO exciting! Not because it is opera, but because it is a 24 hour creative project (of NYC inspiration), and I get to be a part of it!

11

I just put in an application for the 24 hour opera project.

This is where selected playwrights/composers have 12 hours to write an opera and then selected stage managers, opera singers, and musicians, have 12 hours to put it on.

I'll know in 10 days.

It sounds like so much fun!

nope

They sent out a cast list today via email. I'm not on it. Sad story.

Faberfaction

Aah, 10 down.

I really like this theatre company. Everyone was so nice, and the building felt peaceful. Also, it is only 30 minutes from my house.

I did get lost on the way, so when I arrived, I needed some decompression time. They let other people go in front of me (much appreciated). I used my time to collect my thoughts and run through the monologue in my head a few more times.

Then, it was my turn. Yeay! I walked in there w/ my crazy black and white heels, my zany canary yellow tights, black mini skirt, black and white poka dot shirt and 3" silver earrings. I had a lot of fun picking out this outfit that I hoped would help the casting director see me in the show.

The pianist was very nice, but we did not communicate effectively and he wasn't w/ me the entire bit I sang. Then I sang part of "Fighter" by Christina Agulara. This was w/ my ipod plugged in and I could have prepped this one more. Then, I gave them my monologue, and I really felt that they were with me as I delivered the lines. You know that feeling when it's as though the audience is breathing with you.

They thanked me and wanted to know if I was called back, would I be available Monday from 3-5. Absoluately! They said they would email out a call back list by 10:00 p.m.

So I went on my merry way. I felt good about the experience even though I could honestly have prepped more. When I checked my email, there was a list of people being considered for the roles and I wasn't on the list. But the message said that everyone getting the email was "still being considered for a role in the show." I just don't need to go to call backs.

I honestly hope I am being considered for the chorus. Which would be a safe assumption at this point :) I LOVE dancing with other people, and belting one of the leads would probably not be good for my voice with my current level of training, and the two female parts I could be are quite raunchy and though it's acting, I wonder how spending that much time "as a character" would change my not acting life. And, there's more time for camaraderie in the chorus.

So that's the story. I can't wait for another!

Rent

I get to audition again today. This time it is for Rent at the Faberfaction theatre. Honestly, my training has only recently encompassed this type of singing, so I am viewing this as 3 minutes performing at a sort of an open mic not really an audition. It's kind of freeing to prep for something this way rather than thinking whether the auditioners will like it or not. Wish me luck! My slot is at 5:10 but I'm headed to a concert after that, so I'll not be able to share how it went until later.