A Rant

I am going to rant, because this is my page and no one else's and because I can vent here, because hardly anyone reads my blogs. I am SO SICK AND TIRED of people saying rude things about other people, politicians, schools and things they don't know anything about!!!!! Tori says I need to let it go and I am sure that's true. It's harder for me to do that since I hit my head. I don't know if it's my age or the head injury, but I am so tired of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Chris Hannity and the other media showmen who are quoted by people I know on facebook. I have a friend, whom I will call Bill (because that's his name), who loves to make stupid remarks about things he knows little about, just to get it out there for people to comment on. Most of his friends say stuff like, You said it, Bill, or You're right about that, Bill. I often don't agree with him and so I say so. OMG! * He is nasty when contradicted. And when confronted with facts, he just changes the topic. It's like trying to have a discussion with Jehovah's Witnesses. Or trying to herd cats. Mostly, I am starting to think that his ego likes being stroked by people who agree with him and he can't take it when someone else has something half way intelligent to say to the contrary. I accused him of like to hear himself talk. Now I just don't read anything that he says. I probably will "unfriend" him. It's too bad, because I enjoy a good political conversation, and I don't need everyone to agree with me.
Now my nephew, Jordan, is saying stupid things like "the U is gay." GAY??? How ignorant sounding is that? He says he isn't calling anyone names, just the school. I question the education that people are getting down at BYU. There's nothing wrong with saying that he hopes they beat us in football this year, or that our team isn't very good, but GAY???? What does that even mean? Since I have some gay friends, it is offensive and ignorant for him to say stupid things like that. It only reflects poorly on him. The other day, Tori said something about something being gay. I said that is a very "Utah" thing to say and she might offend some of her gay friends by saying that. She said she didn't mean anything by it, but I hope she won't say it again.
So, I think I have most of it out of my system, at least for today. If anyone reads this and has a comment, feel free. I won't bite your head off and if you want to discuss politics or if you don't like my team, that's ok. Just don't say stupid, rude, narrow-minded things, or I will delete your comments.

*OMG- Mormon OMG means Oh My Gosh!

Macbetto

My intention was to regularly post my thought, feelings, etc. during the course of putting together Macbeth. I sort of dropped out of writing, because it's easier to post on facebook. My bad. Tonight is the next to the last night of the production. There have been some bumps along the way, but I now can trip lightly up the stairs, stir the pot and sing at the same time, without getting too out of breath. The cast party was last Saturday night and was at the New Yorker. It was a good venue for that many people and the food was yummy. I am getting better at the cast Party thing. The first few were really awkward, because I was so in awe of everyone. Plus, I think that performers are often shy people when not performing. It's hard to make small talk when you are used to having a script of what to say and do.
I also wanted to write about my feelings about the "house". I love the feeling of security that overtakes me as I walk down the sidewalk to the stage door. It is a feeling of calm and safety. When I go through the door, I usually smile at the security guard sitting in the booth, then down the stairs and sign in at the board. People are usually scurrying around and you hear singers warming up, but it's okay. I just feel so safe there, because I know that I have done all the work and now I know what I am supposed to do, along with everyone else. We have dressers and hairstylists to help us look right, someone has done my laundry and it is sitting at my chair along with my costume, ready for me to put on. There is a list of what I wear in each act taped to the mirror. Dressers are there to zip me up, help me with the costume and be sure I look right. The wig people make my hair look right and I do my own makeup, but even then, we have been told how to do it. It's a secure world, with no worries. By the time we are into the performances, I know my lines inside out, so there are no concerns there. It's just a lovely feeling and I love the experience of having that safety in my life.
One of the challenges that I think we all have it to keep the show "fresh". Susanne reminds us often, especially after opening night, that it is new to our audience, every night. We may have done it 4 or 5 times, but it is new to the people who paid to see the show. I try to remember that every night when I am standing backstage during the overature, waiting for the curtain to rise. I think everyone in the show tries to do their best each time.
I am always amazed at the process of making an opera, starting with picking up the score, laying in my bed, marking where I sing and trying to learn the words, then putting the words to the music. Next comes the rehearsals at the Practice Studio, with Susanne, and the difficulty of learning and memorizing. Next is fitting in the Costume Shop. That's when I first see how I am going to look, sort of. Then, Maestro comes and we practice with him. Next, the stage director starts telling us where he/she wants us to be and how to act. We try to figure it out, based on tape on the floor in the PS. Finally, we are in the "house" and on the set and trying to figure out how the staging we learned on a flat floor fits into the often multi-level set. Then, we start rehearsing with the orchestra and see how that sounds so much different from the piano that we have been practicing with. Dress rehearsals are next, with a small audience on Wednesday and a larger one on Thursday. Then a day off, and then, Saturday....Opening night. It's so fun!

More opera thoughts

Wednesday night was our first staging rehearsal. I enjoy working with Stephanie Sundine. She is firm but also really nice. And she isn't intimidated by Maestro. Anyway, she wants us to be "weird" as witches. We have to bend at the knees and walk sort of bent over, waving our hands wildly. And sing. I have some sore muscles, but have been doing pliés everynight to strengthen my legs. And we saw the set and got to walk on it, and the stairs are higher than normal steps, so it is going to be a challenge to run up and down the stairs and sing, too. It will be fun to do and weird to watch, but a lot of work, too. Then, Thursday night was the banquet scene staging. Much more sedate. They have some sort of cool prop throne for Macbeth, in which the ghost of Banco can appear and disappear as needed. I can't wait to see it. Now if only I could remember the words to sing while acting. More practice.
Tomorrow is the mega rehearsal. 2-5 and 7-10, That;s right, 2 rehearsals in one day. We did that with "Grapes of Wrath" on a Sunday, too. By the end of the day, we are all exhausted. I will need to take some Motrin before we start so that I don't get too stiff. Then, in a week, we are in the house, on stage. It's coming fast.

The Maestro

Well, we met our maestro tonight. He is the same one who did "Tosca". He is not my favorite. He is from New York and is Italian heritage, so he talks with an accent and also he mumbles, so we can't hear him. He doesn't lead with a strong downbeat, so his conducting style takes some getting used to. But the Stage director is also the same one from "Tosca" and she is a dream to work with. I also can't remember her name, either. She is pretty good about standing up to Maestro. Rehearsal went well tonight, but would be better if I had the whole thing memorized. It will come.

Facebook vs. Blog

I just realized that I have spent hours on facebook and have almost ignored my blog site. My bad. I am battling to finish memorizing the opera. Tonight is our first night with Maestro, so it will be fun, I hope. I called in sick to work today, mostly because I have a bad cold and am still feeling tired and sneezy. I have wasted over an hour on facebook, playing Farmville. Now I need to get going with my day. I have peaches to can, tomatoes to can, windows to wash, yard work to do and memorization to finish. I had two cd's of the opera, but I can't find either of them right now, so I may need to burn another one. I think I am at the point that singing with a cd with cement the words in my brain. I also need to balance my check book, too, but I want to get away from the computer. I have to tell about a great dinner I made last night. I made Chicken Helper, Alfredo Fettucini. But I added some tomatoes that I had slow cooked in the oven for about 6 hours. These tomatoes are my new secret ingredient in food. Real quick, you put a baking paper on a cookie sheet, cut large tomatoes into 4-6 wedges apiece, or use small tomatoes whole, coring them first, of course. I heat up 1/4 C olive oil and add about 1/2 teaspoon of thyme, rosemary and then a bunch of basil leaves from my garden and let this heat up so that the flavors mix in the oil. I drizzle this over the tomatoes and put in oven at about 225 for at least 2 hours. Then, I eat them off the tray, or add them to pizza, or Chicken Alfredo. So good and so easy. I would encourage anyone and everyone to try the tomato thing. It's from one of Julia Child's cookbooks and so good. Bon Appetit!

Salsa, salsa, salsa

I started to make some salsa yesterday, but accidently put in twice as much jalapeno peppers as the recipe called for. It was so spicy hot that I can't eat it. It was even hot for Dana, who usually can put up with a lot. So, last night, I put another 5-6 cups of tomatoes in my crock pot and let it cook all night. Then I mixed it with the other salsa to dilute the hotness. It helped quite a bit. So, now I have to go to the store to get more lids and then process it. Does anyone want salsa for Christmas??? I also got my "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" book in the mail. I can't wait to try some of the recipes. Let me know if anyone wants my salsa recipe. It's a good one.

Costumes!!!

I went to the PS (practice studio) today for my costume fitting. I have 4 costumes for Macbeth, the most I have ever had in one opera. First is the witch costume. It weighs 10 lbs. if it weighs an ounce. There is a huge poncho-type outfit which hangs to the floor, with all sorts of unraveled cloth hanging on it. Then there is a mask, which covers my face, except my mouth and chin. Then a big hood over that. The last part of that costume is a pair of flesh colored glove with 3 inch fingernails on them. I can't even take them off by myself. I look pretty ghastly. Next is a lady's costume, with a brown skirt, an over jacket of brown velvet and a necklace. I wear black ballet type slippers with that. Then there is my "sleepwear" costume. Same brown skirt, but with a different tunic over it. Lastly, there is the refugee costume, which is the same as the sleepwear, but with a shawl and an hooded shawl, (both) over the sleepwear. I wear boots made of cloth, laced up the front with that one. It's going to be hot, to say the least. I have heard that we are going to braid extensions into our hair. I will definitely take pictures when I am in full dress. Tonight was our first rehearsal with Suzanne. She is so good, but so stiff. The lady leading the rehearsals last week was more fun, and we got a lot done, but probably not as nit-picky as Suzanne is. I like the nit-pickiness, but I wish she was just a little more fun. Oh well. I plan on blogging this opera experience, so expect a lot more.