Due to certain unfortunate life events and people that honestly, I'd like to stab with a knife -- what? I'm an opera singer so I can say that -- my muse and inspiration for blog posts temporarily left me and flew away into the ashen skies.
But I'm back. Ha.
And it has nothing to do with the fact that I've nothing to do while I'm subbing at a high school -- but they are doing statewide testing
so there really is nothing to do -- not my fault. We are watching "The Day After Tomorrow" and I'm sitting here playing with my new Netbook, but I can't even use the chat function. I mean, seriously,
teachers should be allowed to use chat. it would be so much easier to
chat between classrooms, don't you think? Damn this high school is big. The office was like, "Your classroom is on Level 5." I was like, for reals? I
have to walk up all those friggin stairs???? You must be off your
meds! Fast forward 5 minutes, there I am, huffing and puffing at the
top. Seriously. Need to go back to the gym.
Which brings me to the update. Did I look like this, you ask, for my most recent opera?
Which brings me to the update. Did I look like this, you ask, for my most recent opera?
Well.............not.......quite............
Hey, not my fault! I mean, seriously, even if I would've lost 20 pounds I would still have looked like a chubby boy.
ok, ok, ok...let me 'splain.
This opera was a Spanish opera, or zarzuela. Actually, it was the first ever Spanish opera performed in Anchorage, so it was pretty ground breaking. The opera was La Tabernera del Puerto or, "the tavern woman of the port". Now, every now and then you come across something you never knew about and you absolutely fall in love with it. Well, that is what happened with this opera.
I played the young, orphan boy Abel. He fancies himself a poet and I actually had more speaking lines than singing. The role of Abel is what we call in the opera biz a "pants role" -- or as I explained to my little elementary munchkins, its called a pants role because a woman wears pants instead of a dress. (Yes, very old-fashioned and feminists revolt, yada yada)
Now I'm going to let you in on a rather well-known secret -- which is all the insecurities and difficulties I had with this role.
Numero uno: My speaking voice.
Throughout my entire life people have told me that I speak "like a child", "like a mouse", "like some furry tailed rodent", "like a chipmunk", "with a tiny, tiny, tiny little pipsqueek voice" -- well, I'm sorry, but that is the way God made me! Now, speaking voice is one thing, stage voice is quite another. I am willing to work on my stage voice, but when it comes to my regular, everyday speaking voice, you best back it up!
So when they told me I would have all this dialogue I woke up in cold sweats and had to wear diapers. But hey, I'm a performer damn it. This is no time to be chicken-shit. So I bucked up, got help, and as Robert Edwin said, put myself aside and immersed myself in the character of Abel.
Numero dos: I'm a 12 year old boy, I'm a 12 year old boy, I'm a 12 year old boy....
...what the hell, I'm a 29 year old woman!!!! And I've got all the acutrements, mkay!??!?! Seriously, if one more person asked me if I was going to bind my boobs I was about to go loco! So, let's just get this straight -- on a side note -- last opera they wanted lots and lots of busty boobilishisness, this opera they want none. See previous note about going to gym.
But in all seriousness, I had to learn to walk like a boy, crouch like a boy, fight like a boy -- dang, good thing I had lots of inspiration at the elementary school!
Numero tres: All the regular have to be on stage fright in my first pretty much real professional gig.
Man, pair all that with having a longish-term sub job for two weeks and I was exhaustivo!!! But hark, I am alive and will be back on here, giving you all the news of my borish life. Oooh, love this part of the movie......
I "by chance" checked your blog today and am glad I did. Again, you amaze me with your writing skills. Way to go "Abel!" :D
Posted by: Denise | April 02, 2009 at 10:04 AM