One month later...

Sorry for the 2 week absence...there hasn't been too much to report, so I got lazy :) But these last 2 days were eventful! We had our first rehearsal on the set...we open next Thursday. :) This set is awesome and huge and awesome. I arrived at rehearsal Wednesday evening...we were having a technical debriefing of sorts to make sure we all knew how the set worked and moved and watch out for things. It was of course all in German-I caught about 5-10 words... (most of them were "und") the crew is so nice-everyone at the opera house is, so they translated for me after. Of course, the technical director announced that he would translate the information for me after the meeting-to which I responded with a fist pump and a "go USA" type of comment-I felt a little silly, but they are all so kind and I know they understand the language barrier. After the technical meeting (and translation) as well as a walk on the set to get a 30 second feel for it, we started rehearsal. A little bit about this set: it is a circular ring that separates into 4 single rings signifying the 4 parts of the Ring Cycle. The set moves and turns and it is the steepest rake I've ever been on...my upper thigh muscles are angry today. It's a total body workout-so I can check cardio off the list. This is also a very active show, so a lot of movement and running about and crawling...it's a wonder I make it through these kind of shows alive given my tendency to trip and fall over. I'm a little clumsy. (I included this link if you wanna read about Wagner's Ring Cycle) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ring_des_Nibelungen So rehearsal Wednesday evening went well, although it was intense. At one point in Act 1, the stage beings to turn and the outermost ring separates away and I have to climb up the ring and retrieve my tenor colleague Frank and get the sword and what not and we stopped briefly to go over it technically. It was at this point I realized that I was a good 20 feet in the air-standing on a ring about 5 and 1/2 feet wide...the "I'm scared of heights" kicked in and I had to focus so I didn't look like an idiot-like the time I parasailed and cried (yup) or went on a hot air balloon ride and clutched the basket so hard for dear life that the captain (is that what you call the guy who flies the balloon?) asked me if I was gonna be ok...anyway...I focused and a) didn't fall and b) didn't cry. So-win, win. The rehearsal was invigorating though. I'm running around on the set-sweating profusely...sweat is dripping in my eyes-I couldn't see the conductor at one point...but it was all so amazing. The set is so grand and the staging, while intense-is really awesome. I feel so lucky to be a part of this production!! By the end of the rehearsal, I had shed my cardigan (part of my costume is a cardigan) and my hair was on top of my head in a bam-bam like pony tail. We got through Act 1 on Wednesday night and did Act 2 and 3 yesterday. Quick side note about rehearsal attire: often you rehearse in skirts or parts of your costume so you can get used to how it feels and how you move in it-especially when you are on a set like this one and it requires a lot of moving and action. My rehearsal "costumes" for this show include a slip (yup) and a cardigan and a pair of thick, brown socks that have those little rubber gripper feet on the bottom of the sock. The original "dress" that I was given to rehearse in didn't even fit around me-and when I tried it on and realized it only covered my back basically, I thought-"really?!" Folks-you measured me up in wardrobe. What's this piece of fabric supposed to cover?! So then they brought some slips in...nice and snug and in European sizes so I can't tell what size it is...what does 36 mean?! (Forgive me-I'm being very American right now.) Anyway-I found a slip that had enough stretch (which required me to shed any care that I looked like a sausage coming out of it's casing) I was really worried about the socks...this set is SO steep and I was worried about slipping...but those ugly little suckers are awesome! They definitely do the job! Ok-enough about rehearsal attire :) Yesterday we went over Act 2 and 3. Act 2 is the most physically demanding act...Sieglinde has a "mad scene" of sorts-I run laps around the ring...super cardio :) There is then a scene between Siegmund and Brünnhilde and I am on the stage "sleeping" (I pass out after my mad scene cause I got myself so worked up)....this scene requires me to sleep walk...and move about with Siegmund...which proved to be a huge challenge for me. How does one get up and move about on stage with your eyes closed? It was tough-and I of course expressed my frustration to Hans...I told him during notes how much I HATED that scene and he told me "enjoy it! it's an opportunity for you as an actress to communicate to the audience"....and he's right. It is an opportunity to stretch myself-yet again...to look as graceful as possible while being dragged across the stage while I'm "sleeping"....as my tenor colleague Frank so delicately puts it: "you are a piece of meat in this scene" :) Yesterday's rehearsal went really well-I felt like I jumped a major hurdle yesterday. I shared in my first blog about how I really was being stretched when it came to my acting and yesterday I felt like I accomplished something grand and personal for myself. I let go of my inhibitions and prudish stage manner and gave into the character-I mean it really is demanded of me in this role. I have a safety box on stage though...I don't like to be pushed too far, but Hans (our Director) has really pushed me and encouraged me and called me out on some habits that I have (apparently I look at the floor a lot when I sing and I have a tendency not to commit to physical touch with my colleagues on stage) and it's been hard, but I am SO grateful for it. And yesterday night when he congratulated me and complimented me, I knew I was starting to make some progress in this area of acting. So I'm stoked! And excited!! Also-this has been a show where the conductor has been very involved. After the rehearsal on Wednesday night, Maestro and I spent an hour going through the score and talking about text and phrasing and he has been so attentive and invested in this-I told him how grateful I was for his insight and time...it's been amazing....to sit me down and talk with me about diction and phrasing and teach me about this piece-it is INVALUABLE to me as a singer! I know that this piece will forever be a huge milestone for me...for many reasons. But wow-such generosity from the conductor has overwhelmed me and taught me SO much. I am beyond grateful!! On top of all it, he has a great sense of humor-so I've enjoyed laughing with him and getting to be myself in rehearsals! Another joy in this process has been my colleague, Susan. She is singing the role of Brünnhilde and she is hilarious and has been so kind to me and looked out for me and given me advice...it's been really awesome getting to know her and work with her. I'm incredibly grateful for her presence in this show and how gracious she is...having good colleagues makes all the difference!! Yay for Sue!!! (and all my colleagues-truly everyone has been awesome!!) We open next Thursday...we have 2 more rehearsals on the stage before we open. I of course would have loved more time on this amazing, huge set-but I am learning to adapt quickly. I walked around a bit last Saturday and got some pics...it was a really beautiful day-I also tried my first bratwurst! Yay! Super yummy. I can't believe I've been here for a month! The time has gone quickly. Missing home and family and friends-missing my husband A LOT. I have been so fortunate-I've talked to him quite a bit even though he is in Rwanda right now...they got him a cell phone and apparently it's very cheap to make calls. Also-skyping with loved ones really helps. Somehow it makes me feel closer... Lots of love to you all! Thank you for all the encouraging words and prayers and love...means SO much to me!!

Woche drei

Week 3! Hard to believe I've been here for 2 weeks already...the time is going by quickly and I'm grateful for that! This last week we completed all the staging for the scenes I am in...and this week, Walküre doesn't rehearse as Rheingold is now staging. I have some musical calls with the Maestro, for which I am very grateful as well as a one-on-one rehearsal with the Director to go over all my staging before we move to the set. I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my last post, but I am one of the only cast changes-the rest of the principle roles are all being sung by the original cast that premiered this production in 2010. After some much needed rest last Sunday and Monday, I returned to rehearsal on Tuesday to start staging the Act 3 scene. I was excited about this-I was gonna meet the Brünnhilde, Susan Bullock, and stage the scene with her. She is a wonderful colleague-very encouraging and kind and quite hilarious. The first day of rehearsal with her was rocky for me. I made a rhythmic error and right there in the middle of rehearsal and in front of all my colleagues, I was made to repeat the measures over and over again-apparently I kept making the same mistake...I finally asked if I could look at later after rehearsal-I was SO flustered and mortified that that had just happened in front of everyone...I was biting my lip to fight back the tears of frustration. Here's what happens to me in rehearsal when I am caught off guard...1) I get really flustered. I'm not stupid-I know I probably made an error somewhere in the music. But with the language barrier, sometimes I don't always get right away what I am being corrected on. 2) I start making MORE mistakes. Literally, my brain starts to shut off and before I can tell myself to CALM DOWN and FOCUS, I'm making a ton of errors and flubbing the German diction. 3) My mind starts to go blank and all I can hear is my own inner voice yelling at me "GET IT TOGETHER! THEY ARE GONNA FIRE YOU! At this point, I'm pretty convinced I've never seen the music and I might as well be standing in front of everyone NAKED because I'm sure that that would be less embarrassing than the mistakes I am making. This isn't anything new-I've always struggled with staying focused in a rehearsal when I mess up. I think I've figured out it's a huge pride issue for me. I don't wanna make mistakes and I don't wanna come off as unprepared and such. SO. After all that, we resumed the staging. Susan was so awesome. She reassured me and gave me perspective about the whole thing after rehearsal and soon I was laughing with her and telling her how overwhelmed I had been my first week here. I also decided that evening that I would leave my pride at the door for all future rehearsals. Like I wrote in my last blog, I did say I wanted to learn. And that means also having a teachable attitude no matter if I am convinced that I didn't make any error. This method proved successful. The next few days, I went to rehearsal and simply asked for things I needed (very respectfully) and everything started running a bit smoother. I also had a musical rehearsal/coaching where quite a bit of my diction was scrutinized and tweaked, but I had left my pride at the door for that one too and I know that it's only gonna make me a stronger singer/performer. Catching on to a theme here? :) This weekend, I had to travel to Berlin for an audition. Which meant I could either take a train or fly there. I chose the train-cause it was cheaper than a last minute flight. I messaged my friend Nili for info on how to buy a long distance train ticket (don't know what I'd do without her here) and went to the Hauptbahnof (Central Station) to purchase my ticket. The Hauptbahnof is the main station here in Frankfurt-it's huge and very busy. I navigated my way around until I finally found the escalator that took me up to the ticket purchase/train arrival-departure/food court and whatnot area. I found the ticket counter and got it all purchased. Now-when Gabe and I were in Rome, I had to go up the coast to Genoa and audition for Savonlinna (back in 2010). We learned there that they will basically sell as many people as they can fit on the train a ticket, but there are only so many reserved seats. On that trip, we didn't get a reserved seat on the way up so we mostly stood and somewhat sat on these little seats that came out of the wall for 5+ hours. I was very aware of this so I asked the guy when I got the ticket here where I sit and he said "anywhere"...so I assumed it was open seating. NO. NO, it was not. It was the same way as it was on the Italian train. I got on the train and took a seat only to be asked to move by the folks who actually had BOUGHT the seat. I went and found a train service worker gal and asked if I was on the right train and where my seat was and she said-"yes, you are on the right train-sit anywhere there is a free seat because you don't have a reservation." I was immediately frustrated. I didn't wanna have to stand for 4 hours before singing an audition...but what choice did I have? In the end, I found a seat and was able to sit for most of the ride-save that last 90 minutes. I was instantly humbled when I was asked to move-I got up and made my way out to find a woman with her two small (and ADORABLE-might I add) boys sitting on the floor. Oh and she was pregnant too. No one was giving up there seat for her. So I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I arrived in Berlin-got to my audition, sang and got right back on the train to come back to Frankfurt. On the ride back, there were plenty of free seats. Now I know that I must ask for a seat reservation. :) Live and learn! Yesterday I rested and studied...the taxi driver in Berlin who drove me back to the station spoke really good English and we got to talking and he recommended watching German TV to learn faster-so yesterday that's what I did. Over time, I think it may help...he told me that it was how he learned English..by watching David Letterman and listening to the Rolling Stones. I have a German dialogue book I brought with me so I am trying to put in at least an hour everyday to study and memorization. At the very least, I can make my way around and such. Wishing you all a lovely week! Missing my fam and friends a lot...love you all-thank you for staying in touch with me!!! Until next week!

Guten tag!

Well I survived my first week! I got here on Tuesday morning around 8am local time....the flight was fine, just long. AA doesn't have personal entertainment systems, so you are forced to stretch your neck just enough to get a nice cramp in it so you can watch the monitor. Made it safe and sound though-luggage made it all over as well. Tuesday was a holiday here in Frankfurt, so almost nothing was open. There was also a bike marathon happening in the city so most of the roads were closed off to cars. Cut to me being dropped off almost 10 blocks from my apartment...it was as close as the cab driver could get. So here I am dragging 3 pieces of luggage and a backpack down the street while thousands of bikers fly past me...I tried to act normal-as if dragging luggage along is an everyday thing...I got to my apartment, checked in and got the key. Thankfully I am on the first floor..just a small set of steps up. I walked into my apartment...wait. I should say ROOM. Yup. That's what it is. A room. With a twin bed and a small desk. It has a bathroom, a kitchenette and a window. To say it is small is an understatement. Apparently, I didn't read close enough when it came to the dimensions of the apartment..umm...room. Basically I saw the price and location...but it's cozy and it works. You can't really turn around in the shower...but I'm learning how to..I won't let it beat me. :) I always forget that certain things that I use a lot of at home are NOT in large quantities in Europe. Pillows, towels...the bed is a simple twin bed with a blanket and one VERY flat feather pillow. The first 2 nights I was so tired, I didn't really notice (and I was using my neck pillow from the plane to boost) but by Thursday night, I knew I needed something more. They clean the room once a week here so I have fresh towels...TOWEL every week..I made a mental note for my next European jaunt that I should probably back a towel or two to have on hand. So back to Tuesday-I got in and dropped off my stuff and fell asleep. I forced myself to wake up a few hours later so I could go and meet my friend Nili-she was gonna show me around the city and help me get situated. I left to go and meet her only to remember it was bike marathon day so no cabs were available...I had to take public transit. I went to the front desk and asked what line to take and such...turns out the major subway line that takes me RIGHT to the opera house is only 2 blocks away. So I walked to the station...I need a ticket. I go up to the machine (it's a holiday-no one is attending the booth) and stand there staring at the machine WILLING it to spit out a ticket as I have NO idea how to operate it. I had left my "German for Dummies" book in my room...so I had no way of translating the information on the screen. I must have looked super awesome-super AMERICAN...cause this young woman comes up to me and asks me in German if I need help..I tell her I do (which consisted of nodding furiously and telling her "no Deutsch"). She tries to figure out the ticket I need and then another couple helps out and I get the ticket. I find my subway line and get down to the platform...the whole time I'm looking for a scanner, a machine..something that I give my ticket to-then I think I probably hand it over when I get on the train. NOPE. It's it the honor system here. They do random checks and you have to have a ticket on you otherwise it's a $40EU fine. No one checks my ticket on this trip or the one returning after I meet Nili. It isn't until Thursday that they do a random search on a train I am on...I of course had a ticket-so all was good. I met Nili at Willy-Brandt-Platz. This is the subway stop where the opera house is..it's 3 stops away from my apartment! Super convenient!! Nili is a friend/colleague that I met in Chicago while on Ariadne..she was in the show and we immediately hit it off...I was beyond thrilled when I learned that she lived in Frankfurt and would be happy to show me around while I was here! She just had a beautiful little baby boy in January..she was pregnant during Ariadne so I was excited to meet her little man! He's absolutely precious! Nili walked me all around-we went over the river and met up with her husband and some of their friends..it was a very beautiful day outside and a lot of people were out enjoying the holiday and weather. I was so grateful for the tour she gave me...it got me familiar with a part of the city that is right by the opera house...this city is very accessible and the transportation system is very easy to use. After our tour and respite by the water, I headed back home to find some dinner and get into bed as I had my first rehearsal the next day at 10am. I managed to stay up till around 8:30pm and then I crashed. I slept pretty hard and woke up around 5am...but I felt rested. I looked over my score, got ready and made my way to rehearsal! I learned the first day that it literally only takes about 20 minutes to get to work...shortest commute I've ever had on a gig! First rehearsal went well. This is a great production. It's really beautiful and makes sense..the stage is designed to look like a ring that breaks and moves into 4 separate rings-signifying the 4 parts of the cycle. The director is super kind and speaks really good English and the tenor is so nice and speaks good English too. The conductor is also very kind...and very knowledgable about this piece. We staged Act 1 in two days. It was so much information being thrown at me-I was in a constant state of being overwhelmed. This is a very active production-requires a lot of movement. Above all, it requires intense acting and characterization. This isn't my strongest suit-so I am really being stretched. Thursday I managed to get over to a store and buy some pillows..as well as grocery shop a little. Friday I had my first costume fitting-I have to say...I HATE costume fittings. It's nothing to do with the wardrobe dept or the ladies working there or anything like that..it's the standing still for an hour while they pin you and fuss over darts and hem lines and neck lines and such. This fitting was extra fun cause I have to wear a body briefer for this show...I picked one that would fit and they left me alone behind the curtain to get it on...but only for like 30 seconds. Then it was peeking through the curtain every 10 seconds or so to see if I was making progress or needed help. Let me tell you all something. Body briefers are only ok once you get them on...they are HORRIBLE to get on. Squeezing every last inch into a piece of fabric isn't exactly a comfortable task or a pretty one at that...so I get it on and am pulling it up and then all the sudden a German woman is behind me yanking the back up so hard I almost came off the floor. In my mind I'm screaming "BACK OFF LADY! I GOT IT!" but I smile and thank her for helping me. Then I stand still for about an hour being pinned and such and thinking I can't stand one more second-and then they are done. :) WHEW! Of course I have more fittings, but at least the first one is out of the way! By Friday evening's rehearsal, I had hit a wall. The jet lag had set it-I only had 3 hours of sleep the night before and all the staging and such had really done a number on me mentally. Top it all off with INTENSE German diction corrections at every rehearsal...I was feeling super inadequate and CRANKY. Oh-we also are staging in a rehearsal room marked with tape...so we aren't on the set yet-that MOVES AND CHANGES and such. That was also starting to really frustrate me because tape on a floor does not a moving set make. But I was determined not to let it really bother me...I made it through that rehearsal Friday night without crying or losing it...but came back to my apartment and crashed. We only had morning rehearsal yesterday-and then the rest of the day off as well as today. I don't have rehearsal again until Wednesday...which I am so grateful for. I need to study my score and look over my notes as well as watch the DVD again..(they gave me a DVD of the show the day I arrived-it's so helpful to be able to watch how the show works and such) I think this contract is going to be another huge hurdle for me. This piece requires intense characterization and a real commitment to the character of Sieglinde. I think it was either Thursday night or Friday that I realized that I have a choice to make: I can either slide by with vocal talent and give a little to the character and overall picture of this piece or I can really commit and learn and stretch myself. I'm forcing myself to pick the latter. I kept saying before I got over here that I was excited to do this role and learn and such-but I think in a way, I say those things every time I take a contract. I don't always mean them. Here I am in Germany singing Wagner...singing it in its country of origin. I've been given an incredible opportunity and I know I would regret it deeply if I wasted it. So as painful as it is to dig deep and stretch myself as an actress, I am doing it. And as much as I wanna blow off the German diction corrections because my pride is wounded, I'm taking them and really trying to learn and listen to how text is spoken here. I guess it really is another level to singing....really understanding and embracing the role. And since this is my job, don't I wanna do it well?? Don't I wanna perform and sing with all my facilities and gifts that God has given me? Yeah-I do. I want to be excellent at what I do-and that requires far more than I often want to give a role. So...there you have it. My first week...today I am going to unpack (don't judge) and take a walk and study and such. I hope this finds all of you well! I miss everyone and thank you all for thinking about me and praying for me and checking in on me!!! Till next week!!!

Germany

Every time I come back to this blog, another year or so has passed! Where does time go??? Hello to all my family and loved ones...I depart for Germany Monday morning. I'm excited, but also nervous. Singing Wagner in Germany. I feel very prepared with this role..thank you Eric and Alan-but still nervous to sing the iconic composer's works in his native land. I have my "German for Dummies" book as well as some phrases on an index card that I wrote down and need to memorize. I've never been to Germany and I am always a bit overwhelmed when it comes to departing for a new country. Getting settled in, getting internet...finding a grocery store..finding a pizza joint that will eventually know my order by heart and smile kindly when I come in...it can be a bit daunting. I'm in Frankfurt until the 26th of June....and I am determined this time to push myself when it comes to getting out and seeing things. I always have grand plans to travel around and site see and then I get overwhelmed with how much there is to do so I stay in and watch a DVD. Sad? Yup. I know. Anyway-thank you all for reading and humoring me and staying connected with me while overseas. When I arrive and get all set up, I will post again. Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye) Yup-already writing in German. Look out.

I know I said my next post would be a video, but I haven't had the time and I didn't want another week to go by without checking in!
It's been a full, busy week. The rehearsal schedule has basically been 10-2, break from 2-6 and then back from 6-10....you would think the break in the middle of the day would be good, but I find myself staying away from apartment so I won't be tempted to nap! Napping seems to be the demise of the international traveler...getting myself adjusted to the time here (I'm 10 hours ahead) has been smoother than I expected-and for that matter than I experienced last year when I went to Prague. But I know if I come home and nap in between rehearsal, I won't go to bed! And with it being so light all the time, it throws your mind off a bit...thankfully, I have darkening shades in my room!
There is an appalling lack of croissants here. :) They have wonderful pastries, but I have yet to find a fresh croissant in the small bakery at the local market. I can take a hint. :)
The show is completely staged now....and I have worked my way through Act 1 and tomorrow will work through Act 2. I observed the first few days I was here-took lots of notes and even some video footage that I could later watch and reference if I had questions. I'm not the quickest tool with staging...but I've been pleased with how quickly I've picked up the staging on this production...I think it's cause I know this music rather well and so I'm not too worried about musical things. The conductor is VERY nice and has a great charm about him...he's personable and friendly. He's french, but works a lot in the states....in fact, he's the music director of Washington National Opera in DC. The director of the show is german and is also very kind. He has a lot of energy and a very interesting concept for this show...Lohengrin is an artist...and there are lots of swans. Lots. :) I was staging Act 2 the other day with Rich and at one point, Lohengrin (Rich) pulls a paper swan out of his back pocket. Telramund comes over and tears it up and Lohengrin pulls out another :) I started laughing on stage. I completely understand the concept, but how many of those does he have in his back pocket?! :))) The chorus is AMAZING. Just absolutely remarkable...and so supportive and loving. One gal came up after rehearsal yesterday and asked for a voice lesson. I was flattered....I don't wanna crush her and tell her that I don't really have a clue as to what I'm doing :)
The castle is gorgeous...the stage is enormous. At one point I'm supposed to run across the stage and then run back and then sing. (insert laugh and snort) Yeah. That probably won't be happening, but I nodded and smiled at the director and in the rehearsal space (which is a fraction of the size of the stage) I ran so at least he knows I making the effort. :) Sometimes directors forget that we have to sing this music....and there are limits to what a singer can do physically...within reason. I'm not a proponent of standing and singing, but I also am not a marathon runner. Plus I don't wanna trip. I'm wearing a shoe that has a chunky heel and we all know that could end badly for me. :)))
Savonlinna has it's own version of Walmart...it's really cool. I ventured out to City Market and got a bunch of groceries as well as a fan! :) Now I own my OWN European fan. That sucker is coming home with me....it was $40EU and I'm not leaving it behind as a parting gift!
So far, I'm having a great time. Everyone is really kind and workable and I think we are all excited to open this show...
Hope you all are doing well...Gabe arrived home safely from Rwanda...I got to talk to him and hear his voice after not talking to each other for a week!
I have pulled the flip camera out of the suitcase (yeah-I'm not unpacked) and I will take some footage so you can all see what I am describing in these posts! :)
Much love-
A

FINLAND!

Hello to all my friends and family and those of you I am paying to read this! (BILL) :))) I'm off on another adventure...this time: FINLAND! I'll be in Savonlinna, Finland until July 21st and thought I would blog about my time here...I'm pretty sure it's gonna be interesting...it's summer solstice and the sun doesn't really set. So....yeah. :)
My trip started out in Denver...I was there singing Act 1 of Die Walkuere in concert with the Colorado Symphony. I had a great week there and worked with some wonderful colleagues. The performances in Denver were Saturday night and Sunday afternoon...right after the Sunday matinee, I was taken to the airport to catch an evening flight to London...I was starting rehearsals in Savonlinna on Tuesday so I needed to start the trek out to Finland immediately as I would be losing a day basically cause of the time difference. I landed at Heathrow on Monday afternoon and had a short layover until the next flight to Helsinki at 4pm. Heathrow is a very busy airport...like JFK and O'Hare...so not to be outdone by other busy airports, we sat on the tarmac waiting to take off....I can't tell you how long cause the moment I sat down on that plane, I fell asleep. That's the only problem with international flights that have layovers...once you get off the plane and your body realizes that something isn't quite right with the time change, you find yourself literally falling asleep anywhere. I fell asleep at the gate on my backpack and I guess my arm slipped and hit a woman sitting next to me...I woke up and found my arm clearly over into her space and a glare to match my apparent freshness. :) Forgive me, lady. I'm exhausted and can't control my limbs. Which let me just vent for a minute about limbs and planes. What is up with people thinking that arm rests are private property?!! Seriously! You don't OWN that arm rest, pal. And! Just cause you have the misfortune of having the middle seat doesn't mean you get BOTH armrests. And sometimes when people fall asleep, limbs shift involuntarily. So settle down and don't judge me!! OY. Also-let me say that my BOSE noise canceling headphones were a lifesaver!!! On the Helsinki flight, there was a child who screamed the WHOLE time. I kid you not. At one point, I was gonna get up and ask if the kid was ok...cause I started to wonder if something was wrong...but then I put my headphones and couldn't hear anything anymore. :)
Anyway! We finally took off and made it to Helsinki at around 9:30ish on Monday night. There were no flights to Savonlinna until the next morning, so I was booked to stay at the Hilton hotel at the airport...very nice hotel and very convenient...only about a 5 minute walk to and from the terminal. By the time I checked in and ate, it was 11pm and I had to get up at 3:45 to catch a 6am flight to Savonlinna. I fell into a restless sleep...I was worried that I would oversleep and miss my flight. AND the only alarm I have is on my phone and I don't get any cell phone service in Finland (which means the clock stays on whatever time zone you were previously in) so I have to manually count 10 hours ahead and set an alarm...my brain was really fuzzy and I kept waking up and checking the time because I thought maybe I didn't set it right and blah, blah, blah....OY.
I did wake up on time however-only to get to the airport to find that the kiosk that was checking in the Savonlinna flight didn't open until 5:15! I was there at 4:45am. So I took my cranky self and found a croissant. :) Those pastries seem to follow me.....
Finally got checked in-survived another security line and arrived at my gate to find that we were delayed. REALLY?! Ahh such is travel...
Finally got on the plane...we had to get on a bus that took us to the middle of the tarmac (not kidding) and board a little puddle jumper plane with propellers...and seats that small children would have trouble fitting in....We took off...and landed about 45 minutes later in what I thought was Savonlinna. NO. It was a small town called Varkaus. The flight attendant had said something about Varkaus, but I thought it was the name of the airport or something in Savonlinna. If she hadn't made an announcement telling the passengers that if Savonlinna was our final destination stay seated, I would have gotten off the plane! And Varkaus is in the middle of nowhere...when we landed we zipped right by the terminal...had to turn the plane around and go back to what they call a terminal...others might say barn. :) After that pit stop, we took off and flew for another 15 minutes and landed in Savonlinna...which is also in the middle of nowhere....at least the airport is...the landscape here reminds me of what I picture Alaska to look like (based on movies and such) very very green and lush and lots of trees and water....it's really quite beautiful. It was raining and pretty cold when I got here-SHOCKER. I can't seem to escape bad weather!! A representative from the festival came and picked me up...all my luggage made it! I was SO thrilled!! When I checked in for the flight in Denver, I was expecting to have to retrieve my bags in Helsinki and then recheck for the Savonlinna flight...but they were checked all the way. I was grateful for this and very grateful the gal told me-I didn't have a change of clothes or any toiletries cause of my assumption...I grabbed a shirt and underwear from my suitcase and then went to the airport shop and bought toiletries! I was kinda worried that the bags wouldn't make it because I was staying overnight in Helsinki...and I've never known bags to be checked through to 3 different flights that are separated by a day of travel...but indeed the gal knew what she was talking about and everything made it :)
I arrived at my apartment at about 9am....my apartment is adorable. Clean, efficient and really cute. It's about a 10 minute walk from the castle...there is a market right across the street and I can see the castle and the water from my bedroom window. When I was dropped off at the apartment, the rep gave me a map and basically said "good luck"...not in a mean way at all, but just very matter a fact....I am SERIOUSLY geographically challenged. Once I get my barrings, I'm ok...but I didn't write the address down so when I left for rehearsal, I literally had to call the Opera festival office and ask where I lived. :) Nice.
I was scheduled for a 6pm rehearsal so I was unpacking and get oriented when my doorbell rang again and I was told that I was needed for rehearsal at 10am! So off I went! I had 8 hours of rehearsal yesterday and 8 today....I'm pretty tired, but also grateful to be busy so I don't nap and get myself all screwed up with the time difference.
I had a costume fitting today...this is a brand new production and it's the first time I've had costumes built for me :) I really like them-the production is modern and I think the concept is interesting. The castle is remarkable...the next blog post I write will have a link to my flickr account so you can see all the pics and videos...it's really gorgeous here and surrounded by water...it's been rainy, but we saw the sun for a little bit today and it was quite the picture to look that castle off the water with the sunlight hitting it.....
I'm having a lot of fun so far...I have several colleagues here that I am very happy to see and work with...which is SO nice being that I am very far away from home and loved ones....and since I am late coming into this rehearsal process, I'm busy so I don't have time to sit around and be lonely which I am very grateful for. That's one of the drawbacks of this career....sometimes you do a gig that has no familiar faces and it's tough. I was actually excited to come here...and I think it's gonna be a great 5 weeks!!
Love you all!
A

Final dress, Gabe's arrival and opening night!

It's been a while since my last post....after the piano dress, I got bit preoccupied with final rehearsals, Gabe coming and opening night! This has been an amazing experience and a learning one at that...we have had 4 different Isoldes...my wonderful colleague, Catherine is the Isolde I have been rehearsing with since I got here. She was always scheduled to sing only the last performance...which was a bummer as I wasn't singing the last performance. I had a gig with Grant Park that I had already committed to so I signed on for four performances here....the other Isolde got sick and withdrew from the four performances she was scheduled to sing-so the house replaced her with 2 new sopranos....one for opening night and then one for the 27th and the 1st. WHEW! Was that confusing?! :) I'm confused too. Don't worry :)))))
Anyway-needless to say, there has been a lot of extra rehearsing and such to prepare the new Isoldes....they both are amazing and Marion (who sang opening night) was fantastic and she did super for only coming in three days before open to learn all the staging and such....Catherine sang the performance yesterday evening, the 23rd and she was AWESOME! She got a standing ovation and she completely deserved it....it was her first Isolde and she had a great success. It was so fun to perform together after having rehearsed for so long...I definitely got to "play" quite a bit on stage with her...since we both really got to know each other. It was a great deal of fun. Today and tomorrow I rehearse with Isolde #3, Elizabeth Connell and she is awesome and very kind. We have our first show together on the 27th! And then it's off to Italy!!!
Our final dress rehearsal went very well...by the time we got to final dress, I was counting the minutes for Gabe to arrive. :) Day after the final dress, I did a radio interview for the opera house and the production...talked about what it was like to sing Wagner and of course was asked if I was related to Richard Wagner...and I decided that I should probably look up my family tree so I can have an intelligent answer to give! They provided a translator-which was awesome...he was very kind and the interview went well. Opening night arrived and so did Gabe!!!!!! It was SO good to have him here.....he had a good flight over and no complications or delays. He arrived about an hour and a half before I had to head over to the opera house to get ready...such a trooper! :) Sitting through a Wagner opera on basically no sleep in 30+ hours is NO small feat!!!!
Opening night went well. I was excited about the whole event and I was thrilled it went so well. The audience was very receptive...(I always wonder if we lose people with Wagner...it is very long) and they were very generous when we all took our bows. My precious mother sent me flowers...and when I took my bow, they gave them to me....it was really special!!!!!
We went to a reception after and then went home and changed and headed out to find some pizza :)) It was late, but we found a little joint not far from my apartment and enjoyed some nice greasy food!!! :))))
We've enjoyed just exploring together and seeing Prague....we head to Italy on Friday...we are very excited about this! Gabe loves Prague and we still have a lot to see...
Hoping you all are well-thank you thank you thank you for all the well wishes and prayers and love on opening night and just in general. I'm so blessed to have so much support!!!
I'll post photos of Italy!!!!
Love to you all!!!!
Amber