Opera - The Backstage Story

The fun times never end backstage during tech week. And humor must be in high demand to aid our poor, weary souls and bodies through the trials (literally) of tech staging rehearsals. I bring you now, some of the quote gathered in one evening, overheard in the men’s wardrobe room: “Those ARE my feet that stink. COOL!” ~ after removing his soiled ADIDAS “Hey! That’s not my sword!” ~ by the prop table “Why is yours bigger than mine?” “Because I have a large mellon.” ~ comparing tricorne hats “He’s got a big instrument.” ~ complimenting the Speaker’s voice “Actually, truth be told, I have THREE balls. But just one is in the sack.” ~ Chorister bragging of his bowling prowess. Chorister #1: “It's amazing how six inches can make such a difference.” Chorister #2: "Yes, in all espects of life." ~ During a staging adjustment of 'six inches to the left'.

Balls to the Wall

I’ve been asked by a fellow blogger to write and describe what it is like to sing Wagner. Well, the short version is that it feels like what a camel must experience when it hurls it’s larynx out of its throat. This is true. Camels will on occasion upchuck it’s vocal mechanism and let it dangle outside it’s mouth at a human it feels is a threat, or at attractive double humpback female camels as a mating ritual. Evil baritones have been known to do this when singing Wagner. The Flying Dutchman is one of Wagner’s early operas and consists of many signature Wagner motive’s which are prominent later on in his bigger grand operas, but also has much sense of the Romantic style that Wagner appreciated, especially from Bel Canto composers such as Bellini. Richard Wagner, however, has taken liberties with his compositions. He enlists broad strokes of melody with hellacious ranges, and gigantic leaps in dynamics for singers of opera. To sing Wagner is a stretch vocally, musically, and physically challenging for one’s stamina. I was so physically exhausted after singing the men vs. ghost chorus in Act III that I literally collapsed in the Green Room each night after performing the scene. With wads of tissues in hand I dampened my sweaty brow and gulped water like it was sweet as milk & honey. It certainly did not help that the director’s staging had us stomping, hitting, and otherwise creating mass hysteria onstage while singing, “Steuerman las die vacht!” That chorus and style of singing can only be described by the term known to all singers as, "Balls to the Wall!" And after each curtain call when the throng of 3,000 fanatics were finished applauding, whooping and whistling, I lingered on stage after the curtain’s final drop so that I could search for my vocal mechanism which was left somewhere downstage right. Wagner? Oy! I love his music, but I think I’ll stick to singing Mozart & Puccini.