July Debris

But first, this note to Romeo et Juliette ticket-holders: I've had quite a few questions about the pre-show talk for this Saturday's performance. It's part of the Pre-Performance Preview series at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. It begins at 7:15 pm - at the Park, not at the Center for Education. Ory pre-show talks continue this weekend at the CFE before the Friday and Sunday performances.

At left, the pitiful scene in the corner of my office - my white Liberace piano covered with mid-season debris...

Left-over leis from an "Island Magic" moment in our donor concert in June.

Filene Center light plot drawings for the Romeo lighting designer.

Two-week-old New York Times. Unread.

Voldermort for President bumpersticker which appeared mysteriously on my chair last week.

Random black clothing to change into for performances.

Small red devil duck from stage management.

Band uniform-turned-British flagbearer costume for Wellington's Victory.

Elmo mini-golf. A gift. Not sure why.

The sad thing about this is that I'm a little bit of a neat freak. Not a clean freak, god knows. But I can't think with clutter in my environment. (Always figured there was so much clutter in my brain that I had met my quota.)

Hell Week

There's so much going on that I should be blogging, but there's so little time. Between now and Sunday, we have 15 singers in 4 performances of 3 different works. Carmina Burana on Thursday with the NSO, Ory on Friday, Romeo et Juliette with the NSO on Saturday, and the final Ory on Sunday. Add in a Figaro set load-in, a few rehearsals offsite at the Kennedy Center, a couple days of recording sessions*, and 3 pre-show talks, and you have some idea of what I mean.

(*We've offered our singers a chance to make demo CDs with piano accompanist to take away with them.)

Comte Ory opening weekend was terrific. Everyone talks about the comedy (and indeed, it is funny), but I'm stunned by the way our singers make this devilishly difficult music seem easy. They seem to relish its challenges, and perhaps they do.

Romeo rehearsals this week have been invigorating. It's essentially fully staged, and it's going to be terrific. And the heat is going to break by then!!

More later, I promise. Signing off with a few more photos from Instant Opera!, courtesy of Joe Bell.