Ramping Up

Friday Afternoon

A good time was had by all yesterday, recording our Volpone artist podcast. The result was longer than these things should be, but there's not enough time to do much editing. So grab a cup of coffee and settle back for a chat with us.

Download or listen here, and below at right!

Friday Evening

Overnight, the pace has quadrupled. This is nothing new, but somehow we forget it from show to show. Last night, final run-through in the rehearsal room. Typically called the "designer run" because the scenic, costume, and lighting designer get to see the piece the whole way through for the first time. But this one was also a "composer run" because John Musto arrived in time for it. Talk about ramping up the anxiety level... :)

Saturday Afternoon

This morning, we welcome the orchestra for their first rehearsal. About half of the group played this piece in its previous production, so we're starting a little further ahead than last time. Today and tomorrow we have the luxury of rehearsing in the Center for Education. Monday we move into the pit, and that's when my heart is in my throat. But I'll deal with that in a few days.

Saturday Evening

First technical rehearsal in the theatre. Some costumes, no wigs or makeup. It's all about dealing with the BMD and the "Laugh-in" windows.

Guest Blogger

The first person this season to take me up on my guest blogger offer is bass Thomas Florio - come see and hear him as Judge 3 (from Brooklyn, I believe:) in Volpone!

One of the opportunities we're given as part of the new Studio Artist program is a series of Professional Development Classes given by some of the more seasoned artists involved in the Wolf Trap Opera productions. Last week we had a wonderful masterclass with Volpone director Peter Kazaras, and a couple days ago we had a class with Sara Jobin, the conductor of Volpone, who gave us all kinds of hints, tips, and general-things-you-really-ought-to-know-as-a-young-singer. We had the opportunity to ask questions, and at one point I asked about politics in the professional opera world. As young singers we’re all told that politics can play a potentially large role in determining our careers; making the wrong impression at the wrong time with the wrong person can end your career before it’s started, and there’s very little room for error.

I asked Sara just how prevalent these politics are, when our experience at Wolf Trap thus far has shown so little. If they really do play such a large role, I wondered why we haven’t seen them here. Josh Winograde (the Administrative Fellow in charge of the Studio) and Sara looked at each other and immediately agreed that Wolf Trap is very much a special place in the world of opera. The atmosphere here is a simple one of mutual artistry and cooperation. That’s not to say this place is perfect (the drawback to being in the middle of a beautiful woodland setting is that fast food isn’t exactly around the corner), but it’s sure got a lot going for it. If you get the chance, you should come see for yourself – Volpone opens on Friday. ;-)