On with the show this is it!!!

We had our first chorus rehearsal for our first show of Edmonton Opera's 2007/2008 season - Carmen! It never ceases to amaze me at how we get from where we are now to performing on the auditorium stage with a full orchestra in full costume in front of hundreds of people! I love the process of how this all gets put together and thought I'd share some of the finer points of " putting on the show we call opera"

First we have music rehearsals. We chorus get together about every 2 nights for the next couple of weeks with our chorus master Peter and learn the music. It involves learning the pronounciation of whatever language the opera is written in (French for Carmen). So we sit in that rehearsal hall with music stands and scores and work our way through the music until within a couple of weeks we're singin' in French and almost have it memorized.
Next it's music rehearsal with Maestro. Meastro is the conductor. He's responsible for how this whole show will sound. How we sound, the stars sound and the orchestra sounds. We work with he ( or she although I've never experienced a female maestro since I've started in opera 6 yrs ago) for a couple of rehearsals fine tuning our vocals.
Next we start the staging. The Director joins us in the rehearsal hall and we start telling the story. We have to have the opera memorized by now because we're moving around the rehearsal hall space perhaps dancing, lying on the ground while singing and can't be holding our scores now! He directs us in our staging and characterizations and we start working with the principles. " Principles" is the fancy opera word for leading ladies and men. Today audiences expect not only amazing music but also amazing acting. Gone are the days of standing in your viking hat singing really loudly! Today's opera stars are highly trained singers and actors with years of vocal and acting training from all around the world. It's quite thrilling to be sharing the stage and working along side them.
So we're about 3 weeks into the whole process and now we get to go to the actual performance stage for the next step in the process. This step is called the " piano tech #1". With the piano accompaniment we go through the paces on the main stage. This is an opportunity for the technical aspect of the show to be run as well. All the lighting and props and stage left and right entrances.
Next night is " piano tech #2 with costumes". The same run through but this time in costumes. This is important because how we move and get around could be quite different if your in high heels, longs skirt carrying a tree branch!!! ( I had to carry a tree branch and had a large dried up turkey bone hung from my waist in Macbeth) We run through our quick changes too. I had to change from a witch into a Lady of the Court in about 2 minutes in Macbeth.
Next night is orchestra dress!!!! Full orchestra run through in full costumes!!! This is fun!!!
One more dress rehearsal with the orchestra and this time we have an audience. We invite schools and the media to attend this rehearsal! We love the student audience. They're so enthusiastic! They boo the bad guy and cheer for the good guys!! Hopefully they're hooked on opera by the end of the night and we have future patrons of the opera!
Finally a night off and then Saturday night is opening night. So much fun and it all culminates in such an awesome night. The audience is still as the orchestra tunes, the lights dim and the curtain rises and the show begins.
While the story unfolds the audience has no idea that there are a bunch of people in costumes drinking diet coke playing cards in the green room. Over the backstage PA system we hear " Chorus men and ladies to stage left for your entrance in act 1 please" and we scurry to the wings, and enter singing our hearts out! It's so thrilling. When the curtain goes down at the end of the opera and rises for our bows you can't help but giggle and think.....a few hours ago I finished my nursing shift, had dinner with my kids and look at me now!! I'm a witch/peasant woman/lady of the court/geisha!!!