Figaro tomorrow

It's Friday and the boys and Maggie have had their full week of school after vacations.  Everyone is quite tired out.

Our Traviata cast is also feeling it, as we have been rehearsing now since mid-October.  The staging is pretty much complete now, and today and yesterday we were able to run some long scenes without stopping.  My involvement has grown somewhat; in the original staging I was to be simply a messenger who delivers some bad news to Alfredo in act II, but now my responsibilities are expanded quite a bit...

I explained before that this is a 20th-century Traviata, with Violetta and her fellow courtesans being portrayed here as women from eastern europe, brought in on container ships to serve as prostitutes in decadent parties for powerful men in the west.  The director has placed the chorus in the pit, and myself and two other singers who have small comprimario parts must take part in the action on stage.

What this means for me is that, in addition to "Le Commissionario" in Act II, I play a "party guest" and additional ensemble singer in the opening scene of Act I; the same in Flora's party scene in Act II, and the same rich gentleman returns in the finale/death scene of Act III.  Indeed I actually sing a few lines (usually sung by the Doctor, who is offstage at this point in this production) in ensemble with Violetta, Alfredo, Germont and Annina, just before Violetta's death.  Lastly I am also in the "prologue"/overture as a figurant of (I think) a pimp, so you see I won't be twiddling my thumbs in the dressing room all night waiting for my solo lines to come up.  It also means that I have lots of "playing" on the stage, but I don't mind this at all.

The cast is extremely nice, without exception, and very supportive and collegial.  One cast member had his wife and children in town this past week and so invited a bunch of us over for lasagne together, so the boys and I went and had a great time.  Today at lunch two of the lead singers complimented me, saying that it was a shame that there wasn't more for me to sing in the show, as they liked my voice very much; this respect and support from such talented colleagues feels very good to receive.

Tomorrow we have more rehearsing until 14h, then I am off to Lommel immediately to do our next Nozze di Figaro there in the evening, and then drive home... It will be a long day tomorrow!