end of summer

The end of summer is more or less here.  UAO--all three months of it--is done.  Now that I'm back to a more "regular" pattern of life, I've begun to think about what's ahead for me. Prepare yourself for a somewhat meandering read...

Even if UAO has ended for the year, I have another opera gig coming up in a few weeks.  I was recently hired to sing in the world premiere staging of a new opera by composer Barbara Harbach:  O Pioneers!  It's based upon the Willa Cather novel.  I'm singing the role of Oscar, one of two cantankerous, sexist brothers of the opera's/novel's heroine, Alexandra.  Tom Sitzler, whom I got to know well this summer at UAO, will be Lou, the other brother.  We get a trio with Alexandra, and the rest of the time we absorb into the chorus.  Got the score the other day...and did I mention that it was the full orchestral score??  This things are a bee-yotch to read, but if anything, I'll walk away with an appreciation for conductors who have to read that much all the time.

Tomorrow I meet up with John to resume voice lessons, and I'm hoping for a fruitful lesson as well as a meaningful discussion about how I'm going to expand my horizons and put myself out there for audition panels. There are a few Young Artist Programs and Opera Companies that I am really interested in pursuing including, but not limited to Ohio Light Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera New Jersey. Of course there's local fare.  New Opera St. Louis (soon to be "Winter Opera St. Louis") is doing Werther, Barber of Seville and Gianni Schicchi.  This repertoire gives me a few things to shoot for, namely Brühlmann in Werther, Fiorello in Barber and Gherardo in Schicchi.  I'd even be happy to do the chorus of Barber once again...I remember the Quincy Barber to be fun stuff, and this time it'd be in Italian (I presume).  UAO's '10 season (Fille du Regiment--Pirates--Queen of Spades) isn't as ripe with role opportunity, but I'll get to all that later.  The hardest part is finding the right rep to bring to auditions, especially when the role you want has either no aria or nothing excerpt-able.  Then again, that dilemma can breed creativity like nothing else.

Of course there's also musical theatre auditions at Stages or the MUNY...HAHAHAHAHA!!!!1!!!11!  The former has announced its somewhat bland season (State Fair, Promises Promises and Big River).  The latter operates on a 5-year cycle, so we can expect a season including some (or possibly all of) the following:  West Side Story, Beauty and the Beast, Sound of Music, Singin' in the Rain and Jesus Christ Superstar (welcome back, Eric Kunze!). They probably won't repeat Annie Get Your Gun or Mame as both kind of stunk up the place.  Bottom line: not so many singing shows on that docket.

In a week or two, I start up again with my church job at UACC. As I mentioned in the previous post, we might be going to Italy.  Hopefully it will work out...and end up reasonably priced. I look forward to all that we're singing, especially if we end up doing this Italy trip for realz.

Ok, that's it...abrupt ending, I know...but that reflects the ending of my summer. ;)