::Opera? Is that like the Phantom of the Opera? Oh, duh.
12:27 p.m. - 2004-06-10
I really have to get my act together. I sang in a concert last night which was small and not very well attended, and most of all, full of awful singers. After I sang my arias (which were fine, nothing to write home about) I went out into the audience to listen the other singers. The concert consisted of opera arias and musical theatre selections and as I was listening, I realized that while I didn't know any of the other arias (save one someone sang from Carmen), I knew nearly all of the musical theatre pieces, and for most of those, I even knew all of the lyrics. This seemed especially pathetic to me.
I today decided to get on the phone and call local opera companies to inquire about upcoming auditions that they may have. I got in touch with someone from Opera Townsend Players who informed me that the were having auditions in two weeks and wanted to know if I was aware of what they were planning for next season. No, I wasn't. So she told me. Un Ballo in Maschera is one of the operas, she said. "What kind of voice are you?" she asks, "A Soprano", I reply. Are you more of an Amelia, or an Oscar?" she asks. "A lyric soprano," I reply, embarrassed that I don't know this opera and have no clue about who the characters are or which I would sing. I felt like I made an ass out of myself! I have heard of the opera, but I've never seen it and I don't know what in the hell I would sing! Sigh. I probably won't be auditioning for them this year, since I don't even know the opera and a know better than to try to learn an aria in 2 weeks.
However, this is my resoultion. It is a sad day when an opera singer doesn't know the operas that she should be auditioning for, and even sadder when she avoids or cancels auditions because of it! Since I'll be working as a cigarette girl for Peachy's, I am going to reward myself each week by setting aside enough money from peaching to buy myself either an opera recording or a ticket to a production. If I listen to one per week, starting with those that seem to be frequently produced, it might make up for the fact that I never took an opera rep/opera history class in school, and maybe I can avoid making a complete fucking asshole out of myself in the near future. I ought to know this stuff anyway.
Hell.
At least, maybe, I can fall under the category of a dumb singer for once and get away with it.
