Opera gig
So, I've been working in an opera this summer. So many little details that I'd like to write down, but they're going to be a bit mish-mashy.
I'm in the chorus, and it's a great bunch of people. Everyone is very professional and friendly. The lead soprano is quite good, and also seems to be down-to-earth. We had a party during the first week of staging rehearsals, and she hit the dance floor with everyone else. There's another singer who doesn't have a named part, but has a couple of bit characters throughout the opera and does quite a job with them. He is amazing.
There is a scene where the chorus people are sitting at a formal dinner celebrating the premiere of an opera (within the actual opera), and I get a brief moment in the spotlight when I am introduced as one of the performers who has just finished singing the premiere. It's not a singing part, but it's a good opportunity to try out some acting. The rest of the time that I'm onstage, I am playing a prostitute. An old, bitter, worn-out prostitute. Think Fantine at the end of her life.
The costumes are awesome. The dress I'm wearing for the scene where I'm an opera diva costs more than the amount of money I'm making for the whole summer. And that's not because I'm making a pittance (though we're not getting rich, we're making what I would call a living wage). It's a vintage lace dress. I am deeply afraid that I will rip a hole in it! The prostitute costume involves a corset and some silky bloomers, and features my bosoms prominently (though they are covered up with a chemise, thankfully). I'm glad that my costume allows me to wear a bra, actually- not everyone's does.
Day-to-day life is pretty easy. We go to rehearsal, we eat our meals together, and we hang out in the evenings. I am meeting many new colleagues, and absorbing a lot about the process. I have never been in such a large production. There are so many stagehands, musical and stage directors, and managers running around that I can barely keep them all straight. There are a dozen people working in the costume shop alone. This thing is big-budget! It's exciting to be in such a buzzing artistic community.
I'm in the chorus, and it's a great bunch of people. Everyone is very professional and friendly. The lead soprano is quite good, and also seems to be down-to-earth. We had a party during the first week of staging rehearsals, and she hit the dance floor with everyone else. There's another singer who doesn't have a named part, but has a couple of bit characters throughout the opera and does quite a job with them. He is amazing.
There is a scene where the chorus people are sitting at a formal dinner celebrating the premiere of an opera (within the actual opera), and I get a brief moment in the spotlight when I am introduced as one of the performers who has just finished singing the premiere. It's not a singing part, but it's a good opportunity to try out some acting. The rest of the time that I'm onstage, I am playing a prostitute. An old, bitter, worn-out prostitute. Think Fantine at the end of her life.
The costumes are awesome. The dress I'm wearing for the scene where I'm an opera diva costs more than the amount of money I'm making for the whole summer. And that's not because I'm making a pittance (though we're not getting rich, we're making what I would call a living wage). It's a vintage lace dress. I am deeply afraid that I will rip a hole in it! The prostitute costume involves a corset and some silky bloomers, and features my bosoms prominently (though they are covered up with a chemise, thankfully). I'm glad that my costume allows me to wear a bra, actually- not everyone's does.
Day-to-day life is pretty easy. We go to rehearsal, we eat our meals together, and we hang out in the evenings. I am meeting many new colleagues, and absorbing a lot about the process. I have never been in such a large production. There are so many stagehands, musical and stage directors, and managers running around that I can barely keep them all straight. There are a dozen people working in the costume shop alone. This thing is big-budget! It's exciting to be in such a buzzing artistic community.