A weekend flat on my back

Minds out of the gutter, people!  I threw my back out a couple weeks ago during the strike of La Traviata.  Forgetting that I'm no longer a nubile, young thing but a fat, middle-aged theatre queen, I tried to move a set piece that probably required two fat, middle-aged theatre queens (or one fairly in-shape young person).  Alas, I thought I was recovering well enough until I spent a weekend on Juan and Val's click-couch futon and a night awkwardly twisted in my own bed. 

Too embarrassed to call out of work due to a bad back, I instead did what any honest working girl would do, lie.  Feigning illness, I spent the day reclined on my couch, wrapped in an ace back support, watching twelve hours of holiday-themed cooking shows - actually not a terrible way to spend a cold winter day.  Note to self, back braces only look good on hunky weight lifters, professional wrestlers and delivery men.  On regular schmucks like me, they only accentuate an already bulging muffin top. 

I did manage to make it to rehearsal (for the Very Merry Pineda Holiday Spectacular!) Sunday evening, but wasn't much help.  Thankfully, Chris was on hand to whip the Pineda-ettes into shape for their featured number while I remained sidelined at the keyboard in my back brace.  Coincidentally, Chris also had a senior moment earlier that day.  He lost his car at the Short Hills mall parking lot.  Yes, he actually forgot where he parked and spent a panicked 15 minutes roaming the huge lot in a cold sweat.  What a sad pair we make.   Was it really only 13 years ago that we hand-jived our way across the country playing teenagers?!  Now we're wearing back braces and losing our cars.  Sad, just sad. 

The reviews...err...review, is in!

Congrats to the cast of La Traviata for their glowing review in the Westfield Leader.

And here are a couple of photos:

 Flora (Jessica Renfro) and her boys

Flora (Renfro) and Violetta (Michelle Trovato) laughing it up

The party's over...

The cast party’s over and the soprano’s dead - again.  The last performance of La Traviata went off pretty much without a hitch.  The production itself was one of our strongest in years, with top-notch singers and musicians, good production values and more rehearsal time than usual.  Unfortunately, with the economy tanking and donations and funding nearly non-existent, we’ve been stretched thin.  The four of us (me, Trish, Juan and Val) seem to be pushing a boulder up Mount Everest.  To have me (the director) also doubling as stage crew, stage manager and prop master; Val (the producer) doubling as the box office, costumer and lighting designer; Trish taking care of wigs & costumes plus random administrative tasks and Juan handling every other backstage element while also performing a role in the opera - it’s just ridiculous.  Trust me, it’s not like we love doing everything ourselves, but that topiary won’t move itself into place.  And no one’s storming the theatre insisting on volunteering to help backstage either, so what's a lowly non-profit to do? 

A “mom-and-pop” operation isn’t quite as fun or quaint when you’re bordering on “grandma-and-grandpa” territory.  Yes, I exaggerate, but there’s a big difference between 30 and 40 years old when you’re dragging around set pieces and hanging backdrops.  At 30, it’s bohemian, at 40, it’s … well … hard work.  I woke up this morning unable to bend at the waist.  Yes, I actually threw my back out last night at strike!  Depressing? - Yes, but maybe it’s time to let the young-ins take over the heavy lifting (if we could find any that would back away from center stage). 

With Traviata over, at least I can temporarily enjoy the “freedom” of only having to work at my day job.  Yeah, right.  Now I have my nights “free” to get CDC’s - that's Cranford Dramatic Club, not the Center for Disease Control - new website up and running by Thanksgiving, publish and update both mine and Trish’s new websites and figure out what the heck Mrs. Claus is going to sing at this year’s holiday concert. 

Money, money, money

I just made 500 francs!  Literally.  As director, choreographer, set designer, prop mistress, sometime accompanist and stage crew for Pineda Lyric’s upcoming La Traviata, I was busy at my office desk this afternoon cutting and pasting pictures of old French currency and printing it out on green paper (shhhh, don’t tell HR).  Before you get all high and mighty on me, I’ve seen plenty of recipes, articles, fifth grade book reports and miscellaneous random personal crap sitting on top of the work printers.  I don’t feel the least bit guilty about my counterfeiting project.  At least I bought the paper, so I’m really just stealing a few pennies worth of ink.  Isn’t rationalizing fun?!

We’ve got just one more run-through of Traviata tonight and then the final dress rehearsal on Friday.  After that, well, they’re on their own.  Buy tickets here and mark your calendars for the upcoming Very Merry Pineda Holiday Spectacular on December 23.  You know you want to.

The countdown begins...

How’s this for comedy? - Friday night’s final dress rehearsal of La Traviata will be the first and only time the full cast will ever run the show together before opening night on Saturday.  I know, hilarious.  I’d be crying if it wasn’t so ridiculous. 

That said, I’m tired, but not as stressed out as usual.  Tonight is the sitzprobe followed by three run-throughs and then (insert bombastic trumpet fanfare here) opening night!  We’re actually in pretty good shape except for a couple of scenes that haven’t gotten much stage time.  I just have to keep reminding myself that in the past there are always at least a few scenes left to block when we hit tech week - not so this time.  We’ve actually hit every scene at least once.  I know, that’s not exactly something to brag about, but I think that’s actually a Pineda record for preparedness.

I cannot even begin to explain the rehearsal schedule nightmare this show turned out to be.  Val, of course, was the one banging her head on the coffee table trying to make everyone’s crazy schedules coalesce.  But it’s a common opera producer’s dilemma - do you hire the tried and true talent so busy flying back and forth from gig to gig that they can barely make rehearsals or do you go with unknown singers and hope to discover the next “big thing.”  Regardless, come Sunday night, I’m sure you can find her washing down prozac appetizers with red wine spritzers at the cast party.

Opera singers are all crazy.  I should know, having started out as one.  But working with young, professional singers on a regular basis as a director has only proven the statement as fact.  Okay, maybe I'm being a little harsh, but being on the other side of the table has certainly provided me with the skill set and experience to rival any psychiatric residency program.  I think all opera singers (and actors in general) should have to direct at least a couple of productions before being granted their respective degree or union affiliation. 

Directing is equal parts therapist, baby-sitter, cheerleader and politician.  Anyone who says it's all about creating art is full of shit and is probably a terrible director.  I'd equate directing a cast to adopting a bunch of grown children incessantly asking, "Who do you love best?" while singing high C's at you.  Yes, it's also the process of creating a thematic and visual unity, creating clarity and truth from outrageous stories and coaxing real and grounded performances often out of thin air.  But if you can provide just the right combination of ego-stroking, manipulation, compromise and honest criticism, the performances always seem to fall into place.  

Why the pointed rant?  I guess I'm just stressed out with all the rehearsals for La Traviata.  It's been a somewhat harrowing enterprise, given the fact we won't see a full cast until probably the first run through.  I was also the bad guy this weekend, having to cut dancers out of a number not because they couldn't execute the combination, but because I had to own up to the fact that my choreography just didn't work in the scene.  Now I know how a Broadway composer must feel when he's told he needs to cut his favorite song because it just doesn't move the plot along.  

Okay, enough of the self-pitying crap.  I will now official suck it up and stop whining.  Only two more rehearsals and then - gasp - TECH WEEK!  Did I mention this cast is going to sound amazing?  It's officially my last night off until we close the show.  I will now watch some TV and do absolutely nothing for the next few hours.

Traviata auditions

Quite a mixed bag today at La Traviata auditions. Val and Audrey (one of our Board members) trudged into the city in our search for a Flora, Dr. Grenvil and Alfredo. Fingers and toes were firmly crossed in hopes of finding that elusive creature - an attractive, svelte and talented tenor. Well, several candidates filled at least two of the three criteria, but one firmly rose above the competition. Unfortunately, until I receive the confirmation from Val I can’t disclose names, so stay tuned. We were also happily surprised to hear two wonderful mezzos today. Hopefully, one will take our offer. Still no Dr. Grenvil, so basses and bass-baritones email us pronto.

It’s nice to see that opera is starting to catch up with the rest of the performing arts world in that singers are starting to pay more attention to their physiques. Not that I’m opposed to casting a full-figured singer - Lord knows my center of gravity has widened over the years - but it’s just plain silly to believe that an audience doesn’t notice when the tragic young lovers are clearly menopausal and unable to reach around one another during that last tearful embrace.

This year’s crop of headshots didn’t suck too badly either, no crazy glamour shots or picture taken before 1980. Trust me, people, no matter how good or bad your shot is, we’re eventually going to see you in person. You ain’t fooling anybody with that unnatural head angle or by photo shopping your nose down to a respectable size.