Into Rehearsals

Home from the first rehearsal for me, and off to an exciting start! Tonight it was the chorus and me, no principals yet, in a space at UNCSA. I learned that step one is always to sign in and get your nametag, then tonight we also had to pick a slot for costume fittings next week. (Another fine adventure to be in store there!) But then we got down to business, with instructions from the excellent Assistant Stage Manager, Ann Louise Wolf. She had already marked the floor to mimic the Stevens Center stage as closely as possible (the UNCSA space is smaller) with where the edge of the stage will be, as well as where the curtain will raise and lower (don't want to get in the way of that!) and the entrance/exit areas in the wings plus a fire pit for the scene we were working on, Act II Scene I, the famous Anvil Chorus. She told us the stage will be "raked", which means it will be on an incline from front to back, and there was a ripple of protest from many chorus members. I can imagine it will take a little getting used to! But Jamie pointed out, in his inimitable style, that "the rake is your friend...It allows you to be seen much better by everyone in the audience, rather than getting lost in the crowd!" And here I was trying to get lost in the crowd, so much for that.

Next Jamie did a run-through of the music with the chorus accompanied by the talented Nancy Johnston at the piano. They sound great!! And for the most part they were singing "off book" which I discovered is the term for having memorized the piece. They have been hard at work for several weeks.

Then Steve got us all on the floor and began assigning "places" for the opening of the act. He said that the scene changes will be done "a vista", which means in view of the audience (with the curtain up.) Some singers were assigned to carry benches, the obligatory anvil and assorted buckets on stage as they enter. I have been designated as a wineskin bearer, how perfect is that! I am one of three who get to flirt with the hard-working gypsy men and pour wine for them. Steve told us that gypsies of the time were mostly tinkers who sold the goods they made. Though they didn't have much in the way of wordly goods they loved being out of doors and valued their freedom above all else, so were a fairly happy band of comrades. I love being in the midst of that band of comrades as they belt out the chorus, just wish I had the voice to sing along with them!

Ann Louise and Steve assigned each person or group a number, in order of their entry on stage from their assigned spot in the wings. Then to start the action rolling, Nancy began playing the intro and Ann Louise would tell us to get ready, then call out each number as their time came to enter. It all happens pretty quickly once it gets going! My fellow wine bearers and I come on after those already on stage have sung for a bit. They seem happy to see us, or is the wine they're after? Several of us move about the stage here and there during the singing.

After several run-throughs with and without tweaking, we were at a point to stop for the night. Tomorrow at 2:00 the chorus will perform the Anvil Chorus in the Mountcastle Forum of the Milton Rhodes Art Center, followed by the principals performing several arias from the opera, which should be a great preview of the production for the public. Come see! Our next rehearsal is tomorrow night, working on the same scene and adding some of the principals, who enter the action where we left off.

So I think I'll just stay in character until then...
The Gypsy Vixen