My contract started last Monday at 10AM with a full company meeting, so I spent 10.5 hours in the car on Sunday making the drive from Boston to Charlottesville, Virginia. I am so lucky to have been welcomed back with hugs and kisses to the home where I stayed last summer.
The Honda takes a much-needed rest in the driveway.I have a beautiful room to relax in and it is more than half the size of our entire apartment at home! Here's a peek...
The first week has been incredibly busy. The rehearsal schedule is generally chunked up into three time periods over the course of the day. 10AM - 12noon; 2PM - 5PM; 7PM - 10PM. This past week, I was called for almost every time slot for coachings.
The busy schedule was to help the apprentices prepare for the full sing-thrus of both My Fair Lady and Carmen for the Artistic Director and Resident Conductor. I am in the ensemble for MFL and will be performing the role of Frasquita, as well as covering the role of Micaela in Carmen.
For an excellent explanation of what an opera cover does CLICK HERE.
We also just received our assignments for the Musical Theater Apprentice Showcase on July 4th called "Broadway Bound". I'm thrilled with the music I get to prepare: two excerpts from West Side Story (I'll sing Maria), and a fun solo from Oklahoma! called "Many A New Day" which is sung by the character of Laurey.
After such a busy first week, a high amount of stress from meeting new colleagues and performing for all of the directors - I've managed to catch a nasty head cold. At least it's not strep or tonsillitis, as I initially feared. So, today is a day off and I'm spending it with cough drops, antihistamines and Kleenex. The gorgeous view from the back porch is helpful...
Families of deer and fireflies provide entertainment at twilight.