The Reluctant Receptionist

it seems as though i almost always forget what it’s actually like to try to learn an opera role. all of the hours of study and head-beating and looking like a crazy person, speaking french to yourself on the new york subway, are like the investment we make to get to go on stage. i know that sounds hokey, but i can’t think of another way to put it.

when i agreed to sing pandolfe this fall, i didn’t really know what i was getting into. i can say that now that i pretty much know the role and it’s too late for elspeth to replace me. when i saw cendrillon at peabody, it seemed like pandolfe was something of a nothing role, a minor character. i have no idea if i was paying so much attention to the soprano or not enough to the baritone or what, but i was dead wrong. pandolfe is a bear of a role, singing an aria, two big duets, and a formidable amount of ensemble stuff. (even more ensemble stuff in our production, since we’re doing it sans chorus. that means “without chorus” in french. GOD i am good at this stuff. i got off easy, though: my family has to double-duty as backup fairies, complete with clinique counter white labcoats and big white sunglasses, so i hear.) this is hands-down the biggest role i’ve sung since macheath during my peabody days, and definitely the biggest role i’ve ever had to prepare on my own.

i know that a responsible singer would’ve brought the role to a coach. i know that i should’ve called nobuko and worked out all my elisions and had her tell me how people always sing certain things. but i just don’t have that kind of money. i haven’t even coached an aria that i’m singing for natchez on tuesday (yes, this coming tuesday. yaaaaaaaaaaaay, audition season!) because i’ve been so broke that i wasn’t sure how i was going to pay rent. (every time i think that, i think the m.i.a. lyrics “i’m broke this month/couldn’t pay rent/had to jump town/and the money’s all spent.” i won’t be jumping town, though.) and when you’re not sure you can pay rent or insurance, coachings and lessons go out the window. luckily, our conductor is really patient and has helped a ton. it’s not like he had to teach me notes and rhythms—i still got that—so i’m not too terribly ashamed. i’m sure that ira, my voice teacher, thinks i’m a total deadbeat since i’ve been to a grand total of one voice lesson since getting back from ONJ. please don’t dump me, ira, i need thou. do you see how theatrical i can get when i need to?

so anyway, we’re in the throws of memorizing cendrillon. tonight we’re off book for all of act one and two, so it’s time to get pushed out of the nest. i imagine a lot of fake french happening. maybe i should wear a beret and have a cigarette hanging out of my mouth. a stripey shirt? i need to be believable, here.