Salon

This past Tuesday, I had the pleasure of participating in a donor function for my upcoming show, Glory Denied.  Our producers organized a cruise for friends of the company.  It left from Chelsea Piers and went down to the tip of Manhattan for a view of the Statue of Liberty, then up the East River under the bridges.  We then turned around and headed home.

One of my greatest joys of being an opera singer is attending the parties.  I love to get dressed up and chat with new people.  I am always surprised at the interesting stories of how these guests and donors came to be opera fans.  Each story is unique and, while sometimes I may forget the name, I usually remember how they learned to fall in love with opera.

This particular event was made even more special by the attendance of the composer, Tom Cipullo, and the author of the book, Glory Denied, Tom Philpott.  Both shared insights into their work with the group.  After that, my fellow actors and I did readings from the show.

After the presentation, I was able to enjoy a glass of wine and have some interesting conversations.  Talking with Mr. Philpott, I learned a few details about Col. Thompson that helped organize some of my thoughts on the character.

I asked him how he felt about his work being turned into an opera.  When he first received a letter from Mr. Cipullo asking for permission to adapt his book, Mr. Philpott thought it might be a joke.  Surprising stories like this kept the conversations going both with the artists and with our guests.

I remember that my sister and I once bemoaned the death of the Salon as an evenings entertainment.  There was a time where people would meet and they would spend the evening talking about art and science and would perform music for each other.  As I walked home down 23rd Street, it felt good to know that I had just attended one.

Interview with Tom Cipullo, Pt. 4

I might get  a little to theoretical in these posts, but since theory is not my strongest suite, I am hopeful that we won't get too bogged down.

I have a list of themes in my book.  If I was talking about an opera by Wagner, I might call them "leitmotifs."  As we have been going through the score, if I hear another actor's line of music in the orchestra, I write the words down in that spot.  It is a clue as to some of the subtext that is going on in the drama of the show.  These clues don't necessarily give an exact opinion, they simply give a starting point for discussions among the cast and directors as to what we want to try to accomplish in the scene.

Happy Birthday!

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/10/nes-25th-anniversary/
Today is the 25th Anniversary of the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System.  I know you are wondering, "Why on earth would an opera singer care about such a trivial thing?"  Well, over the years, I have learned a lot of valuable lessons from my video game hobby.  I'll be posting about my experiences as a gamer and how it has influenced my work as an opera singer.

Interview with Tom Cipullo, Pt. 3

As Mr. Cipullo is asked about his influences, I think back to a conversation that I had with a castmate that once we sorted out the challenges of counting measures and beats, the music of this opera becomes immensely singable.  There are all sorts of cues in the orchestra part that can help inform your entrances and cutoffs.  The learning curve was steep at first, but after awhile, I started to stitch large pieces of the show in mind.

I've only done a few modern operas.  As a younger singer, I sang the role of Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors.  (Chelsea Opera took their Amahl to Los Angeles for my first touring show).  My first experience with a 20th century opera, though was Robert Ward's Roman Fever as an undergraduate music student.  It is a fascinating show and I played the smallest part, a waiter.  I also was not a terribly good musician at that point in my life and the counting and tonality were a constant challenge.  I wish I could say that I was amazing in the part.  I was simply o.k. because I was legitimately held back by my lack of musical discipline.

I'll continue to watch and post these video series.  They are a great resource for my blog and for my "book."

Oh, because you are wondering, the greatest "modern opera" experience so far?  Hanging 30 feet above the stage on a rope net as I was a sailor in the chorus of Billy Budd at Seattle Opera.  I could have seriously fallen on my head.  It was awesome.

Interview with Tom Cipullo, Pt. 2

As an actor/singer, it has been fascinating to work with on a piece with a living composer.  Last night at music rehearsal, our music director commented, "I have to check that with Tom."  It brought a smile to my face when I thought that, two hundred-odd years ago, someone might same the thing about Mozart.

Interview with Tom Cipullo, pt. 1

Posted below is the first in a 12-part interview that Lynne Hayden-Findlay, one of the producers at Chelsea Opera, did with Tom Cipullo, the composer of Glory Denied.

We had our first music rehearsal last night.  It was great to meet the talented cast and start digging into this rich work.

Those of you who read the blog, are you interested in hearing about how we approach the opera?  Have you wondered about the process of learning and rehearsing a 21st-Century opera?  Hit the comments below to ask questions or post on Facebook to let me know if you have questions.  Email works too.

Miles for Midwives

As something unusual, the whole family did the 5K Miles for Midwives race in Prospect Park this morning.  Running races in the city alternate between giant events (such as the Marathon) and small races like this one.

I pushed my daughter in our running stroller.  I did not win any prizes for my time (about 27:30), but we enjoyed it and the Peanut freaked out with joy as I pushed her over the finish line.  The crowd cheered her on and she waved to everyone and clapped with joy.

 I love New York because, prior to the race, the Peanut and I were just hanging around.  We saw a mom with a double-bob and who was looking at us as if she knew who we were.  Turns out Kathleen had met her at the local playground.  Lizzie, a mother of two, has a wonderful blog called "The Mother Runner"that I follow regularly.  Since she recognized my daughter, we quickly put two and two together and we introduced ourselves.

In addition to being a great blogger, Lizzie won the women's race and her husband was the first over the finish line pushing a running stroller!  I was doubly impressed after my slog through the race.

One of my favorite parts of running these types of races is that there are all sorts of vendors and free samples.  Since I've been fighting a bit of a cold, and rehearsals start tomorrow, I decided to try a free acupuncture session after the race.  It was my first time and I felt pretty tingly.  Do I feel better?  I'm not sure, but it was definitely a great way to try it out.

Making connections in the blogging world.

Our favorite coffee shop, Joe the Art of Coffee, just linked to my old blog "Welcome to the Chocolate Room".

Joe has a running team that meets on Saturday mornings to run from the store in Greenwich Village to the the tip of Manhattan and back.  It is a wonderful social event where my wife and I have met other opera singers,  actors, and all sorts of interesting people who share a common interest in distance running.

Notorious E.A.P.

When we first moved into our neighborhood, I grabbed the wrong train home and ended up a stop away at Nostrand Avenue Station.  As I surfaced I saw a guy standing on the corner.  Man, I thought to myself, that guy looks like Biggie Smalls.  Standing directly behind him was another guy who looked like Biggie, followed by another and another.  As I passed them, I finally figured out what was going on.  It was an open casting call for Notorious.  The line went around the corner and off down Nostrand Avenue.  It like a festival, with guys getting into character, checking their rhymes, etc.

Since then, we knew that our neighborhood was somehow connected to Biggie.  Last night we watched a documentary based on his life.  It was pretty fascinating to see how our neighborhood has changed over the years.

One of the best things for me to see is that when Biggie was getting started, he wrote out his rhymes in a black, marble-covered essay book.

I may have forgotten to mention...

I see that two of my recent posts open with quotes.  I suppose that should tell you a bit about me.  I love to hear witty sayings.  If they are positive, all the better!

I will always try to correctly attribute quotations so if you find an error, please just send me a message or leave a comment and I will do my best to fix it as quickly as possible.

So let me end this post with a juicy one:

Nothing in the world will take away persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than an unsuccessful man with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.- Calvin Coolidge

Col. Floyd J. Thompson, Pt. 2

Work continues on Glory Denied and I am finding that my usual use of the book is helpful, but remarkably different than usual.

The opera does not take place in a linear fashion and so, after mapping out the whole opera in my own words (see Part 3), I am now looking at each fragment and trying to put them into a narrative order that matches the actual historical course of events.

As I mentioned in my first post, the version of Jim Thompson that I play seems idealized.  He is the ideal soldier in captivity, he is deeply religious, he has a pure belief in three things that help him survive: faith in God, faith in country, faith in the love of a good woman.

As I continue to dive into the text, I am now starting to think that there is a real arc to my character.  Initially, he seems idealized and as the opera proceeds, he is slowly transformed into the Older Thompson.  It could be that the whole concept of a Younger Thompson dies or disappears into those false memories of the past that we all carry with us.

Col. Floyd J. Thompson

Last night I finished Glory Denied, the book that my upcoming opera is based on.  It is the completely tragic story of "Jim" Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war in American history.   He was held for just under nine years after his plane was shot down.

The book is written primarily as an oral history and it is almost entirely written as direct quotations from Tom Philpott's extensive interviews with Thompson, his family and friends and from source military documents.

As a singer and actor, a resource like this book is an incredible resource.  While it strips out much of the imagination based work that is required for older operas, it adds many details that can be incorporated into my work.

The opera distills down three key themes from the book: Jim's time as a prisoner of war, Alyce's methods of survival during that time and Jim's deteriorating relationship with Alyce following his return.

In previous posts, I outlined my process for learning a role.  Applying it to this opera has been fascinating because the opera doesn't rely on a definite narrative structure.  Additionally, the show has four actors, two men who perform the role of Jim and two women who perform the role of Alyce.  While the baritone plays an older version, I play a younger, idealized version of Jim that is experiencing the horrors of war first hand and has not yet experienced the second tragedy of losing his family.

Another website, another photo!

As you know, I will be singing with Chelsea Opera in a couple of months.  At my audition, I had the opportunity to sing a selection with the composer of Glory Denied, Tom Cipullo at the piano.  If you go to the Chelsea Opera site: http://www.chelseaopera.org/, you can see a picture of me there.

I am stewing on the opera and the character of Jim Thompson.  This is going to be a very interesting role.  Lt. Col. Thompson only died a couple of years ago and I have since realized that I have never sung:

• A 21st Century opera before
• A work where I play someone who lived at the same time as me
• was a real person

Redux of a Birthday

"The secret to being interesting is to be interested."- a quote from a comic book about dragons that I read many years ago. (I wish I could remember where it was from, it was a great comic book)

I try to live by this rule every day and this birthday has summed up that quote pretty darned well because after over 5 years of living in the city, we finally got to our third (and final) Chinatown-- Flushing, Queens.   It's too bad my wife is a vegetarian because there were far fewer options for her.  That being said, I made out like a bandit.

Flushing's Chinatown is slightly different than the other two (Sunset Park in Brooklyn and of course, Canal Street on Manhattan).  In addition to many of the mainland favorites, there are also selections from regions such as Quingdao (the Northeast of mainland China).  You can find out a lot in this great New York Times article.

We used a map from the article and ended up hitting seven different stands for small bites.  I have posted some pictures and explanations at my facebook page.   It was a perfect birthday adventure- full of learning and lots of eating.

But why?

Why are you an opera singer?

I had sung with a children's choir at a young age and, as a boy, sang on some professional recordings and jingles. When I found out at that young age that someone could actually get paid to sing, the idea stuck in my head.

That isn't the reason, though. My quick answer? Because I'm a terrible rock-and-roll singer.

Seriously? That's the reason. I didn't grow up wanting to be an opera singer.

My role models were (in this order): Robert Plant and Axl Rose. To this very day, hearing "D'yer Mak'er" makes me want to give up opera. After my voice settled down, my sophomore year in high school exposed to a wide variety of music. I learned my first art songs, sang a bunch of musical theater, became involved in jazz choir and show choir. During my junior year, I was Seymour Krelbourn in a really awesome high school production of "Little Shop of Horrors." I know, I know... everyone's high school production was amazing. We won some awards and one of my co-stars went on to sing on Broadway. There was not a weak link in the entire cast. It was my first taste of being a star. I wouldn't say I handled it very well, but I was sixteen and you live and you learn.

That whole time, all I wanted to do was be the lead singer in a hard rock band. Unfortunately, my few times trying were abject failures. I may be able to carry a tune, but there is a certain style and confidence that you need. I simply didn't have it. I once was a guest singer for a band. I definitely brought them down. They were way better than me. I apologize to all those who were subjected to my terrible rendition of "More than Words" and that great band that had to back me up and one of my best friends (to this day) who sang the harmony.

A great descriptor

http://simplemom.net/kaizen-approach-your-goals-gradually/

It's funny how one can find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. I'm neither simple nor a mom, but the simple mom site constantly surprises me with great ideas. If you haven't checked it out, I recommend it as a soothing way to renew your look at the world.

When they discussed this idea of "Kaizen", I realized that it has been my approach to my career for years. It's always nice to learn a new name for something.

Step 5- Credit where Credit is Due

"Never name-drop. DeNiro told me that."- an unknown comedian.

Obviously, the role-prep system that I have described did not spring fully formed from my mind like Athena. Many talented friends and colleagues helped me find this method. They did it with a lot of persistence, patience and good humor. The list below is by no means all-inclusive.

Back during my chorus days in Seattle, Bill Burden showed me that I had absolutely no idea what was needed to be an opera singer. He made it look so darn easy- from stage presence to singing. Just when I thought it would be insurmountable, he generously took time out of his schedule to talk to me about how I could go about starting an opera career. He practically spelled out the bullet points of what skills I needed.

As an apprentice, Peter Sicilian gave me the idea for the book. He also gave me some of the initial questions that I consider when approaching roles. He also helped me through the process of building my first book for the character of Don Basilio in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

Can you Skrabalak a comma? Can you Spierman a two-syllable word sung in English? When a coach provides keen insight into approaching words, I turn them into a verb.

Ann Baltz gave me a stack of emotion flash cards that can freshen up the most boring of recitatives. (and they are great at an opera singer cocktail party... It's like charades for tenors!)

Like I said, this is hardly an all-inclusive list. There are too many others to thank. I'm sure you can see your fingerprints all over this process.

Step 4- Notes and Rhythms

This is where people's image of an opera singer really catches up to my reality. Hours sitting in front of the piano by myself lead to hours with a coach/pianist as we go through the entire score (usually from the end to the front) and hours with my voice teacher, figuring out the nuances of how best to produce the sounds on the correct pitches.

Another common question is: what is the difference between a voice teacher and a coach?

A voice teacher is your guide in your career. They train you to make sounds correctly on every note of your range and work to help you figure out how to make a uniformed, balanced sound from the very low notes to the very high notes. (see figure 1- right)

A coach/pianist is generally a person who, not only plays piano, but many times are opera conductors or music directors. While they are concerned about the sounds that you are making, they are helping you to sing the music with personality. They take the voice training and help you sing opera with style. (see figure 2- below)

Frequently you will work with a coach who has conducted the opera once (or many times) before. They can give you another point of view on characterization, the tempos or speed that the music is sung, how you can best help the conductor of the opera and collaborate well so that you don't cause a crash with the orchestra. For example, if you are holding a high note, you have to somehow- with voice or gesture or look- communicate to the conductor when to bring in the orchestra. If you don't do it right, you might get stuck holding that high note for too long. If you aren't consistent with how you do that, the conductor has to guess and all of the sudden the orchestra might come in while you are in the middle of that (glorious?) high note. It's a collaboration that a coach would guide you through.

Obviously, the images above are figurative, not literal.

Everything but the kitchen sink

Our neighbor Sarah, who sadly just moved away, is the pastry chef at S'nice, a lovely little vegan cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My wife has stopped by several times to get take-out dessert and last night she brought home a new "approved" item: The Kitchen Sink Cookie.

I had no idea that such a cookie existed in this world. Whoever invented this recipe was either a genius, an evil scientist bent on world domination or the biggest stoner who ever was. It has chocolate chips, nuts, pretzel pieces and potato chips all nestled into some sort of oatmeal and peanut butter cookie. I'm not sure if that is completely correct, so go pick one up and let me know if I got it right. It's worth the trip.

Upcoming Gig: Younger Thompson in "Glory Denied"

I will sing the role of Younger Thompson in Chelsea Opera's production of Tom Cipullo's "Glory Denied."

November 11, 12, 13, 2010, 7:30pm with pre opera Meet the Composer 6:45pm
Matinee November 14, 2010, 4:00pm with pre opera Meet the composer 3:45pm

I'll be singing 2 shows and my performance dates will be announced as soon as possible.

St. Peter's Church in Chelsea 346 West 20th St (8th/9th Ave) NY, NY

Tickets available now! Download ticket form

Tickets:general adm $30 adv/35 doorpref'd seats: $35 adv/$40 door seniors/stdts: $20 adv/$25 door OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION: $10

I'll post more about the piece as I continue studying the role. Until then, check out a brief synopsis.

Please stop reading this now.

And, if you live in NYC, go outside. It's a perfect day out there. I just spent the morning out in Brooklyn- I ran, pushing the Bob stroller, to Prospect Park. We ran through the park and then stopped at the Brooklyn Public Library for my daughter to play in the fountain a bit.

After that, on to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for a quick walk around. Finally, we stopped at the big fountain in front of the Brooklyn Museum. (yes, my daughter is obsessed).

The weather is perfect, with just a touch of wind.

Go out there and play!

Hanging in NYC

As you can probably tell from the recent posts here, my family and I are "on vacation" for awhile and staying close to home. Home for us is a lot like being on the road.

After over five years of marriage we still have most of our wedding gifts in storage back in Colorado. We've been following a trail back and forth across the country since our wedding and even though we've got a great apartment in NYC, when the road calls and we are ready to go wherever the gigs take us.

By keeping this kind of mentality, we've found it great to consider ourselves "long-term tourists" here in NYC. There is always another experience around the corner, a new restaurant to try and a new playground to visit. (well, we do have a kid!)

Our recent obsession has been Pilar. The grilled cheese sandwich is truly unbelievable.

I'll be posting more favorites later. You can find blog postings about our favorite things by hitting the tag "approved." Consider it our seal of quality!

100 years old, but still tastes fresh!

You'll see a new tag listed at the bottom of this post, "awesome." There are so many cool things that happen when you are on the road. Sometimes you have a great conversation or you see a sight that startles you out of the complacency of the rehearsal schedule.

This particular memory happened in Fairbanks. I was discussing my first experience with Sourdough Hotcakes, pancakes made from sourdough that are were a staple of the pioneer life. As I was bemoaning my lack of talent- I had recently tried my hand at sourdough bread and failed miserably- a tenor from the chorus said, "you know what you really need? Some righteous sourdough." He then went on to tell me a bit about how his family prepares hotcakes and how it is so much more than just breakfast food.

The next day, he showed up at rehearsal with a copy of "Alaska Sourdough" by Ruth Allman. It's the definitive guide to cooking sourdough the traditional pioneer way. He presented it to me with a small ziplock bag. Inside the bag was another smaller bag that contained the "Skilly Starter." It is a sourdough starter that has been in use for over 100 years and has travelled from Alaska to the lower 48 and back over the course of its life.

In my imagination, I wonder how many people this starter has fed over the course of all those years. How many families sat down at a table and were nourished by this. How many lives were saved in the harsh Alaska winters thanks to this starter that was handed to me.

On my first day back from the gig, I got my very first sourdough pot started. Within a week it was bubbling away and sourdough hotcakes and roll-ups have become a family favorite. It's much easier to cook sourdough this way and it is a great, quick, cooler alternative to baking bread in the middle of the summer. Once fall comes, I can't wait to try my hand at baking sourdough bread again.

And so, thank you "Tenor1" (his vanity plates on his car)! What a special and practical reminder of my first Fairbanks Opera gig.

If this is torture, chain me to the wall...

My first shot at a major role in NYC took place at Bronx Opera. I sang the role of Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute. I had one of the most awesome costumes ever. It was inspired by the clothes worn by Indiana Jones- bomber jacket, khaki pants and boots. None to shabby.

As you can tell, being an opera singer has its benefits. Here are the "Three Ladies"- Paula Roediger, Paula Jean Rocheleau Hernandez and Elizabeth Perryman- after they saved me from the dragon.

You can hear my act 1 aria on my fan page on Facebook.

Step 3- Buy a Book

So far, my process is not much different than any other opera singer, but it is at "step 3" that, as someone once said, things get a little weird.

Now that I have translated the show word-for word and started speaking the lines as I would a mantra, the next step is to breakdown the character and the first step of that is to write out a character road map. I love those old essay books with a marble cover. I have small but growing stack of them on my bookshelf and each one is dedicated to one or two opera roles.

I start by finding the first scene that my character is in. Taking Barber as an example, I sing the role of Count Almaviva. He arrives in the very first scene of the opera, disguised as a poor student. I then map out what happens in each scene, why exit the scene, where I’m going to, how long I’ll be gone (based on the time frame of the opera, not in real life), what I’ll be doing while off stage and what brings me back for the next scene. Many times, this information is in the text that I sing and that is sung to me.

It can sometimes be a bit of detective work, if my character is travelling somewhere or is doing something off stage that will be discussed in my second scene. I repeat this process as I go through the whole show, writing the information down in my notebook. I try to use my own words, paraphrasing so that I make the road map as personal to me as possible. I continue this process, through every entrance and exit of my character until I reach the end of the show.

An example of this is in Marriage of Figaro. While singing the role of Don Basilio at my apprenticeship, I discovered in the course of my studies that Basilio is sent to Seville at the end of the second act to find out whether Cherubino is actually there, fulfilling his position in the army. The director and I discussed whether or not Basilio should come back on stage in at the end of the third act. Just for fun, I figured out how long it would take to go from the Count's estate to Seville and back (on horseback) and threw in some extra time to actually get the info. It wouldn't have worked out to make the trip based on the length of the third act, but I could enter as if I had just come in off the road. It was a silly diversion, but it was fun to discuss the possibility. It also allowed us to stage the opening of Act 3 and how, at the curtain, the Count could send me off on my errand to Seville. Confused? That's just one piece of the plot for a secondary character. It's complete irrelevant to the plot of the show, but it is a detail that makes for some interest. It was my fervent wish that someone who was a fan and knew the show cold might realize that little detail.

The next step is to try to list out all of my character’s objectives in the show. What does my character want to get out of each scene and what tactics does my character use to achieve these goals and does my character achieve the goal?

Tactics lead to adverbs. Am I creeping quietly? Am I swaggering drunkenly? How many adverbs can I list out for those different scenes? How can I make the scene as specific as possible? How many options can I find and internalize so that I can bring a variety to rehearsals and we can settle on details?

I also list out any specific things that other characters say about me and anything that I say about other characters.

It's at this point that things get really fun. I like to figure out a bit about the history of the opera- what time period is it set in? what were the major historical events going on at that time? I also like to go to the internets and try to find pictures to print out and tape into "the book." It helps to find a portait painter from that time period and get appropriate pictures. You can also find old photos of locations in the play or paintings.

I try to do the same research for the composer and figure out what was happening in the world as the opera was being written. Was the composer political? Was this a response to some event?

After rehearsals start, I use the book as a diary, jotting down ideas from colleagues that I find appropriate and informative. On more than one occasion, those comments have come back to help me in later performances of the role. It's also a great way to reminisce about past shows.

Fairbanks Highlights

Continuing my updates about gigs past, I just wrapped up my first Don Ottavio in Opera Fairbanks' production of Don Giovanni. I've posted a couple of tracks on the Facebook page, "Dalla sua pace" and "Il mio tesoro."

Non-singing highlights from the trip:
-Trying moose for the first time

-Chena Hot Springs

-Taking the Riverboat Discovery tour- I'm not usually a fan of tourist activities and this one defied all my expectations. It was informative, witty, interactive, and so much more. I can't recommend it enough for visitors of Fairbanks.

It was a great experience to be up in Alaska and be a part of the show. I have a couple of big posts about some of the exceptional experiences.

By the way, the wig I was was legendary. It ended up being more popular than I was-- castmates wanted a picture with the wig, audience members wanted its autograph and many people seemed to think that I looked a bit like Inigo Montoya. I'm a fan, so I take that as a huge compliment.

Step 2- Talking the Talk.

Barber of Seville is a prime example of an opera that lives or dies by “recitativo.” Recitativo, or “recits” for those in the know, is a monologue or dialogue that is sung, usually over a harpsichord or continuo. It is used to further the plot and explain the action and it usually gives a bunch of facts and information- fast and furious- to the audience. Since it is simply dialogue there is very little repetition of lines, as you might find in an ensemble which is accompanied by a full orchestra. When done with "zhuzh", they basically liven up the whole proceeding of an opera.

Note: I use many of the same rules that I apply to recits to the ensembles.

At this point in the process, I don’t look at notes or rhythms of the music at all. Instead, I just say the words out loud, over and over, and just get used to saying them.

The goal of this step is two-fold: I found fairly early on in my career that if I wasn’t able to speak the words with the correct diction and with the right inflection and intent, it was impossible for me to learn the notes and rhythms with any integrity.

The other goal is to is to figure out the ways that you can riff on the meanings of the recits. I can find that if I speak the sentence over and over, I can wring out different implications of the line depending on how the scene plays out. For example:

My cat DIED and I am despondent.

My CAT died and I’m despondent.

My cat died and I’m DESPONDENT.

Silly, but remarkably effective. It’s a great way for me to keep the lines fresh as I sing them and during big ensembles where you sing the same stuff over and over again, it helps take your mind off the occasionally brutal vocal lines.

Yes, I’m that guy standing in the back of the train muttering to himself. Don’t worry, I'm mostly harmless.

Comprimario work- what you learn.

(Eapen as Beppe, with Crystallia Spilianaki as Nedda in Chelsea Opera's production of I Pagliacci)

After spending a good bit of time doing comprimario and character tenor work, I moved to NYC to make the transition to singing leading tenor work. Chelsea Opera hired me to sing the part of Beppe in I Pagliacci in 2006. It was a chance for me to sing a smaller part that still required a legitimate sound. I had previously sung the role with Tri-Cities Opera as an apprentice, and this was a chance for me to revisit a role with a more full sound. Beppe is a great part because, even though it is technically a comprimario part, there is still an aria at the end of the show that requires some techinical singing and it's a chance for the character to show off a bit!

These kinds of smaller roles are a real challenge. Much of the time you sing small interjections against the leads and you have to find ways to bring out your character while those leads are singing their music (which is much more important to the narrative of the show). It's a trade-off: As Beppe, I have to be a person with a motive and a purpose but I have to show that in a way that is unobtrusive to the stars of the show as they do the heavy lifting.

This was the first time that I was mentioned in a review by the New York Times. It was cool because it was simply a mention-- I made it through both unscathed and unpraised. I consider that a great first step.

Repost: From the archives of the Chocolate Room.

Since Labor Day is about a month away, I thought I’d post a memory from our first one in NYC. Back in August, 2005, we moved to NYC to start seriously pursuing my opera career. Here is a post from my first blog. As I type this intro, I can’t help being reminded of Lawrence Welk and his “trips down memory lane.”

Some things to note: For these old blog entries, I don’t post people’s real names. You might some day recognize yourself, though!

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Goat in the City

My wife's friend, Peace Corps, was in town for Labor Day and invited us to check out a little parade in the heart of Brooklyn. It was great to catch up with her and we tracked them down to a nice little neighborhood near Grand Army Plaza. Peace Corps' friend SuperDave picked us up from the subway and after a second breakfast of fried eggs and plantains, we headed off on the bus.

Complete Chaos.

On the Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, the entire West African population of New York City meet for a little party. We missed the early morning party that started at 4 a.m., but it was still raging at 3 p.m. The parade consisted of a semi-tractor trailer for each of the respective countries. These trailers were laden with bands, speakers and dancers in costume. The trucks moved in a circle around the blocks and were surrounded by thousands and thousands of dancing locals.-Ed. Note- I have since learned the correct route of the parade. Isn’t it cute the cute errors of a new New Yorker? The bass pounds into your chest as you dance and you can feel every organ in your body vibrate separately. I now know the precise location of my spleen and why it is differently shaped than the liver.

The floats were all decorated by country and the grand prize winners should definitely be Jamaica. Those guys parked themselves in front of us for at least 10 minutes and nobody could stop dancing. We were sad to see them go.

For a late lunch, Peace Corps recommended a roti. Being an adventurous fellow, we found ourselves a tent and I got a large paper-thin flatbread filled with curried goat (bones in). It was delicious but my wife was more than a little freaked out by it.

Some of you might know this but at any point during the day or night in New York City, one can purchase dvds of the current round of new releases for $5 on the street. My wife and I were intrigued and we decided to go out on a limb and get a copy of “Wedding Crashers.” When we popped it in, we discovered that the picture was rather grainy and the sound was awful. Also, you could hear people laughing in the theater and occasionally someone would walk in front of the camera that recorded it. All in all, it was pretty lame. After a short discussion, we decided to classify the expense as “Education” rather than “Entertainment” in Quicken.

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So, there it is, a memory from our first Labor Day as New Yorkers. We make a point to swing by every year, even if just to grab a quick bite and then head home. If you can make it, drop a line and maybe we’ll see you at the party!

Repost: Photo from Tri-Cities Opera's Cosi fan tutte

My first major role was Ferrando in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte. As an apprentice at Tri-Cities, I spent most of my time doing character and comprimario work, spending a great deal of time working on my voice, diction and of course, picking up a lot of ideas about how to prepare roles. This was my first shot at singing a leading role and it was an incredible opportunity.

Here's a shot from the show. I'm joined by Hilerie Klein Rensi as Dorabella, Elisa Cordova as Despina and Mark Freiman as Don Alfonso.

Preparing a role, Step 1. Buy a pencil.

One of the most common questions I get asked is "How do you prepare for roles?" I'll be posting the steps that I take over the next few weeks. I always feel best about an upcoming gig when I do the prep work well in advance and get a chance to let the character burn in over time. It's not that I'm adverse to doing short-order roles, it happens quite a bit. I'd rather tell you about the ideal way for me to approach the work.

The first step is always the hardest. I break out a pencil and a copy of Nico Castel's Opera Libretti Books and I write the translation of every word of the opera into my score. For me, the most important thing is that I do the entire opera. When I'm in a rush, I may not always have the time to do the scenes that my character is not in. That's always a shame and I go back and correct that as quickly as possible.

If I do find that I can't go through and translate everything, I will take time to read the entire libretto's word-for-word translation and note any time that my character is mentioned in the show. (more on that in a future post)

For a brief spell, at the beginning of my career, I didn't know about the Nico Castel Libretti Books and some of them had not been printed yet. I spent hours and hours with a dictionary, trying to translated semi-archiac words that use complicated grammar. It was a painful activity for me. My only consolation is that I know the technique and now, when I do shows that have not been translated, I know how much time I must budget to do the translation correctly. In some cases, like Russian or Czech, I've got to hire somebody to help me out. They aren't part of the typical college courses but they pop up every now and again.

As it happens, I'm starting to learn the role of Count Almaviva in the Rossini's The Barber of Seville, so I will post the steps as I complete them. I've done many of the arias from the show before and a couple of scenes, so now I need to fill in and learn the bigger ensembles. This isn't a rush job, so hopefully you will get the scale of how long it takes to get these tasks accomplished. If I'm interrupted by some other gig prior, I'll have to put this particular series of posts on hold until I come back to it.

Follow-up FAQs:

You might ask, why do the entire show? Fear. Never underestimate the power of fear. I have a recurring nightmare of showing up at rehearsal- about half way through the run of a show- and having the director say, "Eapen, today we are doing Act IV" and I think to myself, Act IV? It was only supposed to have THREE ACTS! If I translate the whole show, I'll never miss out on a sentence or scene or act or anything.

Why not just do the words that your character sings? If I end up not translating what people say back, I can't time the reactions to what they say. For example, if someone insults me as they are singing, I have to time my response of anger- too soon and I step their line and ruin the scene for my colleague, too late and I look weird.


Next up: Talking the talk...

Repost: From January 2010, Bronx Opera's Die Drei Pintos

I'm reposting some old reviews and photos in an effort to update my new Facebook page.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/arts/music/19pintos.html?scp=1&sq=eapen%20leubner&st=cse

Keep your eyes on this page for more updates and "catch up work" from my past!

Cheers!

My Daughter doesn't love Strauss

This morning I started the day sipping coffee and checking out the Met Player, the online site where you can stream archive and new (and also HD!) performances that were filmed live.

I watched the three sample clips and my 19-month old daughter immediately hopped up on my lap to watch.

Juan Diego Florez singing "Ah mes amis"? She signed for "more please."
Roberto Alagna and Angela Ghiorghiu in a scene from Puccini's La Rondine? Again, "more please."
The Presentation of the Rose from Rosenkavalier? Alas... she checked out.

I'm going to give her a bit more time to grow into it.

That being said, does anyone use it? What do you think? Please post in comments or shoot me an email or message on FB!

Thanks!

New Fan Page

As I continue to expand and improve both my website, www.eapenleubner.com, and Tenor Eleven Miles Away, I've finally bit the bullet and added a Page on Facebook. You can become a fan by clicking on the link:

Facebook is a great way to keep up with my work. I've posted two clips from our recent Don Giovanni production and I've synched the blog to post on Facebook when I update.

There are some other projects coming down the pike so keep your eyes peeled!

Cheers,

Eapen

Scenes from Bronx Opera's Die Drei Pintos

Here are some clips from my recent production of Mahler/Weber's Die Drei Pintos. It was conducted by Michael Spierman and translated and directed by Ben Spierman.

Review of Don Giovanni in Fairbanks!

I'm happy to announce that the News-Miner review has been posted for last weekend's production of Don Giovanni:


http://newsminer.com/bookmark/8724737-Opera-Fairbanks-succeeds-with-

Making the donuts

It is dress rehearsal rehearsal night! So psyched!

Here is a shot of Maestro Buchalter at work:

Post Created Jul 3, 2010 1:04:09 PM

Greetings from LARS- the Large Animal Research Station.

We saw our first musk ox, a spicies that was once local to the area (prior to the ice age) and recently reintroduced from Iceland. They are some seriously cool creatures.

Hospitality

In addition to our gracious host family that has allowed us to invade their pool house for just over three weeks, their son-in-law stopped by the other day with a package of moose hot dogs for us. He had heard me raving about my first taste of moose at a cast party and thoght I might enjoy another sample. He is going to bring some moose chunks over next week!

Post Created Jun 29, 2010 8:33:03 PM

Greetings from Orchestra rehearsal. Don Giovanni is about to be dragged down to hell.

Things you can do in rehearsal to wait politely:

Read a novel
Use your laptop
Post to your blog
Never stop counting and don't do anything that will make you miss a cue.

Allure

One of my shortcomings is that I can be pretty happy no matter where I am. There is always some potential to pull me from the orbit of my opera career and get me to settle down. In the case of Fairbanks, it is the allure of self-sufficiency. Many of the people that I meet have built there own homes.

They hunt moose and catch fish and can and preseve. It is a very interesting way to live.

Sunday was a big meet the artists party... Fairbanks-style. After singing a couple of arias and ensembles, we were treated to moose bugers, venison sausage and freshly caught salmon and halibut. All of it was caught or killed by one of the board members who then cooked it for 104 guests. The food was incredible.

As it turns out, one cannot buy moose- rather you have to get it as a gift or barter from a hunter. Likewise, you can't buy fresh caught fish at the grocery store. After searching high and low, I finally convinced a local to fill me on the real truth. If you don't know someone with a fish wheel, you can try to go to the corner of Farmer's Loop and Steese and buy it out of the back of any fisherman's truck!

That is the allure for me. To discover the nuances of his town. To adapt to the lifestyle and eventually learn to survive off the land.

Unfortunately, I have no skill with such things and I'd probably end up wintering on the Magic Bus. But for now it is exciting to visit and let my imagination run wild.

On the road with a baby

Traveling with Millie has been interesting. Add in the expense of checking in baggage and draconian weight limits and it could get very expensive.

To that end, we decided to travel as light as possible. The first stop, upon arrival, was Walmart for a car seat for our rental car. Thanks to the Google, we found that there was a thrift shop around the corner called, "Once upon a Child." Turns out the store is by far better than any so called thrift store around. We picked up some new toys for Millie and also a pack-and-play crib.

In our first week, we have found locations around with free wifi. I'm typing this post from North Star Borough Public library. Besides that, I try to type up posts with my thumbs on my i phone and then post them when I get the chance.

I imagine that as we start to travel frequently for my career, we will have to find ways to continue to refine the solutions for traveling lightly and efficiently.

Disorientation

Last night we stayed up a little later than usual watching "up in the air". When the movie ended at 9:30, the living room was bright as day and the sun was shining after a long rainy day.

It took awhile for me to fall asleep and I'm not sure if it was the light or he existential crisis of that poor man.

Fairbanks arrival

After several challenges with travel plans, the family arrived in fairbaks after 28 hours of travel and about three hours of sleep.

As we took our final leg of the journey, a half hour flight from anchorage to fairanks, Millie was sound asleep and I had a moment to look out the window and reflect on the view. I may not be the most seasoned traveller, so looking out of the window I was captiveted by the vistas of the last frontier.

I have driven and flown the width of the lower fortyeight several times and no amount of sprawling wilderness that I have seen in the past could prepare me for the enormous untouched land laid out below me.

After landing, I looked out at all the pine trees lining the roads and my brain started to steam up as it tried to quantify all of the thousands of acres of wilderness that we had just traversed.

Yesterday morning, we had the opportunity to go to the Tanana Farmers Market.
We bought pasteries from a Russian family and chocolates from a candy stall. We also got sticky rice with sweet beans steamed in banana leaves. This is something we frequntly buy in Chinatown. It is usually a bit dry and the earthiness of the banana leaves overpowers some of the other flavors. Usually that is still ok and we enjoy it as a fun "cheap eat". Imagine our surprise when we opened the leaves to find a perfectly moist and fresh ball of sticky rice that had a hint of sweetness and was studded with soft, perfectly cooked beans. I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy a so-called "traditional" rice tamale ever again.

After our first rehearsal yesterday, Kathleen and I got takeout to celebrate our sixth anniversary. We got to sit down as a family to enjoy our meal and bask in the glow of the occasion in this great new place.

What does "Tenor Eleven Miles away" mean???

There were two old men sitting on a park bench talking to each other when one of them asked, "Can I sing you a song?" The other man replied, "Sure, but only if can you sing tenor." The first man asked, "What is tenor?" The other man replied, "Ten or eleven miles away!"

Read more at Suite101: Top Tenor Jokes: Opera Humor Passed from Generation to Generation http://opera.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_tenor_jokes#ixzz0r2rO2fkJ

Flying out on the morrow...

Well, our lists are made and bags are almost packed. I'm wrapping up work at my day job and getting myself psyched for a red-eye flight from JFK to Fairbanks via Seattle.

I'm sad I won't get to visit any of the Seattle gang. Kathleen and I met there and haven't been back together in years. To pass by without having the chance to say hello doesn't feel right. Gang- we love ya and miss ya! I'll try to place some calls from SeaTac.

Since we leave at 5 p.m. tomorrow, I'm hoping to have a nice relaxed morning and take Millie to her music class. I'm pretty psyched because I have never had the chance to do this-- pretty weird since I'm the musician in the family!

If you all have any questions about life on the road or what it's life to sing opera, why don't you go ahead and post a question or comment below? The comments are moderated (by me)-- sorry to be so particular about that, but this is a family show!

Also, I'm developing a podcast, so I'll also answer questions there. Hope you enjoy all this!

Fairbanks Bound!

On June 17 the family and I will be hitting the road. We are off to Fairbanks where I'll be singing Don Ottavio in a semi-staged concert of Don Giovanni.

We've done a few trips before, but since this the first time I'm zipping off to do a major role, I thought it would be fun to finally start up the travel diary.

I'll be posting some pictures and thoughts while on the road. I'll also add some of the insights into the character of "Don O" as I work with my colleagues.

We are all excited to see the land of the midnight sun. Keep your eyes here or subscribe to the blog for all the latest news!