One more crack at a February show

I learned last night that the group I did "Guys and Dolls" with a couple of years ago is holding auditions for "Harvey" this coming week.  Gotta do a little homework and see if it has any roles for middle-aged women.  It's not a musical, of course, but it is a chance to be on stage, and it should be fun.

Sewing again

A local chorus is doing a Messiah sing-along this Sunday as a benefit. They're using our church as the venue so they've invited our choristers to join them and I'm one of those who are taking them up on the offer.  I managed to get to their last rehearsal Monday night (SO much fun singing those choruses!), where it was announced that dress code for the women is a full-length black skirt and long-sleeved red blouse.  No blouses of any color in my closet, but it seems my red turtleneck will do.  The "wardrobe mistress" (the woman making the dress code announcement) looked pained when I told her my longest black skirt is only boot-length but gave her grudging approval.  

I used that as an excuse to swing by the fabric store after work this afternoon (yes, I braved a mall on Black Friday and lived!) and buy a simple skirt pattern and some fabric.  I went with a black short-nap velour.  The panne velvet was a bit flashier than I really wanted for a "uniform", and the woven solids were either too shiny/sparkly or too dull-looking.  Well, there was that one floral jacquard, but it wasn't one of the sale fabrics.

I cut everything out tonight - easy when it's only 3 pieces.  I plan to put it together tomorrow and see if I can dragoon, er, beg someone to pin the hem for me.  It suddenly occurs to me that I should have cut it so I can add pockets - argh!  Maybe I can fudge the seam allowance a little...

"Break-through moment"

That's what my voice teacher called it.  We'd been working on the Schubert "Ave Maria" and she gave me a visualization trick to try.  I noticed the difference immediately - I could feel the sound acquire "spin" or resonance, and it wasn't as much work to produce it.  I've been taking voice lessons for years but there's still so much to master!

Yes, this singing stuff can be hard work: supporting the breath fully instead of "under-singing"; sustaining that support all the way through a phrase, then an entire piece; enunciating properly; focusing the sound and keeping it forward in the mouth (mine keeps wanting to head for the back of my throat); conveying the message and emotion of the piece; and not frowning in concentration while I try to keep all that going!  Seemingly little things like that visualization trick can mean a lot when you feel you've just bumped up a level - encourages you to keep at it.  Now if I could just get someone to hire me to sing at their wedding or something... :)

Sad duty

A friend's mom called last Sunday to let us know that she'd died the week before.  R asked me to pass the word to other members of the theater company for which P had been stage manager for so many years.  I spent a few hours on the phone over the next couple of nights calling people and reminiscing, as well as on line with strangers (to me) who'd gone to school with her.  It seemed odd to be the one to tell these people what little I knew, though at least I was able to let them know they hadn't missed the funeral.  Yesterday R called me, upset because the church's music director hasn't gotten back to her yet and she wanted to be able to do the funeral program. I offered to help, though I turned out my services weren't required; the music director called R last night.  The music director apparently planned to call me, though I haven't heard from her yet.  Doesn't help that I left my phone at home when I left for the theater this evening. :(

No audition after all

Turns out the group I was going to audition for this week is an employee club, and they only take "guests" if they can't cast the show from within.  At least I learned this before I headed out.  I was just as glad to stay home that night; I hadn't slept much the night before and was exhausted.

The house smells delicious!

A colleague and I were talking food yesterday and he told me about the chicken stew he'd made the night before.  It sounded so good that I got some details, added the necessary items to the grocery list, and today I put together my own batch.  Chicken thighs (minus skin and most of the fat), half a pound of baby bellas, onion, garlic, a sweet potato, a coupla little red potatoes, some fresh oregano and parsley from our yard, a little vegetable broth and a few sprinkles of poultry seasoning.  Eight hours in the crockpot could be torture - that wait seems like forever when the house smells so wonderful!  At least we have a wonderful dinner to look forward to tomorrow, or maybe lunch.  Or even breakfast...

One more chance

I just learned of another company holding auditions next week, this time for a musical.  Only one mezzo role, and I don't know how large their ensemble will be, but hope springs eternal.  I've already alerted my voice teacher that I want to work on audition pieces again this week, especially as this group wants to hear two short, contrasting pieces.  Tomorrow I'll have to dig through audition pieces I've known and loved and pick some candidates to take to my lesson.  

I've missed my lesson the past two weeks thanks to rehearsals, so that's all the more reason to look forward to it.  My choir sang a funeral this morning and one of the pieces the family requested was the Schubert "Ave Maria".  Not only did it prompt me to think a bit about the music I want for my own funeral, but it also reminded me that I need to memorize the Ave Maria so I'll be ready should someone ask me for it on short notice.

0 for 3

Turns out I wasn't cast in the show I auditioned for Monday, so I'm 0 for 3 in auditioning for February shows.  I offered to tech for this one; we'll see if they take me up on the offer.  Now to see what shows will be playing later in the spring that have roles I might be considered for.

Busy coupla theater weeks!

Last week I had rehearsals Monday thru Thursday.  Friday TW and I went to opening night for the production of Addams Family that I'd been called back for.  Saturday I took apart my Act I dress so I could move up the skirt and take the dress in at the waist.  Saturday night - rehearsal.  Yesterday I reassembled the dress, then had an audition that night.  Tonight - another audition, then came home and hemmed the dress.  (Now it just needs a self belt, but that can wait.). Tomorrow and Wednesday are our final rehearsals for "Death Takes a Holiday", and we open this Friday!  Whew!

Now that's prompt!

I had an audition last night; tonight was the second night of auditions.  I got an email at 10 tonight letting me know I wasn't cast.  That has to be a record for notifying people!  They must be working from Rose Maybud's etiquette book - "Leave no one in undue suspense."