Seeking mezzo role models

After finding that Stephanie Blythe youtube video, I've decided to start a "mezzo file".  Doesn't have to be opera - e.g., Karen Carpenter moved effortlessly & seamlessly between her head & chest voices, and I've loved Annie Lennox' voice from the first time I heard it.  Denyce Graves is gonna be on that list, Joyce Didonato, at least one local diva - I'm on the hunt! :)

This week's plan

I learned last week that, because I already have a B.A., U considers me a transfer student and the application deadline for transfer students isn't until June 1st., so I still have a chance at getting in for this fall.  I still have to apply, of course, and hope there are slots left, but that gives me time to write a 300-word essay designed to convince them they want me as a student, submit my application, and have my first U send a transcript.  I'm not required to submit a letter of recommendation but may have someone write one anyway, and I will definitely send them a copy of my community theater resume.  I hope to get at least a first draft of the essay written by the end of the week, then polish it over the weekend, add it to my application, and submit it.  One thing they want for the application may not apply to me, given the passage of time:  do they really need my high school GPA, which is decades old?

This week I plan to contact the Music and Theater depts. to schedule tours and a chat with someone in each program.  Among the list of questions I'm compiling is what my Plan B should be if I don't get accepted for the fall semester - what I could take at the community college level that would transfer.

Going back to SCHOOL!!!!

I'm getting really excited about this fall.  I've missed the application deadline for the university, so I've already applied to the community college.  This week, the plan is to do my first year at CC (cheaper, and I don't have to wait until next year), then transfer to "uni", as they call it in the UK.  

I want to double-major in Music and Theater.  U's School of Music application deadline is Nov. 1st.  That gives me a good 6 months to choose and polish two audition pieces, record them, and send in my pre-screen audition recording with the rest of my application materials.  I should find out in December whether they'll let me do a live audition in January.  It won't be until February or March of next year that I find out whether U will support my double-major plan, or make me settle for a BA in Theater and an AA in Music.

U is on spring break this week, so I have to wait until Monday before I can call them to schedule a tour and a meeting with an advisor from the Music School.  I'm hoping to be able to schedule something similar with the Theater Dept. the same day.  This weekend I want to figure out CC's in-house email system so I can arrange to see an advisor about the Fall and my grand plan.  

Oh, and I have to figure out how to open the transcript my first U sent me.  Right now it's just sitting there, saying "Your Adobe reader isn't good enough for something as important as I am."  I'm not too worried yet; CC has already waived all the gen.ed. requirements for me, so I can get straight to meaty stuff like Intro to Stage Make-Up and Movement for Actors.  (This CC's Music offerings aren't nearly as enticing as those in the Theater Dept.)

This is so exciting - I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into things like Costume Construction, class piano, and Stage Rigging!  I'll even have access to real practice rooms, instead of my library cum sewing room cum storage room cum practice room.

Just imagine - after all these years of theatrical OJT, I'll finally get some actual training! :D

A chest/head mastery to emulate

I just came across this video embedded in a silly FB meme.  Not particularly interested in the meme, but this video I'm definitely going to watch a few more times.  Stephanie Blythe's got a facile, seamless shift between head and chest voice, and every note sounds wonderful and seems effortless.  I gotta start collecting some mezzo divas as research - Stephanie Blythe, Joyce Didonato, Denyce Graves...

My first roasted squash

Today I roasted butternut squash for the first time, instead of baking it as I always have.  Can't decide whether to use it for soup and see how it compares with the baked/pureed version, or just dive in with a fork!

Not how I planned to learn more about the neighbor

I used up some chicken and made a pot of soup that turned out to make a LOT more than the two of us can eat before it goes bad, so last night I decanted some of it into containers to give away.  Turns out one of our new neighbors is vegetarian - oops!  Guess it'll have to wait in the freezer until his wife comes home from a trip.

Snow day agenda

As I was hoping, we've got a snow day today.  (Hard to fathom that the SAME storm extends from Texas all the way to the mid-Atlantic!)  I've got plenty to fill the time: repair the fur coat Veta Louise Simmons wears in much of Harvey, review my script a few more times (tonight's line run is cancelled), do closing-night thank you notes for cast and crew - and that's just the Harvey-related list.

Dodged a bullet!

Today was the first day of a 2-day conference about 30 miles from home.  I opted to drive myself rather than go into work (in the opposite direction) and drive to the conference with colleagues, which would have added at least 90 minutes to the day's commute.  The forecast for this afternoon was ominous - the dreaded "wintry mix" of some combination of sleet and freezing rain.  The last time I did this sorta thing, I ended up spending the night at a nearby hotel rather than risk sliding into a ditch or another vehicle.  With that in mind, I took an overnight bag with me when I set out this morning.  To my great relief, it was barely raining on the way home tonight.  It was a long drive (nearly 2 hours, vs. 1 hour to get there this morning), but I made it home without incident and got to dine with my theater widower on homemade turkey soup.

"I'm forever blowing bubbles..."

My voice teacher trotted out a new exercise this week.  She had me take a cup with a little water in it, along with a straw, and blow bubbles while humming up and down a fifth.  The point is to try to keep the air pressure consistent instead of letting it ebb and flow.  Not quite as easy as it sounds, but it sure does make you realize whether you're sustaining an even, level air flow.

That's one recipe we *won't* be using again.

Tried a recipe for Chicken Tangier from my new slow-cooker cookbook.  Made a half batch at the full time, which resulted in rather dried-out chicken.  That's not a deal-breaker, but the ingredients (olives, prunes, capers, et al.) combined to give the whole a flavor neither one of us much cared for.  Good thing it was only a half batch. That recipe's getting a "don't make this one again" note. :(

I called it!

As I predicted last May, the costumer for The Arabian Nights was one of 5 nominees for Outstanding Costume Design in a Play.  Hurray!  I knew the adjudicators would recognize her expertise.  I mean really - don't they look wonderful?

As a result of the halo effect, I was nominated for both hair (5 nominees) and make-up design (6 nominees) for the same show.  Thanks, L!  Now I only wish I'd gotten close-ups of reach of "my" actors in their glory.

Really enjoying this rehearsal process so far.

Enjoying Harvey rehearsals so far.  One entertaining bit is the 10-month-old offspring of the couple playing Dr. Sanderson & Nurse Kelly.  First because said child is adorable and tolerates rehearsals amazingly well, possibly because Daddy is a high school drama teacher and Mommy techs so she's used to it.  She has also been a good sport about playing Harvey once or twice, perched on Daddy's shoulders to get the height correct.

We've got some great talent in the cast - our Elwood is very endearing.  (And already starting to get off book, darn it; I'm still stuck w/ my nose in my script. )  Even the people in the 3 or 4 cameo roles are stand-outs - I'll really have to bring my best game not to be shown up!

I'm loving this director's process.  She stops repeatedly, coaching the actors on posture, vocal levels, or phrasing to punch up the comedy or point up a relationship. She also asks us to try things, acknowledging that "I may not like it, but I want to see how it works."  Last night she gave me a very different way to deliver one small speech, changing the emphasis and adding some physicality. The first way was good, but the new way is even funnier so she's keeping it.  Now I just need to drill my vocal levels and where I step up as I build through that speech. Fun stuff!

Tried *four* new recipes yesterday!

Yesterday I made a tiny dent in my enormous backlog of recipes I want to try.

1. For breakfast I made eggs in portabella mushroom caps.  "Oil & broil" the caps for 5-10 mins (best to remove the stems first).  Then crack an egg into each mushroom, season if you like, sprinkle a little parmagiana or other cheese on top if you're so inclined.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, and you're set!  If you go for the shorter cooking time, might want to have some bread or something handy to soak up the egg yolk and mushroom juice.
2. I made a "Yankee pot roast & vegetables" recipe from a cookbook I picked up last week of slimmed-down slow cooker recipes.  That'll be dinner tonight.
3. We tried rabbit again, this time using a recipe from the Chief's old Doubleday cookbook.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth the work.  And with rabbit costing $6.59/lb, we won't make it again.
4. As a side dish, I fixed a Loaded Cauliflower Mash Bake.  I will definitely be making this again!  You boil a head of cauliflower and a few cloves of garlic until the cauliflower is pretty much mush.  Drain it, then puree.  Add 1/3 c. of  buttermilk (I substituted non-fat plain Greek yogurt, which I'm far more likely to use), 1 Tbsp of butter, salt & pepper to taste.  Pour into an 8"x8" baking dish, top with 1/4 c. shredded cheddar and 4 strips of crisp bacon, crumbled, and bake at 350 degrees F for 5 or 10 minutes (enough to melt the cheese).  I tasted this while I was pureeing it and think it would be just as good without the cheese or bacon because the yogurt gave it such a good zing - think sour cream.  If you think cauliflower is boring, you gotta try this!

More experiments in the kitchen

Tonight I finally roasted the duck that would have been dinner a few days ago if the Chief hadn't been sick.  I'd forgotten how very much fat there is on a waterfowl, which means not a lot of meat and a very high fat-to-drippings ratio.  A 5-lb duck fed 3 people with enough meat for one more.  However, we decided to leave the remaining meat on the carcass, which is now duck soup.  I'll skim the fat off tomorrow and see how we like the results.

I also tried my hand at roasting beets, after having a wonderful "harvest salad" for lunch last week that had roasted beets and butternut squash on it.  (It also had "baby kale", a very nice soft goat cheese and grilled chicken.  It was SO good!)  The beets took a lot longer to cook than I'd expected - well over an hour, so they didn't make it onto the dinner menu as I'd planned. Between cooking and peeling them, they ended up going into the fridge, where they'll wait until dinner tomorrow night.  That's when I'll learn how they turned out.

When I retire, I'll have to find a soup kitchen or some such place that wants cooks - there are so many recipes and things I want to make, and just two of us at home to eat all my experiments.  The Chief and I were watching the Great British Baking Show tonight - dangerous, because it gives me so many more things I want to try in the kitchen.

I've done rather a lot of feeding people the past week or so - made three different "meals on wheels" runs to ailing friends down with one thing and another.  It reminded that I miss cooking for more than two.  Yep, I completely see myself feeding people once I retire.  :)

Change of New Year's Day brunch menu

The Chief's stomach started rumbling a bit last night night and he woke up this morning with a stomach bug, poor thing.  We had planned to have a nice, hot brunch to start the new year.  Instead, he's "feasting" on tea and plain bread.  (Turns out the grocery store had a "take and bake" loaf that's actually pretty good.)

Oh well; if he starts the year sick, it's gotta get better, right?

February show

Turns out I'll be doing Harvey.  I get to play Veta Louise Simmons, sister to Elwood P. Dowd (played by Jimmy Stewart in the movie version).  I get to play ditzy, with dashes of hysteria and steel thrown in for spice - this is gonna be fun!

Goodbye, 2014

2014 has hardly been the worst year of my life - I finally sang a principal role with a company I'd worked in the ensemble with for years.  (Now if only I'd been more ready for that opportunity...)  I also got to spend the year laying a good, solid vocal foundation with my new voice teacher.  Designing hair and make-up for The Arabian Nights was a blast - very talented cast, who were willing to go where I pushed them, and the crew were equally talented.  The new neighbors who bought our late, lamented neighbor's house bid fair to become friends, which is always good news.  We learned at Christmas that two nephews will be receiving degrees in May, and that there's other good news due in late summer or early fall.

We also buried a neighbor, a church friend, and a former stage-manager friend, and Dad's health continues to decline.  I know I should focus on the good, but losing loved ones, or watching them hurt, definitely casts a pall on things.

C'mon, 2015 - you can do better than 2014.

How on earth did I manage that?!

Yesterday I got home from a week spent with family.  The Chief and I stayed in a hotel, which meant eating out a lot.  (We did have a supply of cereal, milk and bananas in the room, so at least breakfast was reasonably healthy.)  And of course we ate the usual holiday fare, though perhaps not quite as much as usual because the food was at Sister3's house and we were at that hotel.  Still, I ate nearly all my WW points and was very sedentary.  Despite all that, I actually managed to lose weight!  The last time that happened, I had two wisdom teeth extracted a few days before Christmas and couldn't chew much of the holiday food.

Big year ahead

When I go back to work next week, I'll contact my HR rep and start talking seriously about starting my retirement paperwork!  I'm actually looking at setting a last day at work; currently May 1st.  I've been working for the same company (though in many different capacities) for over 35 years -  I can't believe this "retirement" thing is soon to become something more than an abstraction, a "someday, when I retire..."

The Chief has already started teasing me about accompanying him when he drives out to the Midwest for family functions.  "We can bond in the car, and sing camp songs!"  He didn't object or protest when I responded "And I can teach you some G&S so we can sing duets!" (he insists he can't sing; he can, he just doesn't wanna), so I'm not sure how serious he is about those camp songs. :D

My list of "when I retire" things is very ambitious, as it includes:

• taking piano lessons (I don't play a note, but would like to learn at least enough to plunk out new songs I want to learn);
• taking music classes, maybe even getting a degree - voice lessons haven't taught me music theory, for instance;
• volunteering - SO many desperately deserving causes!
• auditioning for a local community theater company which has a very heavy performance schedule - up to 6 nights a week!

I'll also continue to do community theater, in addition to the odd costuming, hair & make-up assistance, for which I may have more time (if I'm not practicing scales or serving food at a soup kitchen or traveling with the Chief). 

The Chief is looking forward to my retirement because I'll then be able to take back grocery-shopping duty, which he took over when he retired 6 years ago.  I tease him that he'll miss out on seeing all the babies shopping with their parents; apparently that's a sacrifice he's willing to make. :)

Crazy vocalist tricks

I sometimes tease my voice teacher about the tricks and exercises she has me do in order to achieve

various goals - releasing tension, improving breath control, changing voice placement or what-have-you.  Some that come to mind off the top of my head:

- sticking my tongue out as I sing vocal exercises (vocalises);

- singing vocalises while holding a drinking straw crosswise under my tongue;

- singing vocalises while holding the straw in my teeth but in front of my tongue;

- dancing around "like a ballerina" while singing whatever piece we're working on at the time;

- draping myself, stomach down, over an exercise ball and rocking on it while singing vocalises;

- thumping myself on the chest while singing vocalises.

Pretty wacky stuff sometimes, but we have fun with the silliness.  Better, it's working - I'm releasing vocal tension, improving my sound, boosting my breath support, and generally singing better than ever.  Still much room for improvement, of course, but I'm feeling a lot better about how I'm singing.