Gratitude

I will take a cue from Ms. DiDonato's website and make a list of all of the wonderful things I am grateful for here, at this moment.

Firstly, I am just so happy to be here in this gorgeous weather. I am not being paid much here, but I think that sunshine might be a legitimate payment option. The warmth and sun make me happy, even on very stressful days.

I am grateful for a lovely and fun group of fellow YAs. Besides being very talented, there isn't an unkind bone in the whole bunch. People have been extremely supportive of one another (their encouragement really got me through last week's insanity, probably more than they know) and then after a long day of rehearsal, they are great fun to hang out with! Specifically, I couldn't have asked for a better roommate than Diana Stoic, who also wants to be at rehearsal 15 minutes early and will also go grab a burger (In-n-Out or The Habit) between rehearsals! We work off alot of calories doing the can-can as Grisettes, so we earn the splurge! ;-)

I am grateful that Sara Cambell, the woman playing Mercedes, is better, because it's never fun to be sick... but I am glad (though I wish it didn't come at the expense of someone feeling ill) to have done the whole role in rehearsal. I now have Mercedes completely memorized, and while sitting in rehearsal I am absorbing Carmen as well and hope to run the whole role with piano before the program is done. I continue to fall in love with the music. It's "rock-n-roll" opera, I like to say... because the tunes are so catchy (I can't stop singing The Gypsy Song) and Carmen herself is such a rock star (even in the self-destructive way).



Now, on another subject... I am working on my "networking" skills, but sometimes it seems a little forced and weird. So I've made something of a decision, that I will never force a conversation or kiss up to people, but remain friendly and genuine to all people, including the stage managers (Valerie Wheeler is our fabulous SM for Carmen... she's so efficient and no nonsense, but also funny and very real. I respect her a great deal), not because I should, but because it's good to be nice to people. If people like me, they will like me because I am who I am. Perhaps I will loose out by not "kissing up" to people, but if I were ever anything but myself, I think I couldn't be happy with anything I got because of it.

I think very highly of both our director, Vernon Hartman, and our Maestro, Nir Kabaretti. They are both extremely talented and efficient in their rehearsal. Vernon is a singer himself, so he directs both the music as well as the text without asking for anything that doesn't enhance the show for the singers. Maestro Kabaretti was so good in helping me through Mercedes. I only hope that I was able to make a good impression.

Tomorrow is my first day off in over two weeks (thank GOD!), and there is a cocktail party in the evening with many of the staff from the company, including principals, directors and musical staff. I know that my tendency (out of shyness) is to stick to my friends and not talk to the higher ups, but I will make it my goal to talk to at least two staff members (other than Lara and John Ballerino... since I'll obviously talk to them) and at least two donors I don't know. It's a good exercize, though easier done in "mock" form in grad seminar!

Well, time to go walz to Lehar. I'm enjoying the Merry Widow much more than I expected! It's campy, but the principle singers are fantastic and great actors, so they make it come alive.

Sending sunshine to all of you Chicagoans!