Tonight is opening night for The Elixir of Love. We had a "dark" night yesterday which just means that we get a night off to rest before we open. Since opera is theater that is totally sung, the performers benefit from resting their voices before a performance. I have to admit that I did not rest last night. I did run through all of the chorus material to make sure that I was confidant on my notes and words. This opera is a lot of work for the chorus and we did make mistakes at the final dress rehearsal on Wednesday so I needed to do some more work rather than sleeping!
Usually the chorus has a lot of "down" time during the show as the principals have their big aria moments. In Elixir we have some of that time during the second act. For this show we don't have enough time to go sit in the dressing rooms, so we sit in the wings and listen to the leads do their thing. Needless to say, sometimes we also get a little carried away with antics while waiting back stage. During Tosca last fall, those of us in the nun habits got a little warm during our scenes and sat in the wings with our costumes pulled up above our knees in order to cool off. It must have been interesting to see the "sisters" looking so decadent! In Elixir, one chorus soprano is about 5 months pregnant so the rest of us always make sure that she has a chair back stage and that nobody bumps into her as we run around on stage. It is always a different show from the stage perspective than from the audience. Even a serious drama can turn into a comedy beyond the curtain. Just imagine what a comedy romp could escalate into!
Usually the chorus has a lot of "down" time during the show as the principals have their big aria moments. In Elixir we have some of that time during the second act. For this show we don't have enough time to go sit in the dressing rooms, so we sit in the wings and listen to the leads do their thing. Needless to say, sometimes we also get a little carried away with antics while waiting back stage. During Tosca last fall, those of us in the nun habits got a little warm during our scenes and sat in the wings with our costumes pulled up above our knees in order to cool off. It must have been interesting to see the "sisters" looking so decadent! In Elixir, one chorus soprano is about 5 months pregnant so the rest of us always make sure that she has a chair back stage and that nobody bumps into her as we run around on stage. It is always a different show from the stage perspective than from the audience. Even a serious drama can turn into a comedy beyond the curtain. Just imagine what a comedy romp could escalate into!
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