Final Dress for Cosi

Last night was our final dress rehearsal for Cosi Fan Tutte and it went rather well. We are very relieved to finish in less than three hours which was doubtful when we started rehearsing. The principals really carry this show and it is definitely a group effort. The two couples are absolutely adorable and Despina (Abigail Nims) is cunning, charming and silly all at the same time. One of the funniest scenes is when the men drink poison and are revived by Despina in disguise. Jeremy Kelly and Norman Shankle act up the melodrama as Sarah Jane McMahon and Phyllis Pancella fret and flitter upon the stage. The chorus only pops in a few times and are not all that integral to the storyline; but then, the story is a bit shaky as it is so it doesn’t really matter if a group of townspeople are there for a reason or not. Don’t think too hard about Cosi Fan Tutte, just sit back and enjoy the music and antics of the show.

Costume Fitting

On Monday we had our last chorus music rehearsal for Cosi fan tutte before heading to the rehearsal space next week. The costume shop is up and running in an old storefront at CenterPointe Mall and the chorus has been fit. My costume is brown, beige and orange with a brown and green hat. It isn’t the prettiest outfit, but it doesn’t itch or pinch so I won’t complain. Tracey pinned up my skirt and took in the waist of the belt and vest so I am sure she will have it looking great by our dress rehearsals the week before the show. We won’t be wearing wigs so I need to think about how to do my hair with my hat. When I started singing with OGR we had wig and make-up people for every production. Now, our funds have been cut to the point where the chorus brings in their own make-up and we do our own hair styles. I prefer to do my hair and make-up unless my character is a Geisha (Madama Butterfly) or Spanish Gypsy (Carmen). It isn’t difficult to do a Peasant look.
Our Production Manager, Cat, is getting our rehearsal space ready for the principals to start practicing this weekend. The principals should be getting into town today and will be welcomed with a dinner party at the Irwin’s house tonight before the two weeks of chaotic rehearsal starts. The weather is cold and rainy today and may snow by Sunday night which makes for an unpleasant welcome to Grand Rapids. On a more pleasant note, ArtPrize is finishing this weekend and I hope our visitors will get a chance to see some of the great art we have on display around the city.