Yes, MAM

I always kind of thought "writing a thesis" was one of those things that happened to other people - kind of like winning the lottery, getting a speeding ticket, catching the plague, etc. In my head, the writing of such a scholarly document was done by geeky students in turtlenecks, slaving away at all hours, on their LIFE WORK, hunched over a computer in Starbucks, with a constant flow of caffeine being fed to them with an iv tube.

But now.... it's ME. I am officially "Writing My Thesis" after much research, some interviews and much sending of drafts to an advisor on sabbatical. I am spending most of my weekends getting the thing done. Oye. I love to write, but this is not so much writing as it is TORTURE. I had built it up so much in my head (with the geeky turtleneck, Life Work, hunched over a computer scenario) that it got to feel pretty scary. Now that I am writing it, it's not so bad. I really want it done. I mean REALLY. The original goal I quoted by advisor last year was June. My first concept was much larger in scope, and it's really changed a lot from my original idea. We are going to try and stay on that timeline, so I am slaving away this weekend to have some more material to send off to the advisor (last time, it took 3 emails before he responded from the beach or whereever he is taking sabbatical). Hopefully, by next week I can do some analyzing and concluding, than lots and lots of revising and tweaking.

Wish me luck. Support is always welcome (in the form of chocolate, encouragement, rah rahs or cash.) If you don't hear from me in a few days, call in the National Guard, as I may have passed out from my caffeine drip....

Time to Play....

Ever wonder what you would look like as a chocolate candy? Go here and turn yourself into an M&M!

Hold Yer Hats and Hallelujah....

I got my Gypsy tickets!!!

(and I think it's gonna be a L.O.N.G. 5 months...)

cosi fan tutte...

Friday night was the last opera of the season for me, and it was Cosi. Mom & I got all dolled up and headed down to Lyric. It was a fun one to see, with beautiful music (if not as memorable as some of Mozart's other operas) but there were some recognizeable pieces and beautiful, beautiful duets and ensembles. Ahhhh, Mozart.

The cast was not "big name" but it was quality: Ryan Center (GAHHH!! It sounded SO MUCH BETTER to call it "Lyric Opera Center of American Artists"!) alums Erin Wall and Lauren McNese as Fiordiligi and Dorabella, Eric Cutler and Opera Hunk Extraordinary, Nathan Gunn as the boys, Nuccia Focile as Despina and Sir Thomas Allen as Don Alfonso. All of them solid. Good actors. Sounded like a dream when they all sang together.

The production was updated tp a resort in 1914. That made for a pretty, modern, set design scheme (at one point, a sheer curtain at the back of the stage swept aside to reveal a beachscape - lots of brightly colored umbrellas clustered around. the supernumeraries were kept busy bustling around in the background in crisp red uniforms, and in two cases, old fashioned striped bathing costumes) and stunning period costumes. It did make it kind of hard to believe that 20th century people would fall for the lame plot twists. As Despina says "These girls are so stupid!" and they were. I mean, honestly. "Let's put on false moustaches - they'll NEVER recognize us then!" Not even clever Despina saw through the boys' disguises. So the plot was one of the more goofy ones in the operatic repertoire, but really, it hardly mattered. Everything was put together so well, love more or less conquered all, and the curtain went down on another great season at Lyric.

Already have my subscription for next year sorted out - Renee in Traviata!!! YES! Oh, and some other stuff, too.....

Happy Feet

I've finally made good on my threat to take up tap dancing. With my snazzy new shoes from Bloch NY, I have been tapping away every Tuesday night. I've had three classes so far and I guess I am doing pretty good for never having strapped on tap shoes before in my entire adult life.* I have not fallen down or made a total fool of myself (good thing, too, because the studio has closed circuit tv in the rehearsal rooms so that the people in the lobby can watch what's going on... yikes!) It takes me a while to get everything from my brain down to my feet, and to remember the steps.... In actuality, I think I am the tap dancing equivalent of Billy Ray Cyrus on Dancing with the Stars last night.... So I guess we will see how long this goes on...but for now I am having fun!

* My mom claims I had lessons when I was really litttle, like 4. She remembers more about them than I do, so I don't think they really count.

Gypsy!!!

Sweet fancy moses.... I got in this morning and was innocently checking my email, when I see these GREAT HEADLINES. Looks like I am New York bound again.... In July!

Opera Hunkaliciousness...

Tonight: Nathan Gunn in Cosi Fan Tutte at Lyric Opera of Chicago!

Lost in the Spiderweb...

Actually, I'm still in shock after coming home to 28 degrees and snow after having been in sunny and glorious LA where it was in the 80s all weekend. I was wearing a t-shirt! No coat! In March! Didja ever????

Okay, so here goes. With visions of polar bears (from the Lyric production I'd seen almost 10 years ago) dancing in my head, I took off for LA with mild trepidation. I hadn't originally planned on going out there at all, thinking it would be too close to my NY trip to Onegin. I didn't know if I could afford it, get the time off, etc. but workplace insanity and the chill of Chicago in February, along with the need for anoter Diva Fix, made me change my mind and book tickets to Mahagonny.

I saw it Thursday night and was in the 3rd row, left side. (Sunday I was in the 5th row, on the right side) Perfect stage views both times. Thursday I somehow ended up in the middle of a couple (no idea how that happened, but they were quite rude about it and the female half of the couple kept turning her head and hitting me with her hair! the guy told off someone unwrapping candy too loudly - in the middle of the opera - he turned and went, "Are you KIDDING me?" out loud to her. Making more noise than the candy wrapper, but you know, whatever.).

Anyway. I went with, as I say, mild trepidation and low expectations. I went to watch Patti and Audra and they did not disappoint me. I thought both of them looked completely divine and sounded wonderful. This was my first time seeing Audra in a non-concert setting, and she was tremendous. She so fully inhabited the role, and had some of the best music (most notably, "Alabama Song"). Patti had some really entertaining stage business (god, is she funny) and I thought she did well with the music, although at times, I could tell when she was putting in the effort to get to the notes - the music sits high in her range. It wasn't Sweeney, obviously, where she was just able to throw herself into the character. But as I said, they were both the reason I had gone to see Mahagonny, and in that way I was not disappointed.

It is a hard piece to engage in - Weil and Brecht really wanted to get the audience thinking about the piece - so the messages are very very very strong ("the freedom i found with money is not freedom," reveals Jimmy). at the end of the first act, the whole cast is on stage nazi saluting, and playing in the background is one of the hitler rallies with everyone yelling sieg heil, etc. as the lights came up, the whole audience was kind of like, what the ---?? on sunday, i think everyone was a little more into it. at the end, as mahagonny is collapsing in on itself under the weight of its own lawlessness and corruption, they all stand on a bare stage and sing "nothing you can do can help a dead man..." one of them holds a triangular folded American flag and the last line is "nothing can help him or you or us now..." Made me feel like going and starting a revolution, or something.

I could talk about Mahagonny for ever, just different things I observed, etc, but that's the over all impression. Without Patti, I would not have voluntarily gone to see it (which proves, I will see my divas do just about anything!) but I am glad I made the trip.