Sheila Christie – soprano

Well, it has been a busy couple weeks for me. Since my last post, we’ve finished rehearsing in the hall at Holy Rosary Church. We did a final run through of the show in the hall last Friday and it was so great to see the whole show (even if the set was tape on the floor and there were no costumes…). The ending is beautiful. Eglise and Dony Ray are such wonderful singing actors!  I think that all of us were shedding a few tears watching the final scene. I won’t spoil the ending for those of you that don’t know it but….it’s sad, so, don’t say that I didn’t warn you! On Saturday we had the Sitzprobe (that is what we call the first orchestra rehearsal where we sing through the opera without staging). We heard all of the singers and I got more and more excited as the rehearsal went on…this is going to be an amazing show!

This evening and last night, we had our first rehearsals at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre where we will be performing the show. It is hard to believe that opening night is this Saturday! Last night was the rehearsal called the piano tech. At the piano tech, we go through the opera with piano accompaniment in our costumes without wigs and makeup. It is generally a long rehearsal that starts at 6pm and goes until 11pm. The purpose of the rehearsal is for the technical side of the opera (all the stuff that happens backstage and in the lighting booth) to get sorted out. Normally, as a chorister, we are at the rehearsal from 5:30pm to 11:00pm. As Giovanna, I didn’t have to be at the rehearsal until 7:00pm and was released at the break at about 9:30pm – a welcome change! I got to see the set for the first time and it is impressive. I will try to get some pictures to post if I am allowed to…. It is basically a large metal cage that is raised up so that underneath there are “tunnels” that characters enter under. The cage becomes different venues depending on the scene. In my scene, it is Rigoletto’s house. At the back of the cage are several doors (5 or 6, I think…I always go in and out of door 2) and there is a trap door at the front of the stage that Rigoletto enters into from the underbelly area. It is really quite an effective and interesting set. I am not sure what Glynis (the director) wanted the set to represent but I would like to think that it is representing the way in which all of the characters are caged in their roles and their fate.

Tonight was the first orchestra tech rehearsal where the conductor gets a chance to work through the opera with the orchestra and the singers in the theatre while the tech department still works to figure things out. It is quite different to have the full orchestra as opposed to just the piano. It’s nice to have the fullness and the extra support but there are a lot more people to keep together. Plus, in a space as large as the QE, we (the singers) have to anticipate our entrances so that we don’t get behind the orchestra because the orchestra sound reaches the audience first as they are in front of us. So, we have to trust the conductor to keep us all together. Luckily, Les Dala is handling that huge responsibility wonderfully! Les is also the VO Chorusmaster and I am so happy that he is the conductor for this production! It is a relief to know him and be freely able to ask questions. We had lighting, makeup, and wigs for the first time tonight and it already started to feel like a performance instead of a rehearsal. However, I am still glad that we have another orchestra tech tomorrow and the dress rehearsal on Thursday. By opening night, we will be a well-oiled machine! As I mentioned in a previous post, the costume design for this show was described to me as medieval punk. My costume is a brown dress and one of the most conservative in the show, I also wear a white scarf on my head. Most of the costumes are quite colourful or black and white and the wigs are amazing! They are punky colours and styles. For most of us, the makeup is white with black detailing. I forgot my camera tonight but snapped a few shots with my iPhone….sorry for the quality. Here is what my makeup looks like:

My friend Barb Towell is playing the part of the page, here she is in her makeup and wig:

I will post some more pictures of the coulourful wigs and costumes soon. I have to remember my camera for tomorrow…will put it in my bag tonight.

I have to mention one more thing about the last two rehearsals and that is that the Vancouver Opera Guild (a group of volunteers) feed us on Monday and Tuesday. It is SO nice and as a principal, we get a lovely dinner all boxed up and delivered right to us. They are an amazing group of people and I just had to send out a cyber thanks to them – THANKS!!! Here is a pic of my dinner and “menu”. Nom, nom, nom, as Tris would say .

Mmmm…..

Better than what I make at home….check out my dressing room reading

Thanks for stopping by! If you haven’t bought your tickets yet….hurry up!!! You’ll love it, I promise!