Week Four in Opera Land

We are now in the performance phase of my beloved Orlando! Our second performance is this afternoon, and then we perform every other day until May 12. It's a pretty easy show for the dancers, but that doesn't mean that I can't mess it up... At any rate, I wear a mask on stage almost the entire time (for my Persephone bit, I am unmasked, but behind the scrim with smoke swirling around me), so I don't even get made up for the show!! My skin is grateful.

Jeremy did come earlier this week, just in time to baby me when I was really, truly, and disgustingly sick. I had gone to the doctor the day he arrived (The festival has a doctor on call. You can't mess around with singers getting sick), and found out I had a bacterial infection. She gave me some crazy antibiotics to take which made my mouth taste bitter the whole five days I had to take them. Anyway, Jeremy is a saint, as you all know, and it really made me feel better to have him taking care of me. I was just sorry that the first time I saw him in 3 weeks I was coughing and blowing my nose every 3 seconds.

Here I am, scarily ill. Jeremy wants you to know that it says "Retardtabaletten" on my medicine.





And I think Jeremy even enjoyed the opera! I bet he could write a brilliant blog about his impressions (hint. hint.). Most of the audience for the public dress were college and high school stundents-- they laughed and gasped and cheered. That's how it should be! Bring opera to the people!

The rest of the Handel Festival is in full swing now. Last night Caroline and I went to hear a concert of 18th c. fiddle music from Morovia, Slovakia, England, Scotland, Italy, and the Gypsies. Completely fabulous. There is nothing like hearing live music.