Gearing Up

I have a cold.

Not surprising, really, considering all the airplanes and airports and cities I’ve been in in the past few weeks, but irritating nonetheless. Also irritating is the fact that the plumbing’s messed up in the apartment – with leaky sinks and backed up drains and dirty water coming up from the shower floor drain – so I can’t take a long steamy shower to clear out my head. At least the toilet works.

But I have five days and a wake-up before The First Day, so I’m not too worried; plenty of time to get better. I don’t have much singing to do this week, either. I’m prepared for whatever they might ask of me as the cover on the first day of rehearsal, which probably won’t be much, but I’m prepared. Czech is a great language, seems to be right in the middle, aurally, between German and Russian. As long as my L’s stay forward and bright (not the dark, swallowed L of Russian), and I get enough “dj” in that tricky R, I’ll be fine.

I’m spending time now with the Strauss, listening, looking, working out rhythms and words; all that “armchair work” I can do without singing. And I think I’ll take a nap…

I’ve been looking at the Met online rehearsal schedule, and, um, can I just say that I’m a bit dazed by the names I see on that list?!! I mean, everybody knows that the Big Kids work at the Big House, but until I saw it in black and white, it hadn’t quite sunk in that I’ll be in rehearsals, hanging out in the cafeteria, saying hello in the halls, etc., with some of the biggest names in the business. Not to mention watching them in action! Voigt, Damrau, Mattila, Levine, Swenson, Croft, Frittoli, Villazon… the list goes on and on.

Now, I’m not expecting to become bosom buddies with these folks. I'm sure we'll all be cordial, but when I say I’ll be in the cafeteria with them, imagine high school, with the cool seniors at the center table and the freshmen music geeks on the outskirts. That’s kind of what I’m picturing! I just hope I can find the bathroom and that no big bully knocks my books out of my arms.

And, of course, that eternal First Day question: What to wear??!!