Last night's final dress rehearsal went extremely well. Everything and everyone is prepared for tomorrow night's opening. It is personally gratifying to be able to have the opportunity to share my accounts of the rehearsal process through this forum. I have to admit however, that my descriptions of the rehearsals can in no way give you a full picture, of the immensely talented and dedicated individuals who are involved in this project. Not that there isn't tension that mounts from time to time, as there is! Whenever you put so many people together in an artistic function, well, good art sometimes comes with its share of frustrations. If this weren't true, I would begin to think that something is wrong! But if someone on the outside only had the chance to be backstage during a performance of this opera, it would be a shocking experience, to see so many people doing their jobs with such care and attention. I have to admit that I have been so focused on my own aspect of my job, that is, the role of Bacchus, that I know that I have been able to meet only a fraction of the people involved. In my efforts to prevent colds during the production of an opera, I tend to avoid close or extended contact with the others around me, and I am afraid many people come away thinking I am a bit standoffish. Sometimes when offered a hand to shake, I will take their upper arm instead. I regret this aspect of my work, and I know that all singers are not this obsessive, but coming down with a cold is the worst risk of what we do as singers. It is the singing that ultimately sets us apart. Really and truly, under non-performance conditions I really do enjoy spending time getting to know people. When I am free for an extended period of time and I am with my family, I actually welcome the possibility of coming down with a cold or two, to build up my immune system in preparation for the next project.

With the role of Bacchus, there is one redeeming factor to the role. Once the "Prologue" ends, and intermission begins, I have about an hour before I make my next appearance, as Bacchus, in the "Opera" portion. Therefore, in order to stay relaxed, I have learned to completely remove my wig and costume and put my street clothes back on for the next 45 minutes. To some people this might seem like a crazy thing to do, due to concerns about being ready for my next entrance, but it actually works well for me. In our dressing rooms, we have an intercom system which pipes the audio of the performance into each room. We are able to turn the volume up or down depending on our needs. Therefore there is no risk in not having adequate time to prepare in advance for the entrance. The role of Bacchus, however short in actual length, about twenty minutes, is known to many, as the most difficult tenor role in the entire operatic repertoire, so anything that can be done to stay comfortable is a tremendous advantage!