Woke up fairly late and had my boiled eggs for breakfast. I have a pretty standard way of preparing for a performance, and like to sleep as late as possible as I don't usually take a nap, as some singers do. I spent the day pottering around and reading. My husband made pasta for around 4pm. I tend to eat pasta or something with protein and carbs a couple of hours before I sing. The performance starts early at 6pm tonight, as the opera ball will follow the show.
I walked to the theater and found it was raining, which made me very happy. I love the rain and love walking in it, so I took my time strolling to the theater, going over some words while I walked.
It was nice to have some beautiful flowers in my room and I went through the first night cards people had been kind enough to send. The general feeling in the theater was very upbeat and people seemed to be excited about finally getting to do the show for the public. I don't tend to get very nervous, though sometimes it happens for no apparent reason. When I was a kid I would sing and perform at church and school and get very nervous, physically ill usually, but it never occured to me not to do the performance. I suppose as I got older I got more used to it and learnt how to deal with it. Sometimes though nerves will come back and can be difficult to cope with, but it's something all performers find a way of working through.
I got ready for the performance and ready to go when places were called for the top of the show. The prologue went very well and it was very nice to hear laughter from the audience. You can always feel an audience even if you can't see them and this was a great audience, obviously enjoying themselves.
At the interval, I was told that there was a leak on stage from the rain and I should just be aware that there might be a few drips! Sure enough, when I got to my rock where I spend the first minutes of the show, there was a pool of water. Stage management cleared it up, and there didn't seem to be anymore, so I thought it had stopped. However, the moment the curtain rose, there was a huge drip which landed inches away from my dress. A little later as I sang, I felt a few drops on my head, but luckily nothing that hit me in the mouth! My husband said he saw a few drops from the audience, but most people didn't spot it. Just one of the many things that can happen in live theater, and keeps you on your toes.
The opera part of the evening went well and everyone was very happy. The people sitting on the stage who had not seen the show before all looked completely mesmerized as they watched and several of the cast commented how nice it was that the guests on stage had such a good time.
We then had to get ready for the ball as quickly as possible. James Geier, the hair and make-up genius, was kind enough to re-d0 my hair after the wig had been on, so it was pretty much like it had been in the prologue. I did my own make-up and was ready to get the bus laid on my the company to take us to the ball.
The room at the Convention Center was beautifully laid out, with lovely flowers on all the tables. We found our table and joined some pople we knew and some we didn't, and had a very nice time chatting and eating good food. I tried to be careful talking as there band was loud, and as all singers will tell you, talking is much worse for the voice than singing.
After dinner we talked to cast members and other people we knew around the room and walked back with some of the to the apartment.
It had been a very good opening night and very enjoyable evening after, so both my husband and I were happy but tired.