#ubcopera

Currently back on my bullsh*t. Writing’s gunna look a little different, but it’ll probably still sound like me doing my Pavarotti impression on a rooftop in #Yorkville. New year, same pandemic, and let me be your wildcard. 🎉 / #pavarotti #singersofinstagram #ubcopera #torontosinger #yorkvilletoronto #gltlove (at Majesty's Pleasure) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJWHBK3M9kY/?igshid=2xqdq49czhwz

Tomorrow, my parents and I leave for Prague. 

Designed by the same architect as the state opera in Prague, the 400 seat, three teared theatre, has a gorgeous interior, and a small, but functional stage. We arrived at the theatre at 5:15, had a sound check, got dressed, and began the show at 7pm. This kind of touring is something I love. I am totally in my element constantly adjusting to a new theatre, improvising, and going on the fly. It is on days like these where I wish large opera tours still happened. Alas, the days of a full touring orchestra and set, with the notable exception of school tours, has gone the way of the dodo. The performance went well, and I am especially proud of what Isabella and I where able to do as husband and wife. Like me, Bella jumps at the chance to make stuff up on stage, so we're quite the pair when we work together. Now, on our way back through Děčín we prepare for our last show, each in our own way. For the chorus that preparation appears to involve drinking a fair amount of beer and a local Czech plumb liqueur. For me, I want to just keep building on each performance, especially for my last one.  In November UBC Opera will be presenting The Bartered Bride in Vancouver, and while many of us will be, or hope to be reprising roles, for now, all of us close the book on this project. By noon on Friday all 14 of us will be out of Teplice and on to new cities. Some of us are heading for Prague, others to Dresden, or some to Paris. Some are heading home, and other like me, are only half way through. The exodus even begins tomorrow as Krzysztof leaves for Italy tomorrow morning. Krzysztof has been a saviour on this trip, and the thought of even having to go a day without him. However, we must go on regardless.  Tomorrow is the last performance of the Bartered Bride, my last day in Teplice, and my first day with my parents.

After the park we continued through the town, and eventually wound our way back to the hotel.  It was wonderful finally getting to see the city, and tomorrow I hope to make it up to the castle.  Later in the evening the whole cast went out for dinner in town. It was a lovely meal, and a nice way to celebrate a day off.  On the 25th I’ll be leaving Teplice and heading to Prague. As the days tick down here in Teplice I am realizing that I will miss it here. It’s lovely to be able to work on a project without many distractions. No classes to get in the way, and I am even sleeping better than I normally do. The shows are going so well, and it’s been amazing to see how well this production came together so quickly.  It’s been such a wonderful experience, and the mundanity of school or classes seems like a ever looming bad dream. I guess I will just have enjoy the other half of this trip to make up for that. Tomorrow we do our third show of five, and I’m going to try and make it out to see the castle in the morning. 

As the bus wound its way through the Czech country side at 1am I couldn't help but think about driving through the dark on the sunshine coast in the summer. Listening Nick Drake as my dad drives from our cousins back to the cabin. That world couldn't feel further away right now, and yet, as I hit the half way point of my trip, there are little moments that bring me back there, the drives on dark roads, the conversations, and the people, they can transport you somewhere else, even if only for a second. 

As I write this on my phone while lying on a tiny bed in a hostel in Prague, I won't be doing a in depth analysis of opening. But, I think I can give you a sense of it by saying that we nailed the show. The toughest bits of the show were excellent. I am so very proud of everyone in the company. And, the audience really loved it. So, after two hours if sleep, here we are in Prague. We are only spending two days here, although I'll be back here in a week. Prague is a beautiful city, and unlike anything I've seen before. It feels distinctly Czech, but also equally American. The people all speak English, and the streets are plastered with American companies and advertisements. Tonight we're going to see Don Giovanni with most if the cast there. Tomorrow we continue to explore Prague, and then head back to Teplice in the evening.

Rehearsal periods are long in school productions. So, even though a standard rehearsal is close to what we were actually working with on this show, the time has just flown by. But, operas don’t start at staging rehearsals. After a quick check of my calendar I found out I started this project over 100 days ago when I started working on Czech pronunciation. Even before that I had started studying the score. Maybe at this point you’re wondering if it’s really worth it. If the weeks, months, or years, of preparation really are worth, in this case, the five performances we’ll be doing in the Czech Republic. And of course, there is no simple answer to that question. I mean, I would have to answer a resounding yes, but I would struggle to try and list all the reasons. It’s a complicated issue, and everyone will have a different answer. For me  only looking at the number of performances we get ignores the joy of rehearsals. Working on a score, discovering the music, realizing a character, and stepping onto a set, these may seem like a slog at times, but they are also amazingly fun. Not to mention when you finally do get to preform, all the work that goes in makes the payoff even greater.  I’m not saying I wouldn’t love to preform more times, and I hope that I will get that opportunity, but if you love what you do, it doesn’t matter how long it takes to culminate even in what may be seen as a small payoff.  All of that being said however, it really is time to open this show. We’ve done six runs in three days, and now it’s time to get an audience. Laughter and applause add so much to a performance, not to mention the sheer existence of an audience puts everyone on their toes. Fighting to perform, fighting nerves, or just fighting to find your light. Now it’s time to show what those 100 days have done.  Thank you to everyone who has helped prepare for this performance. Milena and David in Vancouver, and Krzysztof here, you guys have been amazing, and so much help.  So here we go. Wish me luck. Tomorrow, to celebrate opening, the cast is going to Prague for a night. Not sure when I’ll be able to post, but hopefully WiFi will be around.

Tomorrow, along with being opening night, also happens to be my Dad's birthday. It's a little bit strange being so far away, but in no time both my parents will be out here for closing night. Happy birthday dad. I hope you have a great day.