Friends

Yesterday's dress rehearsal went better than I expected; I was really tired and took an allergy pill right before which might have made me even more sleepy.
But after running the show so many time, as the director probably miscalculated and over rehearsed at the beginning, now we have the leisure of truly TRUSTING ourselves and knowing our ability.
The cast is mostly great. The Figaro has done 7 different production of this opera,this fact would usually be enough on it's own to enhance any production,(the sheer experience,amount of corrections and coachings one gets over seven productions of the same opera may make one seem like a genius anyway ), but even more lucky for us, our Fig is one of these rare talents who actually can invent new things every time, and play off other characters' actions. I admire that quality so much. He is also blessed with a wonderful range and a very good technique. For the rest of the cast, it is our first time doing the role, but we definitely had more than enough rehearsals by now and we are starting to be happy and playful, and actually have the much needed FUN. So of course, when time allows us, we hang out; Usually Mr baritone and Mr. tenore and myself.
We all are October babies, and real Libras, which I especially like.(Having all the nice Libra trades and in addition being happily married!).
A word about opera friends:Being in this business for a while, I KNOW too well about instant friendships. (Remember the nice lady/gentleman you had sitting next to you on a long flight/at the bar/at a party once?.. What a fabulous conversation you've had.. the hours seemed to fly by so quickly.. remember the phone numbers and cards you exchanged at the end? and how they disappeared out of your life with the same ease in which they appeared?)
This is an ordinary example of instant friendships. They are like the little soap and shampoo and shower cap and instant coffee you use while staying in a hotel;They become your temporary necessities and you like finding them every day. and you need them, and love them. Don't laugh; you really do.
(What a stupid analogy, but that's the first thing that came to my mind).

Well, I remember all my friends around the world who once were my very best friends; for a month or maybe two.
Iride in Miami, Didier in Paris,Nicholas in Aix,Andrew in Glyndebourne,and so on.(I still write them all an Email from time to time, but that's because *I* am good like that with keeping in touch...) but generally you won't see or hear from anybody, ever ever again, unless you are scheduled to sing in another production together. (That's when we get a chance to become real friends in my opinion).
So we embrace that fact and go on being best friends, in the same strange boat, this time called Tokyo.