from OY to JOY

My second show found me so tired , (after back to back dress rehearsals, opening night, late night sponsor / shmoozing party, and a recital the next day !), that I was shocked to discover that even though I know the opera like the palm of my hand, I still managed to have a stinking brain fart and start second verse instead of first in the famous "tara ta ta" (after I dance for Jose and he dismisses me).
Now, if you get those two verses messed up, you are in real trouble, because each ends up differently, with pretty different music.
Already at the begining of that mistaken verse, I realized that I was singing the wrong phrase,; and it was already clear to me that there's no going back; The music is running so fast and I can't think about the right verse while doing the wrong one. So I had to improvise something , and go on like nothing happened.
Something like this makes me feel like shit. Of course the audience doesn't notice a thing, but I was down on my self until the end of the night, and worried about my concentration level. At this point of the show, I still have two more acts, and even though this is not the MET or Covent G, I still think wherever it is that you perform,you need to be the most perfect that you can be. That's how you build a good career, and mainly a good reputation.
Anyways, I had to recover quickly because I just can't be depressed here; It is way too nice to spend my time dwelling over what 's happened.
My next few free days, which I am treating as a mini vacation, (yes, I also believe one should LIVE...) are already filling up with beach, pool, nice dinners out, (and Peter is here with me which is great!), and lots of socializing with my buddies from the cast. Miami is so damn perfect; it's the place for self- forgiveness!

Planet Apple

My 2 month old refurbished ipod died all of a sudden. I left it in my rental car over night and the next time I wanted to listen to * "telepopmusic" (*one of the dozens of new bands on my computer that my friend Robby from Berlin, put on a packed DVD with all his faves. how great is that! ) You can imagine how upset I was to have found my little new friend/ pet , my ipod, dead.
Well, today, I drove for 20 minutes and got my self into the nearest Apple store. It is amazing; like a planet, with its God "Apple" and all the disciples and worshippers around.
There is also the Apple "hospital " for sick Apple computers and ipods, a desk called "genius bar" , where you bring your sick gadget and it is being fixed in front of your eyes by one of the Apple "doctors" (they are like the high priests) or evenmore, they can REVIVE it if it's dead, with the power of God Apple, or just get you a new one if that's what's decided.
So they tried to revive my little ipod, and when they realized that it was a lost cause, they handed me a completely new ipod instead.
I didn't even need a receipt or anything; I am already in the system and my old ipod was registered with its serial number, as I am too, probably, in this Apple futuristic world, the micro world of our tomorrow.

And one more thing;

Thank God for the nice American gentle, cotton- soft TOILET PAPER.. I so missed it!

Hey, was that me...

...On the bus stop' life-size poster?... and on the next one? and all over town?

YAY for Miami

First day in Miami:

* Go through the entire role of Carmen
* Stage act 1 and act 2
* Head to South Beach at sunset
* Sip on a couple margaritas while diving into a freshly made guacamole, in a cool restaurant right off the beach
* Swim in the ocean

Letzten tag

Getting ready to leave again. Last show tonight and my suitcase is already, almost packed.
I am actually so ready , SO ready to go. Ready to stop eating out all the time, ready to have my American cell phone again, ready to chit chat on my friends' time zone, ready to see Peter at last, and , ready, oh so ready to sing my favorite role again!
I sang it the day before yesterday for Maestro Barenboim. I was supposed to be the original Carmen here a couple of years ago, however, I had to let it go for a previous engagement .But now I thought was a good time to refresh his mind with what has become since then a very comfortable sing for me... ( and after doing dozens of shows since he last heard me in it).
It went extremely well, my voice is warm and flexible from singing every day of the week (some in the show it self, some just because I keep practicing).
But I am really ready to be done here. Tuesday early AM and it's Aufwiedersehen Berlin, Hola Miami!