yup, this happens.

What is it with Cosi that makes it a high drama gig , almost every time ?
Here is the latest news: the orchestra that played with us in Paris somehow managed to seduce us (no, it wasn't the money) to agree to an extra show, on the day after our last Paris Cosi. In Munich.
We would fly early morning, arrive there, put our stuff in the hotel, rehearse, and perform the entire opera in a concert version. This is *the day after a late Cosi show*. (go to bed at 2 AM, wake up at 7, airport, flight, rehearsal and show! ).
For me it would be hard, but not as impossible as it might be for a Fiordeligi or a Frerrando, a grand vocal task on tired cords.

But what happened on top of it was, that most of the cast got sick, and our Fiordeligi actually decided she wasn't going to make it, and canceled. (7 hours before).

So on the day of the Munich show, right before our rehearsal, (which we would normally use to semi-stage ourselves), we were introduced to our replacement Fiordeligi. She knew Cosi, but only a largely CUT version of it. (while were were doing no cuts!). At that point, we were already dead tired and stressed as hell. Learning that we now have to also worry about a newby and changes, and cuts, we almost collapsed.

But at the end, we did what we did; we just didn't sing the recits she couldn't do, and some soprano lines in the finales were left out, sung as a trio as opposed to a quartet. Yikes.
I really don't think anybody else but us knew the difference... The audience loved it... but I think it cost some of us extra grey hairs/ insomnia or acid reflux attacks... I think they should build a special "recovery- spa" for brave opera singers.

Premiere, etc.

(Above: Suffering in bed...)
It seems like it's been a long time since my Cosi opening here in Paris, but it was actually only 3 days ago.
The day before, I did everything I normally do to prepare for a show: slightly warm up, rest rest rest, hydrate, eat well, and be in bed by 11 PM.
But, also normal, was the fact I could not possibly fall asleep by any means. I started with 4 drops of Bach flowers "rescue remedy" (it's homeopathic and natural). Much later, after tossing and turning, and turning and tossing, I looked at my cell phone's clock, and it was 3. Then I took half an Ambien. This usually knocks me out. But at 4 or so, or maybe it was 5, with no sleep yet, I took the other half. And woke up at 8!
This is bad news, when I have an entire 4 hour *Mozart* opera to sing that same day. (I say *Mozart* because there especially, one is extremely exposed, like a pearl. The voice simply has to be in top shape, the entire time).
So the rest of the day was spent in bed, trying to make up some sleeping hours. At the end I managed to do a couple more and wake up at 3 PM, and go to the theater shortly after.
This, to begin with, is not a great start; My head was exploding, my back was twisted, and I had puffy eyes that hurt so badly when my make up lady tapped some concealer on my dark bags.... and the voice? sleepy and a bit hoarse. Oy.
... But sometimes, you have to deal with what you have.
So, I struggled on stage, trying to apply every little ounce of ability, technique, tricks, magic, charm, wherever I could.
At the end, I think I managed to have a really good prima.
For the second show, I had 9 hours of straight sleep, fresh voice, and a fabulous mood, but it was just a shitty eve for me.