the desert

I've got 2 humidifiers going full blast simultaneously in my bedroom and yet somehow the first week was a little rough! Another thing that "school" doesnt necessarily prepare you for is how to sing in various altitudes / climates! I gotta say though, the desert is gorgeous...and after a week of 104, 106 and 102-ish type weather, things have cooled off a bit and today its a glorious 83. :o) But yeah...for all you non-singers out there the humidity(or lack thereof in the desert) has a significant effect on the body and voice. One must take your surroundings into consideration and make up for the dryness by over hydrating with drinking lots and lots of water. I tell ya, with Santa Fe at 7,000+ and with Aspen at 8,000+ ft above sea level, you must quickly learn to adapt. I think that here in Tucson we are at 3,000 ft but VERY dry.

The other day 2 of the other singers and myself found ourselves playing the links! We found a public course on the south side of town and managed to lose nearly EVERY ball that we came with! Fun was had by all...but dear LORD I was soooo sore the next day! Heck, I was hurting by the 18th hole!

I'm very excited that my wife will be joining me in 6 days! I cant believe that we are getting close to opening. We move into the theater on Monday and then open Saturday night! Woohooo! ....after 2 shows in Tucsom then its up to Phoenix for the remaining 4 shows...and then off to the airport for Dallas!

Aida

Last night we opened Aida at the Abraham Chavez Theater here in lovely El Paso, TX. Its amazing what music can teach you. Sometimes it reminds you of what you needed to remember. Other times it can show you that you arent quite where you thought you were. It sometimes seems all for not. Have you ever caught yourself chasing a dream that you never knew really existed? We go through hell and beat ourselves up, even asking to be rejected time and time again - for what? To realize that what seemed like Candyland really is a lonely hotel room? For anyone that reads this, ask yourself if you have anything else to chase. Too often people dont find what they are looking for - or if they find it, it just might turn out to surprise them that its not what they imagined it to be. A dear friend of mine just might have found something with time to spare.

Amonasro has taught me a thing or two. He likes to yell...at least through me he seems like he is angry. I might need to have a talk with him before tomorrow night's performance and let him know that one can still show authority and anger through pianissimos and mezzo fortes...

My better half joins me tomorrow. Although in the same state, it seems much farther. It will be heaven to share each other, if only for 2 days until the next lesson.

I really am happy. I just re-read what I have written...I guess that the feelings of those close to us may tend to creep in and contaminate our thoughts. I am the luckiest guy in the world. I have a wife that loves me. I have a puppy that loves me. My family is amazing...I'm about to be an uncle twice over! - and I get to make a living at what I am meant to be doing. I am blessed.

Tomorrow ends a chapter of Mexican food and Ethiopian reign, and Sunday its back to Dallas for snuggle-time with Daisy, Figy, and Tiny and to watch the Cowboys take on the Giants! Wooohooo! FOOTBALL SEASON HAS BEGUN!

Hey, I said this was fleeting thoughts of an opera singer...Football makes me happy!

The final stretch...

Here we are in our last week of rehearsals for Aida. Things have gotten a lot better and a lot worse all at the same time. The bad news first: I am sick! I came down with a pretty nasty cold about 4 days ago and havent been able to attend rehearsals. The good news on that front is that I'm feeling much better and still have plenty of time to feel better by Tuesday! The other negative issues that I have had here in El Paso have all been addressed and I truly feel like this will be a great show! Today we have a sitzprobe (literally a sitting rehearsal) with the orchestra. I'm very interested to hear how they sound...as they are the final piece of this puzzle. If they are anything like the chorus, then I'm not worried at all.

As the performances draw closer so do the rehearsals for Lucia in Arizona! It amazes me that I will be in Tucson in 8 days and that I start rehearsals in 9 days. Most of the role is memorized and I still have plenty of time to get the rest in my brain before go time on the 11th. I'm actually very excited about my first professional Enrico. This is a role that I feel suits me quite well and am ready to start making money with him!

At this point I have about an hour before I need to head over to the sitz - so I had better get dressed, call Christina, call my mom, and wrap things up here at the hotel.