Blood on the sidewalk

So, Cherubino and I were walking over to the CVS here in Detroit and what do we see but BLOOD ON THE SIDEWALK! It seriously looked as though someone had just been stabbed a few minutes earlier...and we are right in the middle of downtown! Hmmm...perhaps it was just ketchup? Is that how you spell Ketchup? I dont know if I have ever typed out that word before. Anyway, you know what I mean. It freaked us out!!

Other joys of the downtown Detroit area are the dance clubs. Here on the 9th floor I get a wonderful listen to what is being "played" in the discotecs in the immediate surrounding area. Last night it didnt seem to end until 3am? Yeah. I need earplugs!

Another thing that I have noticed as being VERY odd here in Detroit are the dreams that I have been having. I mean VIVID dreams that I still remember 2 and 3 days later. I guess its good to be dreaming...it means that you are really getting good sleep. But, like last night I had a dream that I was in a pretend "war" with people that I knew. It seemed that everyone involved were singers...and that we were all singing with some opera company that was doing 2 shows at once. Hmmm, kinda like now. Anyway, we had these guns that shot out tacks! (like the colored push pins that you stick onto bulletin boards and stuff) - So, we shot at the other show's cast members....and thetn I remember that my Dad was there eating some lunch, so I shot him too. Weird, right?? OOOhhh, I just remembered also that my buddy Larry had me over at his house and pretended to be crazy and scary. Somehow he turned his house in to a haunted house to scare me. NUTS! Then there was the other night with this real fat guy shooting up heroin through his head and stuff....VERY RANDOM!

Ok, now you think I'm a total freak...but, I guess that the mind wonders when we sleep to places that we dont understand. Speaking of things that I dont understand...I need to memorize the rest of Act 3 , as we are plugging along here with rehearsals for Le nozze di Figaro. I think tomorrow we will finish act 3 and then by Tues or Wed we will be done with staging. Tonight we are reviewing Act 1 - lets hope that we all remember what to do! :O)

Detroit

I'm outta the desert and into the ghetto. No, not really. Thus far downtown Detroit isnt as bad as everyone said it would be. I came here assuming that I'd be held up on a daily basis on my trek over to the opera house. Thats just not true. I'm staying in a lovely hotel very near the opera house surrounded by The baseball stadium for the Detroit Tigers and the football stadium for the Detroit Lions! Lions and Tigers and Pistons oh my!? hmmm...I dunno.

We are off to a start of some sort on Mozart's LE NOZZE DI FIGARO. We've sort of finished staging act 1 and thrust forward today into act 2. Apparently we will have the entire act 2 staged by this evening. Hmm...lets see if that REALLY happens. :-O Who knows, it could happen. I actually really like it here in MI. The entire facility is all in house. The rehearsals and costume shop and offices and theater are all in one building. Very cool....and easy.

The weather here has been a sign that ol' man winter is on his way. Its been in the mid-40's for highs and low 40's at night. I'm thinking that I should have brought a heavier jacket? oops.

In other news facebook has taken over my life. Why why why am I addicted to looking at pictures of friends? I dont get it. Oh well...it keeps my busy and away from doing other things that could be much worse, right? Not that I do things that are much worse...I'm just saying...it COULD be much worse. Ok, nevermind. I'd probably just be watching TV or sumthin. But then again...I probably should be studying.

Ok, I'm off to study.....

Phoenix, AZ

Here I sit in my lovely hotel room at the Wyndham Hotel in beautiful downtown Phoenix. Tomorrow starts a 4 day marathon of Lucia performances for me! I knew I was a little crazy in accepting this, but I know that all will be well. Its just unfortunate that I wont be able to go out with the gang and party after the shows...alas, perhaps its time I grow up? Nah...just be good for these 4 days! Please send me your positive thoughts! :o)

Its amazing that in one week I will be starting rehearsals for Le nozze di Figaro in Detroit, MI with an entirely new cast and a whole new group of people and between now and then will sing 4 performances of Lucia and then fly back to Dallas for 2 days! Ahhh, the life of a working singer. I tell ya, its a lot of travel and not a lot of "at home" time, at least for now. I am excited to say that I will be working in Dallas in an upcoming season! Yay!!

Its getting late and I should head to bed...I hope that everyone has as an exciting weekend as I will have!

Go Cowboys on Sunday!!! Make it 6-0 Wooooohooooo!