Rehearsing a show is exhausting (understatement of the week). I think the entire cast was getting loopy as 10 p.m. drew nearer. We're working through the show right now, tightening and refining details so they are more specific, finding the proper focus. But I'm glad that we've had the opportunity to do a mini Viewpoints workshop prior to all of this. I don't feel weighed down by one single way of approaching the action. It's all very go-with-the-flow. I had choreography this morning, a tiny break, then I worked as an usher for a nearly sold-out Sunday matinee. That was a five-hour shift.
Now, let me explain. The show is only two hours. Ushers need to be at the theatre an hour before to set up everything and get the house set up. Then there was a small potluck/party after the show. I stayed around to clean up and take in the free food. That took another hour and a half or so. I kind of forgot about the whole lunch thing (which isn't something I normally do), so I wolfed down the pasta salads and this outstanding corn salsa. I don't even know what was all in it, but it was exquisite!
Needless to say, I was exhausted, and I knew that I had three hours of rehearsal later that night. I attempted to take a nap, but I just kind of lied in bed listening to the latest Cantus album.
Cantus is the nation's premiere vocal men's ensemble. There are 9 guys singing remarkable literature. Stuff from all over the world (new and old music).
The whole reason I spent this time listening was that I took a quick, rather spontaneous trip to Rochester to catch a concert featuring Cantus and the Choral Arts Ensemble. It was stunning, to say the least.
I sat in the back of this church, and it was packed. Lots of people were here for a benefit for the Choral Arts Ensemble. They started off the program and I was instantly hit with how much I appreciated, love, and (gasp) miss singing in choir at college. It was an insane commitment that had very little payoff it seemed. There wasn't much credit (if any, honestly). The hours were long. Rehearsals and personalities can get rather aggravating for even the most patient of people. But then the concerts come around and the tours start up. There's a lot of preparation we'd have to do just to make sure one measure of a particular piece was to our director's liking.
Until last night, I've usually always been singing in the ensemble. To sit down and have a rather objective perspective from a choir that I knew nothing about was refreshing and surprising. They were good. They even sang a piece I sang my senior year of high school. Sitting in the audience with all those supporters was completely invigorating. Those people LOVED the choir for a variety of reasons. I could tell they needed it, probably in ways they can't fully understand.
I sure needed it.
And Cantus comes up. These guys are mind-blowing! The effortlessness and ease they sing with! I was just in awe (and I consider myself to have a pretty critical ear and eye when it comes to a performance like this). There's a sensitivity and absolute connection to the music and words and story behind the pieces. They're a pretty theatrical group and do a lot of engaging things with their faces and restricted body language (since, you know, they're singing). But all of it was such a fascinating performance. I felt transported to other countries and times and...ugh...it was stunning.
It makes me wonder when I'll be able to dive into that sort of thing again. It's hard to discern how that can happen at the moment (and also to realize that I'm only 23...so there's time and who knows where I'll be a year from now). But it's something I don't want to slip.
We'll see what happens.
And speaking of future endeavors, I'm sending off my U/RTA stuff tomorrow. It's all ready to go. Monologue camp until those auditions!
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