Trapped In The Wrong Story

Well this thing says I last updated 8 weeks ago. Feels longer. Was pretty sure for awhile I was going to delete this journal. Kinda lost the desire to continue documenting my activities. I'm not really a writer, never have been. To slow of a creative process for me;)

But I'm sitting at work, with nothing to do. Why the hell not?

So much has happened...saw Renee Fleming in concert, a highlight of the year to be sure. Words can't describe what it felt like to hear that voice ringing through the air. All of the famous descriptors for her voice are absolutely true and completely deserved. Armida is only a few months away!!!;D

Christmas was pretty mellow. Got some fantastic gifts, mostly along the opera line. Totally spoiled by my friends! Need to kick up a notch for them next year. Sandy had her baby right before Christmas. Little Benjamin. He is THE cutest thing.

New Years was uneventful. Had to work and house sit, but Autumn kept me company and we got into a lil mischief as per usual;)

Becoming a regular at The Seattle Symphony. Saw Kurt Masur conduct Mozart and Bruckner this last Saturday. $9 seats! In the center, 5th row, on the aisle! How we pulled that off I'll never know. Wonderful performance. The music was overwhelming. Great to see a legend while we still have him.

I was made Costume Mistress for our upcoming Conservatory show, Willy Wonka. 34 kids to costume plus props. Gonna be a lot of work. But excellente for the resume.

That's about it. Heading to Leavenworth this weekend with the family, including Jaxxon and Amber H. Should be a fantastic time. Really looking forward to it.

Need to find some more shows to keep me occupied. Il Travatore is at the Seattle Opera right now...may get some tickets to that...see what the Symphony comes up with...

"Art is the fatal net which catches these strange moments on the wing like mysterious butterflies, fleeing the innocence and distraction of common men."

The big night has arrived! I'll be celebrating it with the gang up in Seattle seeing a Queen cover band. They're called Hallo-Queen and they play only once a year. Should be great fun...

Had an awesome time last night with Jamie. Grabbed her after work and jetted up to Seattle where we ordered DELICIOUS and HUGE amounts of Chinese food. Holy cow. I hate being that full. But it was soooo good. Definitely will be ordering from there again.
We decided to watch Beetlejuice as I had never seen it. Hilarious. I loves me Tim Burton. Catherine O'Hara was so great. And Alec, so young and hip;D

Then it was on to various music DVDs. Lil Neil Diamond, lil David Bowie. I want that David Bowie one. So. Hawt.

Clarissa and Herman stumbled in a little later and we finished A Series of Unfortunate Events since Herman hadn't seen it all the way through. That movie's become our new obsession. Clarissa can quote it almost word for word now.

Surpreese.

Happy Halloween to all!

Brrrr is all I have to say. Who turned off the heat?? I always forget how much I dislike being truly cold. I don't mind a coolness in the air. I am a native of Washington after all. But literally from the month of October to around April I am constantly cold and utterly incapable of warming up. Tis a bad state of affairs but soldier on we shall...

Went to The Met's Aida with Jennifer. Again really enjoyed it. Becoming one of the things I really look forward to. Our hostess for this show was none other than "The Beautiful Voice", "Opera Milf", "America's Soprano", and "The People's Diva" Mizz Renee Fleming. She did a FANTASTIC job. Quick on her feet and genuinely interested in her conversations. Jennifer is now a fan because of how warm and friendly she was. Rock on Renee.

On to the opera...

Quite the spectacle. HUGE sets, horses, tons o' extras, and incredibly gaudy costumes. Oh opera, how I love your decadenza.



As for the singers, meh. I guess I just don't have enough of a foundation to tell if they were good or not. All I can say is again there were no punch in the gut moments. Violeta Urmana, who played Aida, cut quite the dramatic figure. Very tall, very amazonian warrior princess and absolutely gorgeous. As for her singing, not bad at all. A little stained but nothing that was distracting.



I was really surprised to hear in the backstage interview that she was a mezzo that went to a soprano. And a soprano doing Aida no less! Brava to you baby girl. Liked her, needs a bit more character development, but I'd watch her again.



Johan Botha's Radamès was alright. A little unispired but then again the role isn't too exciting anyways. At least the role the way he played it wasn't. Dolora Zajick apparently has "owned" the role of the Princess for 20 years, according to Hostess Fleming. Honestly....I couldn't tell you why. Not very charismatic. But again, I have no comparisons. I will say her last scene when they sentence Radamès was pretty good. The house loved it anyways and she received a huge ovation.



Plan on seeing it again for the encore presentation since I missed quite a bit of the interviews. Then it's on to Turandot in a few weeks! Yesssss...

Had a BLAST last night with Clarrisa and Jamie in Seattle. They took me to The Hurricane Cafe for some great diner food. Actually had a strawberry milkshake. I can't even remember the last time I had one. Pretty good but oh so filling. We thought our stomachs were going to burst. Then it was back to their apartment for my first viewing of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Why did it take so long for me to see it?!? Absolutely loved it! Jim Carrey: a genius.



Meryl Streep was HILARIOUS. Dustin Hoffman's cameo was to die for. And Billy Connolly? Could listen to that man talk for hours. Although PU to all the snakes;-P Just an excellent film. Buying it very soon...

A Halloween gift from the sick and twisted mind of Jamie. Hilarious!;D

Oh my, has been quite awhile since my last update. Lets see...went to the live broadcast of Tosca.



Really enjoyed it despite the fact I had to get up at 9am on a Saturday morning and drive out to Federal Way to see it alone!:( All my friends were otherwise occupied so it was my first outing to a movie alone. I held up okay. Nicole Marie was the trusty text-amigo throughout the ordeal. Grazie Miceala;)
Now I'm being groomed by my opera sages to be an utter opera snob. It's quite hilarious seeing as I have yet to attend an actual live performance. But it's the reality of things unfortunately. I can't even bring myself to see La Traviata at the Seattle Opera because heaven forbid it's less than Renee Fleming's portrayal. So yes I'm a complete snob and as such I had my criticisms for Tosca.

"A Tosca that isn't demented, isn't Tosca."

Karita Mattila's Tosca was....maybe semi-demented?:-/ I do like her and she seems talented enough but there was never a moment that just punched me in the stomach. Alright well the last line of Visa d'arte was goose bump worthy, but other than that it was simply a good performance. And in opera good isn't enough.



But I won't say anymore because I really don't have another reference for Tosca other than Callas and well there can be no comparison.

Marcelo Álvarez was INCREDIBLE as Cavaradossi. I was one the fence with him after seeing Manon but no longer. He brought the house down with each aria. His passion was overwhelming. Major major bravo to him.

So all in all I had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back for Aida next Saturday. Also got to see some previews of Der Rosenkavalier and Armida with Renee. *sigh* April can't come fast enough.

MY COMPUTER IS FIXED!!!! Soooo nice to have a computer at home again. It merely took me wiping the hard drive clean. I lost everything. All the pictures, opera recordings, my entire music collection....horrible. But I can get the vast majority of it back. Just going to take FOREVER:( Thank god I burned almost all of the ACA files to DVD. That would have been too much. Anyways onwards and upwards!

I may be changing my move in with the parentals plan. The debate rages on in my head. Can I just make my official complaint to the zodiac board right now? Being a Gemini is no walk in the park. I am utterly incapable of making a decision and sticking to it. It's torment on a scale that no human should be put through. Ugh....

Just got my tickets for Renee Fleming in December!!!! Eeeeeyeah! Not the greatest seats but seeing as how I didn't FIND OUT about it until it had already been on sale for months(grrrr...) I think I did okay.

Our seats are Third Tier Box Front, B-2, B-3.



I chose the left side figuring that's where singers stand in concert 9 times out of 10. But so help me god if she's on the right I'm going to rip my hair out cause I could have gotten them on the right.
I'm dragging Amber to it. I think a few cocktails before hand will soften her up;) This will be my first concert with a diva! Too bad it's not Annacat:-/ But you can't do much better than La Fleming!

I. Can't. Wait.

Renée Fleming’s Verismo Debuts at #1



Decca Album Featuring Arias by Puccini and His Contemporaries Tops Billboard Classical Chart with Highest Sales of Any #1 Debut since March
NEW YORK, NY – September 23, 2009 – Renée Fleming’s newest Decca recording, Verismo has topped the Billboard Classical Chart this week in its first week of release. The album, released September 15th, has already sold more copies than any other #1 debut since Plácido Domingo’s March release Amore Infinito. Verismo features the iconic American soprano performing opera arias by Puccini and his contemporaries performed with the Orchestra e Coro Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi with Marco Armilliato.

Along with great Puccini favorites from La Bohème, Turandot, La Rondine, Il Trittico and Manon Lescaut, the album also includes rarely heard arias by Verismo composers Mascagni, Catalani, Leoncavallo, Giordano, Cilea, and Zandonai. From the tragedy of the nun Angelica, singing of the son who never knew his mother, to the rapturous young lovers of La Rondine, this is deeply emotional music of love and loss, of triumph and pain. Of the roles she portrays on this album, Mimì from Puccini's La Bohème is the only one that Renée Fleming has sung on stage. This album offers a world-premiere recording of the original manuscript version of the aria ‘Sola, perduta, abandonata!’ from the tragic final scene of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. Star tenor Jonas Kaufmann joins Renée Fleming for an irresistible melody from Act II of Puccini’s La Rondine.

‘Verismo’ (literally ‘realism’) was an artistic movement of the late 19th-Century, which sought to bring the ‘naturalism’ of writers such as Zola and Ibsen to other art forms, including opera. Known as the ‘giovane scuola’ (‘the young school’), the Verismo composers wrote operas that were very different to those that came before them, setting stories about ‘real’ people and their real life struggles. The heroines Renée Fleming portrays include noblewomen (Fedora, Gloria, Angelica), courtesans (Stephana, Magda), Asian waifs (Iris, Liù), a Tyrolean village girl (Wally), the avaricious Manon, and three working women: music-hall performer Zazà, seamstress Mimì and factory-worker Conchita. The disc covers a concentrated period of Italian opera from the premiere of La Wally in 1892 to that of Turandot in 1926. This rich period saw the creation of more new works than almost any other era in operatic history.

I need another weekend. This last one was hijacked by a rather unsavory character known as stress. That jerk... Ah well.

Went up to Seattle Friday night for a lovely evening with my two favorite sweeties darlings Jamie and Clarissa. Watched some Ab Fab until about 2 in the morning and then up and at 'em around 8. Woo! Went over to the parents for a healthy dose of guilt. I almost wish they liked me less, then I wouldn't get all this harassment about not spending enough time with them. *sigh*
Sunday was the nightmare that is The Puyallup Fair. I AM NOT GOING NEXT YEAR. I know I've said this before but my mothers unequaled talent for giving guilt trips has dragged me back repeatedly. Never again. After only 3 hours my head was splitting in two, my neck muscles in knots and my fists ready to punch the next idiot who bumps into me in the throat. There is nothing about that hellish place that I enjoy. I warned my mother a year in advance to not expect me next time around. So è finita.

After escaping that nonsense I headed home to be soothed by some ibuprofen, La Fleming and incense. Worked like a charm;) Autumn, Tori, Sandy and Ramon then came over for a rousing game of Scategories. I came in 2nd. Curse you Autumn;-P Then it was sipping wine while spooking ourselves with ghosts and demons. A delightful evening.

Hoping to get to bed early tonight. Haven't been sleeping very well for the past week or so. My own fault. But the circles are starting to show...

New video from Within Temptation!!!


<3

I am sick to death of the advice, the observations, and the judgments. If I want an outside opinion I will ask. And if I gave a damn about your specific opinion I would ask you. Until that time, unless you are among the people who have EARNED the right to have a say in my life, I don't want to hear another word.

Despite what you may want to believe, I really am like this. Really and truly. I promise. There is no reason, there was no moment of ruination, and there will be no so called redemption. How dare you think otherwise. You can not even begin to conceive what my inner thoughts are. To try is an insult.

Tosca was booed!!! An opening night at The Met was booed...I think this may be one of the signs of the apocalypse. For all the juicy details-

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/09/the_mets_tosca_booed_on_openin.html

Ugh what I wouldn't give to have been there! How delicious. Finally a spark of life from the audiences. I'm SO excited to see the live broadcast on the 10th. And I CAN'T BLOODY WAIT for Arimda!

Had a pretty good weekend. Went to The EMP (Experience Music Project) in Seattle on Saturday. It was part duex of Heather's birthday outing. There was a small Hendrix exhibition as well as one on Northwest bands. All in all not a bad little outing.

Sunday was devoted to painting the backdrop for a window at The Pantages advertising The Conservatory's Wizard of Oz show. I was there for fiiiiiive hours. About 1 hour in I was contemplating suicide. It was the absolute worst conditions to paint in. I was perched between the glass and the wall with a space only about a foot and a half wide so perspective was non-existent. And forget trying to look through the glass because there was an incredible amount of glare. On top of that the wall was black so it did a number on the tones of the colors I had chosen. Highly frustrating and stressful. I'm going back this Sunday to finish up the details. All I have to say is never again!>_<

Got to spend a little time with Jamie Saturday night. She brought over a book that I MUST read. It's called Mind Magic. Had some very profound observations. Of course it would be out of print and difficult to find. Blegh.

We're starting a telemarketing campaign at work tonight. Yeah...me...as a telemarketer.

Karma's a beeeetch.

So by some freak technological accident the dumb VCR didn't record the Live From Lincoln Center broadcast.

It's amazing how many ways to smash something I can come up with.

But all is well because of the greatest idea that was ever conceived in the 21st century. Youtube...you have my adoration for all time...



And how gorgeous does she look?!? Lovin the new hairs Mizz Fleming.

"In love they are fickle, not intentionally so but because of the basic inconsistency of their emotional nature, which has an amoral aspect to it. There is a side to Geminis which can become deeply involved emotionally, and another, hostile to sentimentality, which stands back from a romantic situation, laughing at it and the protagonists in it, including themselves while analyzing it intellectually.
Gemini subjects take nothing seriously. So, in love, in spite of their temporary depth of feeling, for the intensity of involvement lasts only while it is new, they are superficial, light-hearted, cool, flirtatious and unimaginative in the understanding of the pain they may give others. They like intrigue, the excitement of the chase, but once they have caught the prey, they lose interest and look around for the next creature to pursue."

Mary Travers....I grew up with their music. Some of the very first songs I taught myself to play were hers. So sad.

Rest in Peace

Has been quite the interesting few days. Went up to Seattle Tuesday night to spend some time with Jamie. We hooked up with Christian for a late dinner at Rock Bottom. Some quotes from the evening-

Christian: "We're getting trashed at Rock Bottom. Ironic, isn't it?"

Me: "You can't say anything now without it getting put on Facebook."
Jamie: "Ha that's awesome...think I'll put it on Facebook."

The wine flowed and much fun was had. We then headed back to Jamie's to watch Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Oh my god....how have I lived without that movie?!?



Funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Johnny Depp's brilliance was once again re-affirmed as was Bencio del Toro's. Hunter S. Thompson is a genius. Pure and simple. I will own that film.
Stayed way too late as I had to work the next day but it was well worth it. Things have been slightly neurotic at work with the season starting and our dept taking over reception and the tours of the theaters. I got to write the script for the tour. The Pantages has quite the colorful history.

Monday night was spent with Autumn and Tori and our beloved Stevie.



Blew our minds as usual. Last night they came over for some wine and movies. I watched Tim Burton's Will Wonka for the first time. Loved the film, but didn't really enjoy Johnny's characterization. A little too...I don't even know what. Just awkward and I guess predictable. I don't know, just rubbed me the wrong way. And I'm allowed to critique because I'm a die hard fan.
Anyways got rather tipsy. Autumn and I had our usual war of Kim comebacks. She also threatened to turn my peaches and cream complexion into a milkshake. Ah the hilarity of it all.

I sleep with my window open so I was awoken this morning by the bloodcurdling screams of our neighbor. Apparently their little boy was having trouble breathing and they were outside waiting for the ambulance. She was desperately frantic. My heart was in my throat and beating a million miles an hour. I've never heard such anguish from a woman in real life before. I wanted to do something but I was frozen and disoriented from having just woke up. Thankfully the ambulance showed up moments later. They were able to ease his breathing right there but they did take him away in the ambulance. Quite the jarring experience. I hope the little guy is okay...

Watching Renee Fleming's performance at the New York Philharmonic tonight. It aired last night but since Autumn and Tori were over I had to record it. Glowing reviews for her this morning though. She performed Messiaen's “Poèmes Pour Mi”.



From the little I did hear it was truly haunting. The piece was Messiaen's attempt to marry the sensual and divine love. Can't wait to see it in it's entirety.
Seeing Tommy again tonight before he leaves for Peru on Saturday. Gonna miss that guy something awful:( But I'm so excited for him I can't stand it. What an amazing experience. A la vida!

"I get paid to make Opera. That makes me an Opera Person. I am sick, sick, sick, and working on getting sicker. There is nothing I won't do for effect, and this includes stair case entrances and velvet trains. I do not expect a "legendary death" or any type of widespread fame. This does not keep me from intrigue, scandal, pissy spats, bullying singers, worshiping singers, staging scenes from impossible operas at home with my cats and other highly suspicious behaviors. I did not choose this life: it chose me. I do not enter a room, I sweep into it. I do not leave a room, I flounce from it. I have the temper of a water buffalo if you get in my way. That my students both fear and love me is a form of manipulation I worked out years ago. I cannot tell the difference between an authentic emotion and acting a scene. The lines between the real and unreal become more blurred each day. I'm having a BALL. Any other questions?"
-Christopher Lacy

God I love it.

Maria Callas
December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977
Resquiat In Pace

Me: "Note to self- "...staircase entrances, oaths of vengeance, and a really dependable velvet train are what make a career."

Christopher: "On a REALLY good day, you swear your oath at the top of the staircase wearing the train, then SWEEP down the stairs singing a high C. A tenor is handy at the foot of the stairs in case you feel the need to collapse at the end of the staircase. This works for me in the music building when going from class to class."

God I love opera...

'Tis Friday. The most blessed of days. I'm also looking down the barrel of a four day weekend. Very pleased with that. Taking the little sister and her two friends up to Seattle for her birthday tomorrow. Shoot me now.
That night Autumn, Tori and I are going to have a little witches reunion. The wine shall flow and Stevie shall be watched. Some painting nonsense will more thank likely sneak in there somewhere.
Hopefully my new book arrived. Christopher, maestro and professor of music that he is, said it was required reading for my continuing education in opera. It's called Demented, The World of Opera by Ethan Mordden.



Apparently it's a delicious concoction of true life tales from the insanity that is the opera world. Very excited to sink my teeth in...

Other than that, it's begun to rain and I'm bored as hell.

Rock on.