July 2024
Double Duty
July/20/2024
Tonight, we perform the third act of Wagner's "Die Walküre" at the Miami Music Festival. This is my fifth visit to the festival…each trip has been very different. Tonight, I not only sing Wotan but am also directing the performance. This has been intimidating but I have enjoyed every second of it…well, with the exception of having a major allergy attack this week that brought on laryngitis. Things have greatly improved and I should be able to make it through the performance…but, we'll see. Strong video visualizations are being used in this presentation and the orchestra, mostly young musicians, sound fantastic as do all the ladies I'm on stage with. They have all been open to this endeavor…one that has most of them signing Wagner for the first time. Our conductor, Aaron Breid, is an outstanding young conductor. I'm sure we will all hear much more from him!!!
I've never directed and played a role in a production at the same time. Your eyes and ears have to be in 20 places at the same time…not to mention, you have to keep your own mind on your own performance. It's been a great challenge…and, I'd like to do it again. But, this time, I want to stay healthy through it all.
I've never directed and played a role in a production at the same time. Your eyes and ears have to be in 20 places at the same time…not to mention, you have to keep your own mind on your own performance. It's been a great challenge…and, I'd like to do it again. But, this time, I want to stay healthy through it all.