Opening Night - La Boheme

Opening night... images appear on stage in the dark, everyone takes their place. The long hours of rehearsals, the hard work of the designers, the lighting, the sets all come together in an instant. The stage is set and you are in an apartment in the Latin Quarter of Paris. Act I sounds beautiful as I listened for my cue to come up to the stage.

Matthew  Crockett's Act I photo

Act II and its dark again.. places places everyone.. Angela get on your ladders... Lights up with an explosion of wonderment, surprise and awe. We are back in the Latin Quarter Christmas Eve in the market. Towns folks all around. Me, in my window looking down at the scene. Our voices fill the air, watching, singing, reacting to the sights.

Matthew Crockett's photo of Act II-I am sitting on the cafe edge.

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Act III, backstage beautiful lady voices singing from a far, the snow, the men singing their pub song. You are taken there, the quiet early morning scene. Workers, townsfolk, fill the stage preparing for the day ahead. When all seems bleak, the sadness fills the room, the heartbreak, the love lost, a bride and groom are a dream of what should have been. Then they are gone and its dark again. 

Denny Well's photo of Loren and me.

Act IV, Sounds of missed love, missed opportunity, songs of comic relief. Then Musetta and Mimi return with the sad news. Mimi is sick and may die. The theme of love lost and what should have been returns. Mimi dies and Ruldolfo's heart is torn apart.

Matthew Crockett's Act IV photo

We had so much fun Opening Night. The cast and crew did such a great job. I didn't fall off my platform or ladders, things went smoothly.  Our cast party was held at a lovely restaurant called Ginger.

We still have Wednesday, Friday and Sunday to perform. I hope it goes as well as Opening Night. I feel so blessed to be apart of this talented cast. Thank you my new friends for taking me in and making me feel welcome.

Talented photographers have been documenting our progress. Matthew Crockett's site listed here gives beautiful aspects of our show.

 http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?aid=375916&id=322785073573

 

Matthew Crockett's picture of the Performing Arts Center

Thank you to my fellow cast mates, to our stage management team, our backstage crew, costume department, our Maestro and Director... You all are awesome to work with. I look forward to working with you again. 

With a thankful heart-Love,

Angela

Little girl in the pretty dress

Every little girl has a moment when she stands before her dad, twirls and says "Daddy, do you think I am pretty?" This is affirmation, not being pretty, affirmation that she matters, that she has made her father proud. In Staci Eldridge's book "Captivating", Staci goes into depth the relationship this single act can have on a woman. After 38 years I finally think I have "spun" in my pretty dress and made my dad proud. He has been telling everyone about me being in the Anchorage Opera.

Its funny what you do that make your parents proud. I thought it would be graduating from college, having children, being a teacher... no.. its singing in an opera.


Singing has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. In my Kindermusik profile, listening to ABBA and singing at church as a child is listed. I sang my first solo at 11 years old, from there school plays, church solos, singing in weddings, funerals came through out the years. In college I visited the Sydney Opera House, with the thought, one day! As a Theatre major the stage was like a second home, but the years and life got in the way.  Still singing, teaching Kindermusik and elementary music, one thing always was in the back of my mind. I wanted to be back on the stage and wanted to sing opera.

With the blessing of being in Alaska comes the blessing of the Anchorage Opera. I have had so much fun being apart of the Big Wild Chorus. Being back on stage, singing and remembering the things I had forgotten, has been a joy. We open La Boheme this coming week. A French opera done in Italian.  I have had my costume fittings, our staging rehearsals, now onto dress rehearsals. Can't wait to rehearse in our costumes. I get to yell at little children, calling them demons, little scoundrels. I get to be a new bride in a vintage 30s wedding dress and stroll across stage.

reacting to Musetta's aria

I have met some wonderful people that I know will become great friends. Next up is South Pacific. We go right into rehearsals as soon as we close on La Boheme. I have to start my crunches now! Costume director says, shorts and possible swimsuits.. Luckily, South Pacific is set in the 1940s.

So, I am not Musetta or Mimi in La Boheme and I will be a nurse in South Pacific, but I am back on stage singing doing what I love using a talent God has given me. I am blessed and thankful.

I am twirling in my pretty dress as a grown woman with a little girl's heart, "Daddy, do you think I am pretty?"  For my friends that are fathers take this to heart. Make sure you let your girls know how much they mean to you, whether they are little girls or "big" little girls.

With love and a thankful heart,
Angela

Its Feb. all ready??

My friends it has been awhile. I have been reminded its NOT Thanksgiving any longer. I mean well, I do. So many exciting things have been happening, that I haven't had a chance to sit and tell you about them. I have ideas and things to say but they don't always make it to the keyboard.

Jacob is #92 Ashleigh second row behind #10

The children have started skiing. They are on the Hillberg Youth Ski Team (HYST). How exciting for two "summer" kids who have never been on skis. After three practices they were off to the big hill going up the ski lift. I find it easier for them to learn than their old mother. If Jacob falls which doesn't happen usually, he gets right up and starts skiing again. Same goes for Ashleigh. I think they are made of rubber and just bounce! I tried skiing, after not skiing for 23 years, and it was not pretty. I was a turtle. Yes folks, a turtle on my back. I don't bounce like tigger or bend like the children and get right up. I was embarrassed and felt like a real dum dum when my sweet baby girl goes its okay mama, I will ski backwards and help you down!!! I kindly told her to go away and made it down with out falling. When you first start to ski there are two basic positions... french fries (skis straight like french fries) and Pizza wedged like a pizza slice to help you slow down or stop.. My skis don't like pizza, like my stomach, my skis like french fries.. I felt like I was flying fast down the hill, which I wasn't according to Ashleigh. I kept saying pizza pizza.. go into pizza I want to stop.. Haven't skied since.

Luckily the children have and have improved every time they hit the slopes. A typical ski team day is get to the slope at 11:30am Saturday morning with skis, helmets, gloves, toe warmers, extra gloves, face masks, picnic lunch and everything else but the kitchen sink. Scott and I are in and out of the lodge watching them come down the hill. We don't leave the slope until 5pm or after. A race day is even longer!! We arrive at 8am and leave around 5pm after awards! We try to get in a bit of race practice on Friday nights when the gates are up and on Sunday afternoons when we get a chance. Jacob has learned that freestyle ski is the up and coming thing. You know.... doing snowboard stunts, grinding, picnic tables and rails on skis!!! The first time I saw him try a picnic table I almost jumped up out of my seat in the lodge. One of the dad's assured me it was the up and coming thing.. easy for him to say Dan is a ski instructor....

                                   My racers on race day!!

Ashleigh coming down the hill

Ashleigh crossing the finish line

Jacob down the hill

Jacob crossing the finish line!!

The first race was so exciting!! Jacob and Ashleigh did so wonderful in their classes.  Jacob won a bronze medal. He was so stunned. He didn't think he placed at all or maybe 5th but not Bronze medal!! The coaches wanted the boys to raise their arms as you can tell from the other boys, but Jacob was so surprised he just raised his finger. Ashleigh did not medal this time because she wiped out on the 2nd run. The judges combine run times and if you wipe out you are disqualified. Her first run time would have gotten her a bronze. She wiped out because she hit ice and then powder on a turn. However, my girl got up and finished. Despite her little knee bruised and swelling she finished all the gates and crossed the finish line. I was so proud of her for getting up and not quitting. A fry and hot cocoa made her knee feel better.

We have another race this weekend, tomorrow to be exact... at Alyeska Resort. I am excited about going too. Looking at the place online looks beautiful.

I have more to tell you! Exciting things in store for me.. I want to tell you all about how dreams come true hint hint..

Until then my friends. We are having so much fun in this Alaska snow. New sports, new adventures.. new opportunities. I will keep it more up to date on things Alaska.


With love,
Angela