As a friend reminded me, one of the great all-time stage acts involved Bette Midler and a wheelchair. So, I figure, let's give it a shot as well, tonight. Of course, 3 hard weeks of intense staging rehearsals go right down the drain (sorry Mosh & Posh!) BUT it means we get to improvise in character, think quickly on our feet (or wheels as it were), and still aim to tell the story, only this time it has a twist (or fracture) that Beaumarchais most likely didn't intend, but is nonetheless entirely plausible. I've been to Seville and have seen those cobblestone streets!!
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15 comments:
Dear Joyce, what a lesson you are giving to us. WOUAH!!! And never loosing your sense of humour, c'est FORMIDABLE!!! A very big "le loup dans la bouche" for tonight. You can count on the support of your fans in and outside the auditorium. Tout va très bien se passer and, knowing you, I'm sure you will even find so much FUN in it. So: sit back, relax and enjoy!
Dear Ms DiDonato,
I really admire your braveness and am quite certain that all of you will make another wonderful stage tonight at ROH.
I have my ticket for the 10th and am hoping to see you again on the stage in any form.
By the way, I am a Japanese and I should be grateful if you put [arigato] below [Danke].
I told you're the Bette Midler of the opera!!! :-)))
Toi Toi, Joyce! I'm sure you'll be wonderful...
Be careful,
R.
I love the ANKLES AWEIGH cover!
Did you think of that yourself? If so, I'm in renewed awe that you're in command of another whole area of expertise (50s flop musicals)!
You'll be great tonight.
Take care and get us some pics.
All your fans' thoughts are with you.
Bravissima......you are so brave....take good care of yourself and heal properly!!!!!!!!!
thanks for the tip of the hat, Joyce!
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Dear Joyce,
I am sorry about your leg! I hope you heal quickly! :)
Totally unrelated to this post or subject, I wanted to say that I truly admire your artistic eye in photography. Not to sound like a "gushing fan," but it really is beautiful! (Not unlike your voice!) I, too, along with my singing love photography. Your photos and the stories that accompany them always bring a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing your little anecdotes and stories with us...it is very inspiring to an aspiring opera singer. :)
Dear Joyce, I'm amazed since I read the information. How brave, and generous you are!
But you know... Rossina would have made the same! She would go out on stage to say "Here you have me" ! even if a wheelchair makes everything a bit postmodernist.
Honestly, you've the andalusian fire inside of you!!!
I wish you a quick recovery :))))
Love from Barcelona
Dear Joyce,
It was a great evening. Royal opera has probably never seen better Il Barbiere. What a triumph and what a night. Thank you so much.
You did AMAZINGLY tonight! It was brilliantly sung by everybody, a really good fun performance (if rather surreal in its solution to furniture-trashing) and impressive agility with the wheels! Loved the pink theme with the cast and the wheel-corsage.
Get well soon...
(Oh, and I'll be sure to wish singers toi toi from now on...)
Fab show tonight!!! I feel privileged to have been able witness it and was smiling throughout the entire performance. Your spirit and heart shone through tonight and gave an extra feistiness to your already perfect Rosina that played wonderfully. Thank you for going on and for giving it your all! And kudos to the rest of the cast!!!
Casta diva indeed! Amy and I are loving the Handel CD, and hope we'll see you again soon. I am a fellow blogger here, but had no idea about your Covent Garden drama until I happened upon your page! Be well, keep on rolling, and toi, toi, toi on the rest of the, um, run!
Not that he'd remember me, but give my best to Ferruccio--I had the unforgettable privilege of standing behind him in a concert of Simon Boccanegra in Verbier a couple years ago.
Come to think of it, you might not even remember me, but I'm Amy Cofield's lesser half. And I'm so glad to have heard your fabulous Rosina in Chicago last season. We will try to make it to Chicago next season, visit Amy's girls, and hopefully catch up again in person.
Take care!
Scott
Yesterday night with pictures!! http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/show-23613334-details/The+Royal+Opera:+Il+Barbiere+Di+Siviglia/showReview.do?reviewId=23716951
My boss was the nasty Bartolo last night who trapped me at work and i could't escape to say hi :-( BUT, Friday i have a ticket and 10 wild horses can't keep me away!!! Everyone who saw last night is elated! You are the stuff that opera magic is made off :-) And Bravissimi to the whole team who so wonderfully rose to the occasion :-))) On to the next one on Friday :-))))))
I posted a comment on the Intermezzo blog asking for suggestions about what other operatic heroines could be put, to good effect, in a wheelchair. You might have started a new trend in staging, Joyce. How would Violetta do in a wheelchair? Mimi would seem a good candidate. Aida no, but what about Gilda?
Now get well fast; that is the wish of us all.
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