Olè! (Tour: Day 3)

Last night we officially opened the "Furore Tour" in Madrid, and I had a wonderful time. There is something quite wonderful about revisiting a project (or role) that you invested a tremendous amount of time and energy in, put away for a spell, and brought back out. Somehow it's like putting on a familiar, somewhat worn in pair of gloves. Meeting back with the orchestra members, seeing the music with fresh eyes, and having the opportunity to share it with a warm public are all parts of the excitement and pleasure of a concert tour like this.

As I've noted here, I didn't have the most opportune start to my tour. But the show does go on, and frankly, I was thrilled to get through the program as I did, knowing it could have been a lot more difficult! Did I feel 100%? Well, no. But seldom does a singer have a night where every thing works in perfect harmony. But I did give it my all, and enjoyed the interaction with the orchestra and the warm, Madrid public tremendously.

So many people waited to meet me afterwards, to sign their CD's and share some very generous sentiments - and I hope they all know how much that means. I think sometimes people take it for granted that we singers get tired of hearing compliments or receiving gracious "thank you's". (Do YOU get tired of hearing compliments?!?! I didn't think so!) But while I can only speak for myself, I venture to say this couldn't be further from the truth for most performers, especially on a night where we might feel a bit below par, say, for example, from horrible jet lag!! But I never underestimate the fact that someone has saved a lot of money to attend a concert or purchase a disc, or has waited in a cold (!) hallway for 30-45 minutes just to say hello. That's precisely why I do what I do.

Tonight I get to take in Katia Kabanova here in Madrid, and then it's on to Amsterdam. My debut in the Concertgebouw. (MY DEBUT IN THE CONCERTGEBOUW!!! I love being able to say that!!!)

(PS: I'm sorry I don't have a photo to post here, but yesterday was a bit crazy and my focus was 100% on the concert. But now that we're up and running, I'll probably be a bit more inclined to snap a few photos along the way...)

SNAP! (Tour: Day 2)

You simply could not script these kinds of things.

So after an impromptu stop in New York City without my luggage, (with beautiful weather, thank you very much!) I climbed back onto Continental Airlines, and everything looked to be in great shape - that great weather, flights on-time, no frantic passengers or workers! I was home free.

The passengers get settled, the door is closed, we are ready for take-off .... wait a minute. The pilot is speaking. "What is he saying?" "No. Seriously. What is he talking about???"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all ready to go here on flight 144 to Madrid, but there is just one little hitch that we have to take care of before we can pull away from the gate: the baggage handlers down below in the cargo area have seen a Snapping Turtle which must have escaped during the previous flight on this aircraft, which came in from Florida. They've got to try and catch him before we take off here, and apparently he's proving to be a stubborn little thing. We've called animal control."

An hour later, they apparently got him to safety, and we were on our way.

Really.

I walked off the plane today at 12:00, sat for over an hour in Madrid lunchtime traffic, freshened up in 20 minutes and was off to an interview and a full day of rehearsals. I'm exhausted, but the games have officially begun!

Seriously.

A snapping turtle on the loose.

Priceless.

Finding the Fury (Tour: Day 1)

Admittedly, I've missed the Thanksgiving Feast in the United States the past few years. Even so, I should have known better. Really - I DID know better: you never, EVER travel on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Ever. It's the busiest travel day in the universe. Everyone knows this. I knew this. I'm a good American. I grew up in the Midwest. I knew better.

And yet, somehow, in booking my ticket to Madrid to start the FURORE tour, Sunday the 30th seemed an innocuous date to me. Harmless. Perfect timing, really - I get an extra day at home with my husband and family. One more day of sleeping in my very own, actual bed! Another chance for a homecooked meal, cooked in my own home! I'll arrive in Madrid a full day early to catch my breath, set up shop and get ready to roll! Book it!

I was meant to fly out at 1:30 p.m. from Kansas City, arriving in Newark, NJ at 5:25 p.m. PLENTY of time to catch my 8:30 p.m. flight to Madrid. Olè! 11:00 a.m. I get a trip alert on my computer: flight delayed. We'd leave about an hour late, still leaving PLENTY of time to catch that 8:30 p.m. plane to Madrid. Olè. A half hour later ... they've moved it again back another hour ... etc. And so the games began.

I arrived like a good passenger, checking in on-time. No one had good news or answers, for the weather was not cooperating on the East Coast. (Did Mother Nature not get the memo that I needed to fly to Madrid to sing all my Handel???) The wait began, and it was not pretty. While I think Kansas City International Aiport is the best airport in the world for taking off and landing (you have to walk a total of about 30 feet for baggage claim and/or gates - it's a brilliant design!), it is, and I say this as a proud Kansas Citian, the WORST airport to twiddle your thumbs in. No shopping, no dining options, and no foot traffic, so even the great past time of people watching is kept to a minimum. Having lost my appetite early on, after 4 hours of waiting, I broke down and forced a stale bagel into my empty stomach. The Thanksgiving banquet of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and apple pie seemed like eons past.

More delays, false starts and unanswered questions, we finally got on board and off the run-way at 8:30 p.m. Arrival in Newark was 12:15 a.m. Yes, 7 hours late. And yes, way past the takeoff of my Madrid flight. I was told I needed to go to Customer Service to obtain vouchers, etc, and taking one look at the line, which surely would have run over 2 hours in wait time, I abandoned everything, hopped in a cab and high-tailed it to the Upper West Side to meet my husband, who had departed KC 3 hours after me and arrived safely in NY 3 hours earlier. (Different airline/airport for him, lucky guy!) So that was the silver lining - a chance meeting in NYC with my husband, who I had said goodbye to 12 hours earlier!

What this means is that I start this crazy tour a whole day off, which may not sound like much, but it's everything for a singer - it means one less day to adjust to the jet lag, a missed press luncheon (organized with blood, sweat and tears by the magnificent Teatro Real staff!), a bit of extra stress which never helps, and I have to march off the plane and walk right into 6 hours of rehearsal, no chance to rest up and gather my forces - which would have happened had I actually had the precious, glorious, coveted 24 hours I was meant to have.

BUT there is no sense in crying over spilt milk, as we say! I will choose to see all the positives - it will surely give me an extra boost of adrenalin, and it will put me in the mood of heightened emotion and yes, with an extra dash of FURY thrown in for good measure!!!

My only worry is that I am still recovering from a stubborn cold that I picked up at the end of my time in Houston, and I know it would be better to have a full day's rest going into this exciting tour. But again, I'm loading up on my vitamins, eating bowls of steaming soup, and truth be told, I don't mind facing a big challenge every now and then. I'm thrilled to be getting back full-steam into this music, revisiting these characters that I found such a passion for, and bringing it to some of my very favorite cities in the world.

I'll do my best to chronicle my tour here - with hopes that at least the travel end of things will shape up a bit better, but most importantly that we'll present concerts that touch people, perhaps make them think or feel, and at the very least, give them the opportunity to revel in all those little black notes Handel scribbled down nearly 250 years ago. (You see, that NEVER ceases to astonish me: those notes have been "dead" on the paper ever since he blotted them out by candlelight, and yet each time a singer exhales through them, they come to life again for all those who listen! I LOVE being connected in that way - not only to Handel himself, but to all the singers who have sung these challenging phrases over the years - and certainly with all those that will continue to sing them!)

Seems as though my flight is actually ready to board - if it gets off the ground, then I'm officially on my way! See you on the road!

Thankful

I know it is not a Holiday shared around the world, but today is "Thanksgiving" in the US, and while on the surface it seems an opportunity to eat grotesque amounts of delicious, delectable, perhaps debilitating food - it does carry a much deeper meaning, once you've waded through all those buckets of gravy. I like the idea of having a day where you surround yourself with family, friends, or ideally both, break down the walls, and let your gratitude shine without reservation.

I've missed out on the past few Thanksgivings here as my dance card took me to Europe, which means now that I'm back Stateside and actually IN my hometown, I can once again break bread (and corn and turkey and cranberry and stuffing and pie!) with my family. This is a thing NOT to be taken for granted. Of course since it has been several years, the two empty chairs at the table where my parents used to sit will feel devastatingly empty, but with this being a day of "thanks", I get to remember how fortunate I was to enter into their family and be called their daughter.

Now the table rattles with the laughter of nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, in-laws, and abundant memories, and that is a beautiful thing. Even in a moment where there seems to exist an unending plethora of bad news for the world, I'm choosing to drown in beauty and laughter and music and love. I search out these things, working (hard!) to fill my mind with thoughts that make me smile, even as the worries of the world seem to belligerently continue knocking on the door.

Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you do, I thank you for reading and supporting me and wish you only the most wonderful things for your life and family!!! I plan on enjoying this last little feast before I storm back to work with a fury - do take your time and relish the moment, as well!! CHEERS!

"What are the best things about life?" "Just having one."

It was only brown rice with shrimp and broccoli in a peanut sauce, but there truly is nothing like getting to cook in your own kitchen, with your own knives and bowls (if you can remember where you've stored them the last time they came out of the dishwasher) for your husband in your very own apartment, together with him for the first time in said apartment since January. (That's 11 months, in case you don't feel like doing the math.) It's paradise. It will be over too quickly, I know, but just as I was starting to bemoan that fact, I caught this video, and was quickly brought back into line with tears of admiration and humility. On one hand, it's heart-wrenching to be sure. But on the other? Inspiring beyond words.

Please meet Brenden - an old soul who will undoubtedly inspire for years to come:

Quiet time and my "gratitude year"

I've been enjoying some down time - it's been heavenly, truth be told - but I know that the engine is revving back up, so I've been sure to treasure the quiet time, hoping it will serve me well as my schedule takes off again. So much to catch up on, and since my time is a bit limited, it will be easier, perhaps through (a lot of) photos!!!

I had a ball during Beatrice and Benedict in Houston. Is it my favorite role ever? Well, no - but it was fun and fresh and a joy to play with a really wonderful cast.

Norman Reinhardt was a dashing and charming "Benedict", awfully fun to spar with on stage, and actually went along with dressing up for Halloween with me!

Ailish Tynan was a beautiful "Hero", and in addition to her stunning voice kept me laughing nearly the whole time!

I caught up with good friends, met some new ones, enjoyed feeling so "at home", and ate some fabulous meals. It's always hard to say goodbye to a wonderful experience, but knowing I'll be back is always comforting.

I'm currently in Madison, WI, for my husband's official American Debut, as he conducts "Madame Butterfly". It has been a total joy to watch the final week of rehearsals and to just be a wife! The production is STUNNING, and I predict will be a huge success. I was allowed to photograph some of the rehearsals which was a blast (and incredibly informative!), and if you like, you can see the photos here. If you're anywhere near the neighborhood, check it out - it will be a very special show.



Finally, it dawned on me that as of November 11, I have finished my unofficial "Year of Gratitude". My goal was to take a photograph every day of something I was grateful for. I managed, in truth, only 169 days, but considering my schedule, etc, I'll take it! It was a wonderful exercise, and even on the days I couldn't grab a photo, my awareness of the beauty around me grew by leaps and bounds. It was a kind of training in what I choose to see and focus on, and I anticipate that experience to stay with me every day.

So before the next round starts up (the FURORE tour, the NY concerts, etc, etc) I will finish up my Gratitude Journal with one of the first items I chronicled: my husband. I'm just grateful beyond words for him.



Cheers!

In a moment...

Just over 40 years ago, Martin Luther King proclaimed: "...I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal'. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character..."

Last night the American public fulfilled King's bold dream, and President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama picked up the torch and humbly declared: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."

Regardless of your political leanings, regardless of how you may have voted, there is no denying that in the blink of an eye last night, The United States of America redeemed its promise of being a land where anything is possible, where anyone can realize their dream, and where centuries of wrongs were overcome.


What a beautiful moment.

Red pins and blue needles...

...is what I'm on today. It's an astonishing thing to wake up and know that one of the most historic days in your lifetime is about to unfold. Red or blue results aside, the fact that Barack Obama went to the polls today to vote for himself to be the President of the United States of America is one of the most beautiful realizations of the "American Dream" that I've ever witnessed.

It's an old image, but a perfect capture of what I hope can happen today - regardless of who takes the White House (although I PASSIONATELY support my candidate), the only possibility in going forward is to be united:


PLEASE VOTE!