Spring is in the Air

I know as I'm writing this I'm probably jinxing myself... but what happened to Winter? Saturday in Philly was actually quite nice... even hinting on the warmer side... and we're still a few weeks away from the first day of Spring - which happens to be my 2nd favorite season, just so you know... just behind Fall. I love Fall... and not just because it's the season that my birthday is in... or my favorite holiday, which happens to Thanksgiving... but because it's that time of year when everything starts to change and cool down and the leafs are turning different colors.

But I digress...

The bottom line, it's starting to feel like Spring. :-)

My first week home has been uneventful. Have I told you yet how much I enjoy being back in my own kitchen!? I'm just now getting around to finishing all my unpacking and doing laundry from the last two months. Next Thursday I leave for Washington DC to do a Mozart Requiem next Saturday. Fortunately, Montgomery is coming with me on this trip. The following week I'm in Seattle, Washington visiting my wonderful patrons of the arts and dear friends. I usually try to make a trip out there every Spring to see them... and one really doesn't have to twist my arm to go to Seattle, which happens to be one of my favorite cities in all the world. After Seattle, I ready myself for the Met in New York! Scared? Yes. Excited. Yes!

~N8

Post-Dayton

I've been a little slow of late keeping up with my blog. Living in Dayton, Ohio this last month did not provide me with 24/7 internet access that I'm usually spoiled with having.

Romeo et Juliette at Dayton Opera was a great experience. I'm so glad the company gave me an opportunity to make an appearance there and to debut a new role... not to mention sing in a language (French) that I haven't have had many opportunities to perform in. It was a terrific group of people to work with and I look forward to hopefully returning in the near future.

I'm back in Philadelphia now... though most of my luggage still remains unpacked. I'll get to it...eventually. It's great to be back in my own kitchen too... not to mention back in my own bed. My back has been really messed up lately... contributed to sleeping in several different beds the last 2 months... and also because I'm getting old. There. I said it. Ugh. :-(

The best part about being home, as always, being with Montgomery. We celebrated our 3 year anniversary in January apart... and then Valentines Day apart... so we'll be celebrating those "lovely, dovey" days together this weekend.

It's off to Washington D.C. next weekend for a Mozart Requiem. A short engagement... only 2 days... then I prepare for Billy Budd at the MET!

~ N8

Dayton - Day 13

We're one week away from opening night of Romeo et Juliette at Dayton Opera.

I'm happy with this production and I'm looking forward to seeing how it is received in Dayton. I'm confident the community will enjoy it. The cast has been a real pleasure to work with - all of them bring so much talent to the table and, aside from having beautiful voices, are fine actors as well. I've also really enjoyed working with this conductor and stage manager... so the overall experience has been very pleasant here.

Yesterday we had a company day and I drove two hours to Indianapolis to audition for the opera company there. The audition went really well, the folks there seemed very friendly and I was in good voice. In this day and age, at least in the United States, work is so hard to find for so many people...especially opera singers... so one must take advantage of any and every opportunity to audition for respectable companies. I'm planning an audition tour this year... possibly working my way West to sing for as many people who are willing to give me 10 minutes of their time to hear me. I suppose that's what I'm going to have to do as a young bass who completing for roles against men old enough to be his father, with 20 + years more experience under their belts than I do.

~N8

Dayton - Day 6

My first week in Dayton has been smooth and easy going. I'm really happy working with the folks at Dayton Opera and the entire cast & crew seem down to Earth, friendly and personable... which always makes for a positive experience. I'm excited to see how the show comes to "life" this week as we start putting all the scenes together and running it.

I went to Cincinnati on my day off yesterday to visit my best friend, Brandi... who happens to also be in this production in Dayton with me. We try not to have TOO much fun at our rehearsals... but she makes me laugh like no other... and this opera is serious! LOL. We had a great time visiting and went to the movies to see The Woman in Black - which was okay, but kinda stupid. It made me jump a few times... but I couldn't get over the fact that the dude who played Harry Potter was playing a different character other than the boy wizard that the world has come to know him as.

It's cold in Dayton... and I'm already missing that warm 78 degree weather I experience in Arizona. It snowed yesterday and now the blistering wind has set in today... making it feel even colder than it already is. Brrrrr!!!

I've no internet at the homestay I'm at in Dayton... so I'm relying on the Starbucks down the street to stay in tough with the rest of the world. I can't remember how I survived without internet, WIFI and iphones before they came out. How sad.

~N8

Arrival in Dayton

I have arrived in Dayton, Ohio to begin work on work on a production of Romeo et Juliette. I'm excited about being here and working with Dayton Opera... a company I have heard good things about.

Yesterday I finished up Madame Butterfly in Tucson, Arizona... then drove two hours to the Phoenix Airport to catch a midnight flight to Dayton... with a connection in Charleston, NC. My internal "clock" was so off. I was picked up at the airport by a kind opera board member and taken to Herz rental car to pick up the vehicle I'll be driving the next 3 week. Fortunately, it's a big car - until the little go-cart I was driving in Phoenix.

One thing about Ohio... and the Midwest in general... if you've lived there before, it always has this way of welcoming you back.

~N8

Washington Allows Same-Sex Marriage

The Washington State senate passed a bill on Wednesday allowing same-sex couples to marry. This is wonderful news, not just for the LGBT community, but the entire country. It shows how far we've come as a country in recognizing how discriminating and unconstitutional it is to tell a minority group that they can not marry the person they love because of their sexual orientation.

Of course, there will be those who will fight this tooth & nail and pour millions and millions of dollars into campaigns to see to it that same-sex couples can't married. Why do they do is? They claim they're protecting "traditional marriage." I argue that they should mind their own business and worry about their own marriages. If you don't like gay marriage, then don't marry a gay person... plain and simple... and instead of pouring millions of dollars into campaigning for something that only serves to discriminate and hurt people, why don't they put that money into something worth while - like our educational system, a cancer center, or heck... how about the arts!

When it comes right down to it people should worry about themselves...especially when it comes to relationships. If two grown adults want to marry, let them... it's none of your business. You want your marriage centered around your religion? Great! Do it... but realize that not every marriage based on religion. Some people can just hitched by going down to the local court house and having a judge marry them... some couples can even go to Las Vegas and have "Elvis" marry them too... so... don't judge.

Well done, Washington!!! I've always loved the Emerald State!

~N8

Phoenix - Day 22

Opening weekend of Madame Butterfly went well. From what I could hear... while listening from my dressing room... the audience thoroughly enjoyed the performances. The leads are all gifted artists and it's been a pleasure watching my colleagues work and make this opera come to life. Naturally, I wish my role was a little bigger so I can join in the "fun" a bit more... but singing small roles has done well for me the last few years and kept me feed. My experience in Phoenix and working with Arizona Opera has certainly been a positive one... not to mention the weather is AWESOME!!! It'll be like pulling teeth to leave this wonderful warmth next Sunday for cold, frigid Dayton, Ohio - where I'm excited to begin working on a production of Romeo et Juliette.

I've also landed 3 Don Giovanni's for next season, singing the role of il Commendatore - a role I've done a few times already. It's another small role, but it packs a punch and makes a mark. I enjoy singing it. I'm unable to say at this time for which companies they'll be at, but I'll make an announcement once contracts have been officially sealed.

~N8

Who needs hair anyway... right?!

1-800-flowers.com Scam!

I'm sure you've all ordered flowers online at some point. Here's a scam I've recently experience myself and I hope I can save you from this scam. Are you familiar with 1-800-flowers.com?? If you are, I would STRONGLY suggest NOT doing business with them. Here's the reason why -

When you place an online order at 1-800-flowers.com they automatically (and secretly) sign you up for a membership with a club called Live Well that will automatically charge your credit card (or whatever card you used to place the order for your flowers) $38.99 a month. If you're lucky enough to catch this deduction from your checking account or credit card and call Live Well (800-793-2318), they'll tell you that you signed up for their membership through 1-800-Flowers.com and make it sound as though you were an idiot for not catching the membership application. The thing is - they're very sneaky about this. They have it rigged so you so don't notice them signing you up for this ridiculous club membership and then, one day, you check your account and see these deductions for a club you know absolutely nothing about. It's a huge scam!

So... again... friends and readers... be warned and take your business elsewhere and avoid placing any orders through 1-800-flowers.com.

Don't just take my word for it... you can look online and see this an issue with thousands of costumers.

Thanks,
N8

Phoenix - Day 12

The last few days in Phoenix have been relatively uneventful. Quite honestly, there's little to do in this city... not unless, of course, you're the outdoorsy type who loves hiking and rock climbing ... which I tried my first week here, only to discover it's really not my thing. The furnished apartments we're staying at are okay. Inside, they have a nice kitchen area... but hardly any pots or pans to cook with and the chef knifes are about as sharp as the spoons... so my love for cooking is at a handicap.

Madama Butterfly is going well from what I can see. As I've mentioned before, my role is so small that I'm rarely called to most rehearsals... but it seems to be coming together quite well. The principles are sounding absolutely wonderful and the chorus are a fun group of people to work with. The audiences should be pleased with this production - which opens next week!

In other news - has anybody been watching the GOP primary debates? Even though I'm not a Republican, I still like to know the opinions on the "other side." What a messy group of candidates to choose from. The only one that seems to have a solid understanding on how government works is Congressman Ron Paul - and were I voting in this primary, I'd probably vote for him. All I know is, once a GOP candidate has been nominated, it's going to be an ugly fight for the White House leading into the November Presidential election

~N8

3 Year Anniversary

Montgomery and I celebrate three years together today!

In those three years, we have never spent an anniversary together. Work has always kept me away. The first year I was in Virginia, the second year I was in Houston, and the third I was in Arizona. He is, however, currently enjoying the beauty that is Southern California - and since I left a bit of my soul there when I moved five years ago, there's a part of me that's with him on our special day.

He continues to make me happy and I love him more than he'll ever know.

~N8

Camelback Mountain

So, I attempted to rock climb the other day. There's a beautiful recreational mountain near where I'm staying in Phoenix called Camelback Mountain - a hot spot for those who love to hike and rock climb. I don't know what possessed me yesterday morning, but I woke up wanting to do something I've never done before - rock climb! So, I set out on my mission, drove only 5 miles to the base of this huge mountain, and began my adventure... determined to make it to the tip top of the mountain and snap a few photos of the view and post them on Facebook.


Well, I didn't make it all the way to the top - in fact, I'm not sure I made it even half way. Ya know, you have to be in pretty good, physical shape to rock climb and you need to have decent endurance too. It was soooo much harder than I thought it would be and I have a new found respect for those who climb mountains and rock climb. I quickly ran out of steam and realized that I probably wasn't prepared to embark on a hiking adventure of this caliber - especially having no water and no one else to accompany me (what if I fell or passed out along the way? Who would save me?) I did, however, manage to take a few shots of my Camelback excursion before I surrendered to the mountain.


N8

Phoenix - Day 1

I arrived in Phoenix, Arizona yesterday to begin work on a production of Madama Butterfly with Arizona Opera. I'll be here for a few weeks before heading to Tuscon to finish the last few performances at the end of January.

I've never been to Phoenix. I've had connecting flights at the airport here... but that doesn't really count. The weather is lovely, though dry - which is to be expected since this is a desert after all. The folks here seem to be good drivers and abide the speed limits - which is completely the opposite experience I've had driving in Philadelphia. Their way of thinking in Philly is, "Speed limit? What's that?" I'm excited to explore more of the city and experience some authentic Mexican food while I'm here. The rental car I got from Herz is kinda comical - it's about the size of a Smart Car... and for those of you who've seen me you know why this is funny.

Had our first rehearsal for Butterfly today. Everybody sounds wonderful. A really great cast of singers. Singing the role of the Bonze is always less than flattering. It's about 5 or 6 lines of "screaming" in less than 2 minutes of stage time. It's by far the smallest role I have in my entire repertoire - but a role that all basses need to know how to sing. You have to sound like a angry canon without blowing your sphincter out and hurting yourself. I've heard so many basses unable to sing this very small, but vital, role and I'm hopeful I can do well for Arizona Opera in my company debut with them.

~N8

2 Years Blogging & Into 2012

I just realized I marked a 2 year anniversary of blogging this last Sunday! Go me! I know some people have been blogging for years... like my partner, Montgomery... but this is quite an accomplishment for someone like me. I used to think you had to write every day if you had an online blog... so I attempt to do that back in the earlier part of 2010. I quickly realized that there are some days... some weeks... maybe even months... where you just don't have much to say or write about. It's also silly to assume readers are THAT interested in your daily life activities...unless, of course, you have stalkers... which I don't think I have and if I do, please GO AWAY!

New Years 2012 came and went. I stayed home and watched the ball drop on TV, heard a not-so-stellar rendition of "Let it Be" by Justin Bieber, poured myself a glass of wine and sealed the start of the new year with a kiss.

I leave for Phoenix, Arizona to start work on a production of Madam Butterfly on Sunday. I hear the temperature lows are 60 degrees. I'm down with that! :-)

~N8

Happy New Year - 2012

We say goodbye to 2011 tonight. Happy New Years!!

Looking back on this year I can honestly say that I'm proud of the progress I've made career-wise. With the exception of only a few months out of the year, I stayed consistently busy and debuted with new companies and performed new operatic & concert roles. I threw myself to the wind, doing more auditions than I've ever done in one year - most of which went really well... (there were 2 auditions that completely sucked and I'm pretending that they didn't happen.) The biggest accomplishment I achieved in 2011 was signing with the MET in New York City. Though I'm only working as an understudy this season, I'm still incredibly excited and honored to have this opportunity. I finally accomplished my goal of working with the most prominent opera company in the United States.

I don't have much to say about living in Philadelphia this last year. I wish I did. It's just not the city I was hoping it would be. I don't hate it... but I don't necessarily like it either. It's a ridiculously violent place and has some of the worst drivers I've even seen. However, there are some good points too - it's cheaper than living in NYC, it has fantastic restaurants, the city in general supports the arts, and it has some beautiful parks. I'm convinced at this point that I'll only feel "at home" when I'm somewhere on the West Coast. In the meantime, until my career allows me to live where I'd like, I'll maintain my residence in the East.

Montgomery and I also continue to do well... celebrating 3 years together next month. He's stayed busy between his writing and photography and received a nice promotion with his job in Center City Philadelphia that may allow us some financial relief this next year (I'm hoping)... and even a possible relocation. More on that as the year unfolds.

I lost three friends this year. May they rest in eternal peace -
Pete Glen - childhood neighbor & father of one of my oldest, dearest friends - Alana.
Charline Freedman - my first college drama/acting professor.
Aunt Tadsie - my wonderful opera patron & friend. She was 100 years old.

2012 is still fuzzy as to where my life & career are headed, but one thing is for certain - I enter it feeling very fortunate in having the love and support of my family & friends. Without that, I'm not sure where I'd be.

May you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!!

~N8