To: vocalist
Subject: upcoming opera scenes
Date sent: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 09:49:54 MST
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Hi!
Some of you may remember me talking about the scenes program we did here
at UTEP (University of Texas at El Paso, so that I don't get a flood of
e-mails asking what UTEP is) of "Dialogues of the Carmelites" back in
December. I can't remember if I said how it went, but if I di, just ignore
the first part of this message. I wanted to say that it went really well
even though our audiences were thin due to a football game on one night and
a concert on both nights. I sang the role of the Mother Superior, Madame de
Croissy, and I surprised myself by singing both the high As and the A flat
really well. My teacher came on the second night and told me afterwards
that he was very proud of how I sounded and of my acting, especially in the
death scene. One of the things he tells me every lesson is that if I get
into the character and allow the emotion to carry me, my voice will respond.
I never really understood that until this production.
Anyway, I want to talk about what we're doing this semester. We
intended to do a "Cosi" production and the teacher didn't want to cast 6
people and say "Sorry, I have nothing for the rest of you." She wanted
everyone to be able to participate. So, she came up with a general theme
for this scenes production - Love & hate on the performing stage (something
like that!) - which will include not only opera, but also musical theater
and regular theater. I'm doing two scenes - The flower duet from "Madame
Butterfly" starting at the cannon shot with Suzuki saying that she sees a
ship in the harbor and the Act 1(?) duet from "Werther" where he declares
his love, but she has to tell him that she has to marry Albert. I've almost
got the entire M.B. duet learned musically, but only part of the Werther.
I'm trying to find the librettos for both, but it's not easy here. I'm
really excited to do these scenes since this is my last semester here
because I'm graduating in May. I needed to tell someone and I appreciate
you guys taking the patience to read this rambling.

Thanks again!

Patricia R. Combs, mezzo soprano extraordinaire

"If music be the food of love, (sing) on!" - Shakespeare

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