Aida

I'm in rehearsals for Verdi's Aida, which opens this coming friday, 4/22. Last weekend we held the "sitzprobe" rehearsal, which is the first time all the singers and musicians come together to run through the entire opera top to bottom. Its quite thrilling to be that close to the music, and the principle singers. Everyone is full voice, no marking, and for the first time in a while we can focus on the music instead of the staging, costuming and blocking we've been stumbling through.

update: More photos being posted here!

Prior to rehearsal [click on photo for a larger image]





Our Maestro is renowned composer Anton Coppola -- of the Coppola family. He's in his 80's, and he appears to have the entire score committed to memory!