Maria Callas, In Person

ALSO BELOW

Ms. Callas performance of Vissi d'arte at Covent Garden in 1964,

Vissi d'arte English and Italian lyrics.

Program from last night's concert.
Two photos from the event.

Ever since I began my interest in Opera (the first one Gregory and I ever saw was Prokofiev's "The Gambler" in 1991) I had wanted to see Maria Callas sing. Unfortunately, she died at age 53 in 1977. 

My career in the opera, as a supernumerary - an acting extra, began with Levy's "Mourning Becomes Electra" in 1998. During a 13 year period, I was part of 20 operas including, among others: Carmen, Tosca, Cavalleria Rusticana, Dialogue of the Carmelites, View from the Bridge (world premiere,) Meistersinger,  Attila, and Turandot.

I won't go on too much about being a supernumerary only to say that even though a relatively small part of an opera, it is an important part which rounds out the action and story and the "super" is considered a respected part of the opera company.

It includes having your own makeup and wig artists, costumers, dressers and a picture ID around your neck during rehearsals. You are paid (currently) $15.00 per rehearsal and per performance which for a full production adds up in the $300.00 range, not enough to live on but enough to pay for transportation and/or dinner while at the opera house.

You get to be on stage without having had to spend your life pursuing acting gigs, attend backstage and end of season parties, have photograph opportunities with the principal stars, mingle with important "greats" from around the world, be in the midst of some of the world's most glorious music, and witness special occasions like the 1,000th performance of a singer, singing happy birthday on stage with the chorus and 2,500 audience members for someone important's birthday, or applauding the retirement of the opera's artistic director after 25 years. 

So being in the audience last night, to experience a concert performance of Ms. Maria Callas was an amazing, once in a lifetime (so to speak) event. Through cutting-edge technology and extraordinary theatrical stagecraft created by Base Hologram, the fist of its kind live concert brought the incomparable Maria Callas back 42 years following her death, through state of the art digital and laser projections for a live full concert experience featuring original recordings digitally remastered. 

The marvels of computer technology enabled Ms. Callas' performance to be seen in holographic, life-like 3-D while stripping the orchestra music out of the formula thus allowing a live, onstage orchestra to perform along with her in what provided a seamless experience for the audience. While opera singers usually are not amplified this recorded music paired with live music also was seamless. One can only imagine how it felt to the orchestra performing for the deceased Ms. Calles.

The 40 person orchestra was arranged stage left and stage right with an opening down the center. They were gently lit behind a scrim so as to be seen but not too bright to distract from the holographic projection. The stage was otherwise "black" with an abstract pattern at the back which at times was red and at times was blue.

The conductor stood on her riser just a bit upstage left. They played a Rossini overture. After what seemed like a long pause, with the conductor waiting and checking out stage right, she gestured as Ms. Callas, wearing a beautifully flowing, buttercup yellow gown entered to riotous applause. One could hear her high heels moving across the stage to where she stood downstage center and "composed" herself, in her usual diva fashion for what seemed like several minutes, looked at the conductor, nodded, and began an aria from Romeo and Juliet.

If you didn't know, you might think Maria Callas was there on stage. The audience behaved, if only out of respect, as if she was there with us. Maybe we wanted to believe, if only for an hour, that she was performing for us. The audience laughed at a few of Ms. Calles gestures like when she realized she forgot to acknowledge the First Chair Violin and faced him in an apologetic stance and blew him a kiss. 

At one point, the music for the next piece began and Ms. Callas gestured to the conductor to STOP, which the conductor did, Ms. Calles took another few moments to compose herself the piece, and then nodded the conductor, "BEGIN!"  This brought another respectful reaction from the audience.

After every two or three pieces, the concert, Ms. Calles exited briefly and once returned once with a red scarf/shawl for her "Habanera" from Bizet's Carmen. Her heels scraping across the floorboards of the stage added a bit to her exits and entrances.

Ms. Callas performance was well executed. Her body language presentation was perfection, her pauses studied and tense, her bows sincere yet "diva-eske." To my non-professional ear, her voice was in fine fettle: powerful, clear, and at its peak. 

When she gestured to the conductor after a piece you could tell she respected and appreciated the conductor's work. After a final exit, she returned for an encore, an appropriate fitting reflection of Maria Callas' career as she performed Puccini's "Vissi d' Arte." 

At the end of this piece, Ms. Callas and the conductor executed what looked like a perfect handshake of appreciation.

In the silence, one heard an amazed audience give an audible 2,500 person gasp! 

The concert ended to thunderous applause as Maria Callas's image slowly faded out of sign just a few moments ahead of the orchestra's fading to black and the house lights coming up to full. What a fitting ending for this mystical, magical experience.

While I hope you get a feeling for the experience, I know that I am unable to do justice to the real high of the experience. I went in feeling, "This is kind of creepy!" and came out a believer. Maria Callas' spirit had to have been in the house last evening! 

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) [ Tosca ] Act 2, Tosca's aria... "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" Covent Garden, 1964.

English Translation of "Vissi d'Arte"

I lived for my art, I lived for love,
I never did harm to a living soul!
With a secret hand
I relieved as many misfortunes as I knew of.
Always with true faith
my prayer
rose to the holy shrines.
Always with true faith
I gave flowers to the altar.
In the hour of grief
why, why, o Lord,
why do you reward me thus?
I gave jewels for the Madonna’s mantle,
and I gave my song to the stars, to heaven,
which smiled with more beauty.
In the hour of grief
why, why, o Lord,
ah, why do you reward me thus?

"Vissi d'Arte" Italian Lyrics 


Vissi d’arte, vissi d’amore,

non feci mai male ad anima viva!

Con man furtiva

quante miserie conobbi aiutai.

Sempre con fè sincera

la mia preghiera

ai santi tabernacoli salì.

Sempre con fè sincera

diedi fiori agl’altar.

Nell’ora del dolore

perchè, perchè, Signore,

perchè me ne rimuneri così?

Diedi gioielli della Madonna al manto,

e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,

che ne ridean più belli.

Nell’ora del dolor

perchè, perchè, Signor,

ah, perchè me ne rimuneri così?

Roy Fisher RIP

Roy Fisher, my dear Lyric Opera supernumerary (acting extra) friend, moved on to that Great Opera House in the Sky on July 4, 2017, during his 91st year. He was loved by many and deserved to be as he was one of the kindest men I know, always with a smiling welcome and a kind comment. 

Last night I dreamed about him and his life partner, Chris. I was taking Chris to the Botanic Garden and Roy was seeing us off. He looked to be in his late twenties and I commented so. I also asked, "May I ask if you have you seen God?"

His reply, with a broad smile and a sparkle in his eyes, was, "Not yet but I have seen much evidence of God's work. And it is beautiful!"

With those words, I awoke to a bright sun shining morning ready to begin my day (with a smile on my face and a bit of wonder on my mind.)

Roy in one of his many supernumerary roles at The Lyric Opera of Chicago

Filling Space

Filling space. This is what the spirit does. When you enter a room, your spirit fills the space in that room, even though you may be standing in one corner. When you are at the theater your spirit fills the auditorium, even though you occupy only one seat. While you are sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee, your spirit fills the space in your house, from the attic to the basement.

Gregory has always wanted to live in an English Country House mansion of at least one hundred rooms. Besides someplace to go, he has wondered about how it would feel to have his spirit fill that much space, plus the service areas, the gardens, the kitchens, the stables, the wine cellar, etc.

Not long ago, I experienced the filling of space in a grand way. I have been involved with the Lyric Opera of Chicago for ten years now as supernumerary or “acting extra.” I have had the opportunity to be on stage, in costume, in make-up, in front of three thousand six hundred people during approximately eight performances each of thirteen operas. I metaphorically talk about my “spirit flying” when I am on stage at the opera. Then one day it really happened.

One afternoon, during my second year of supering at the Lyric, I was in the audience to attend a dress rehearsal. As I was sitting in the house waiting for the lights to go down, I realized that my spirit was filling the entire opera house. First I filled the auditorium, then the stage, then back stage, then the scenery handling area, stage door left and stage door right, on to the stage lobby and rehearsal office, up the elevators to the rehearsal rooms and canteen, the dressing rooms, the wig and make-up department, chorus dressing rooms, props, practice rooms, the costume department, to the sixth floor cat walk, and finally another eight floors to the mesh floor that suspends the motors that operate those flies which are not operated by the hand pulled ropes located twelve floors below. I was able to fill the basement levels with its trap doors and orchestra pit and lounge. Believe me it was quite an experience.

Now I am living in our new condo unit. Unit 415 to be exact. A “soft-loft” above the commercial on one, fitness center on two, roof top park on three, and then Unit 415. I am very at home in our entry hall, TV/guest room, master bedroom with bath and huge closet, laundry closet, second bathroom, and large living area separated from an open kitchen by the granite topped island. Our parking space is on the tenth floor, bicycles  locked up in the bicycle room on the sixth floor, and storage locker located on the third floor.

The trouble is: Filling space. This is what the spirit does. When you enter a room, your spirit fills the space in that room, even though you may be standing in one corner. When you are at the theater your spirit fills the auditorium, even though you occupy only one seat. While you are sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee, your spirit fills the space in your house, from the attic to the basement.

My spirit keeps trying to fill the condo building. It tries to fill two hundred and fifty six units, fifteen hundred parking spaces on twelve levels with six elevator shafts, one more garage elevator shaft devoted to condo owners only, a door man’s station, a lobby, a mail area, a package and cart room, three elevator shafts for the condo units, service and mechanical spaces, a six berth dock for the building, and  over twenty commercial units on the first floor. Whew. I don’t think it is a good idea to let my spirit fill the building since most of it really doesn’t apply to me!

So I am trying to learn, and succeeding I think, when to let my spirit fly free and when to reign it in. No easy task since the natural inclination of the spirit is to fill all the space allowed it! On a final note, perhaps death is the ultimate spirit trip, the filling of ALL space. I’ll let you know if I find out, but hopefully not for quite a few more years.

Writing Less

I seem to be writing less about general things as I write more about Alzheimer's Disease and Michael's Museum. Both of these are taking a lot of time and effort from me, both a labor of love but also a drain. Carmen, the current opera in which I am appearing at The Lyric Opera of Chicago, makes me sound like a prima donna doesn't it, is also taking time and love but that will end by my birthday on March 27th. This just in time to celebrate not only my 66th birthday (which I think I would prefer to let quietly slip by) but also the first anniversary of my mother's death. And this will take time and effort. I yearn for some empty time away from what I know I would end up carrying with me anyway. No escape. Will need to do some work on this.

A "STAR" at the Opera

One of the reasons that I so love the opera is answered in a quote of mine (is it humble to quote oneself?) that says:  "I have figured out the reason I so love opera ... life is meant to be sung.” (1995)


I have been involved with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in approximately 20 operas as an acting extra (Supernumerary) for 13 years now and have been on stage (sometimes with up to 150 principals, chorus, and fellow Supers) in front of 3,600 people each time, in costume and sometimes makeup.


With only: 1) the commitment of time, 2) being able to "take direction," 3) fitting the directors vision of me as one of the characters in the opera and 4) fitting into the costume; I have become part of the company at one of the world's premier opera houses. I have done this without having had to spend years studying voice, acting, or running off to NYC to become famous (which I admit is still a fantasy!)


The majority of people I have worked with at the Lyric have been nice, humble, down to earth people. The mystique of the DIVA, for the most part, I would put to rest based on my experience.


My friend Marla (who was an avid opera fan until her death in 2005) gave me a metal, enameled star that said "A Star is Born." I put it on a ribbon and when I arrive at the opera house for a performance, I place it over one of the makeup lights at my place in the dressing room.

At last night's performance of Carmen, I really did feel like one of the "STARS" of the opera. Let me tell you why.


One of the things I enjoy doing when in an opera is giving backstage tours to friends who will be in the audience that night. They come 30 minutes before my call time and I show them around backstage, talk about he behind the scenes business of opera, and share other anecdotes about my experiences as a Supernumerary.


Last night I gave a backstage tour for friends Cathy, Joe, Alex, and Lily. This was the first opera Alex (12) and Lily (10.) They arrived at the stage door with one of the most beautiful flower bouquets I have ever seen (see picture attached.) They were a wonderful audience as I led them around the backstage areas and told my stories. An e-mail received the next day thanked me for a "very special experience" which helped everyone enjoy Carmen even more than they expected. For a half hour, I was the star of the "Backstage at the Lyric" show.


Naturally my fellow Supers had to use the flowers as an excuse to tease me: "Did you send yourself flowers again?" "Just because you are in all four acts doesn't mean you should get flowers." "I suppose Carmen sent you those?"


Next, in Act 1 when Carmen (Katherine Goeldner) enters the stage through the backstage center arch (which is located right where my newsstand is stationed) she really flirted with me this time. She got close, whispered a few endearments, stroked my face, and as she began to continue her flirting as she moved towards the front of the stage, I reached out and caressed her arm. All in the day's work of an actor but since Katherine and I have become "opera friends" as we chatted during rehearsals, her attention meant a lot to me. Also, all this went on center stage in front of 3,600 people who wanted to watch Carmen and got to watch me as well! We were both stars.


While I was waiting back stage to escort Michela to the smuggler's hideout, 12 minutes into Act 3, I was sitting next to Don Jose (Carmen's jilted lover) sung by Younghoon Lee. He said, "Oh, I have a picture of you. Let me go back to my dressing room to get it." Usually people take pictures of the stars, but here was a friend of Don Jose's in the audience during dress rehearsal and he took a picture of me!


Finally, in the back stage lobby, as I was leaving after the performance, I commented to Escamillo, Kyle Kettelson, about how much I loved his performance and the strength of his voice. In response, he imitated my regal wave as I cross the stage, The Mayor of Seville, in the parade into the bull fight ring and replied, "And I you." I was impressed that he even noticed me.


Life really is meant to be sung. And sung BIG.

OPERA Part III

I wrote this piece while "Light Walking" for the opera Regina at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. Light walking takes place when lights are being set for an upcoming opera and people are needed on stage as stand-ins for the singers to make sure the lighting effects work successfully.

• • • • •

The fire curtain goes up. The house lights dim. The auditorium black. 

Stars twinkling in the heavens ... exit signs at the back of balconies one and two. 

Six stippled red rivers flow ... main floor aisle lights on alternating rows reflecting on the carpet. 

Count the burned out yellow with red lettered EXIT lamps. 

Count the burned out orange lamped wall sconces. 

Will be working by opening night. 

Shadows of seats and rows, the audience yet to arrive. 

Reflection of directors booth, lighting booth, sur-title booth at the rear of the Artis Kranik Theater.

A makeshift desk with several computers, dim lamps, telephone, microphone at the center row on the main floor. 

Seated there, the stage director, assistant stage director, lighting director, set designer, costume designer, stage manager, assistant stage manager.

Center Stage. Apple red, glossy grand stairway. Flared upstage center, curving and raising stage left, narrows up stage some thirty steps away and exit stage left. Grand stair handrail runs the stair up stage but not securely. Hold to guide you, not support you. Some twenty higher rise steps down the escape stair off stage. Enter, exit, GO! Up the center of the stairs, at intervals, three chairs next to three tables holding three lamps. Caution taken but safe.

Up stage. Three levels of louvered windows five across each level. Level one windows raise to meet the rake of the stage. Level two windows eighteen steps off stage right. Level three windows twenty eight steps off stage left. Tall rise steps. Watch your step. Shaky but secure. Narrow walkway behind each level of windows. Narrow, watch your step. Shaky but secure. Each pair of windows secured with a bolt. Slide back the bolt. Open the window. Floor to ceiling view available. Careful. Then notice two cables from door jam to door jam to guide you. Not support you just guide you. Caution taken but safe.

Floor canvas. Wood grain painted panels, one width, double width, triple width. Randomly arranged. Blue in some light, black/gray in other. Slippery. Watch your step. Raked. Watch your step. Will work on roughing up later. Don’t fall into the pit ... or the tuba! Caution taken but safe.

Fire curtain goes up. House lights dim. A hush. Auditorium black. The conductor enters, spot light, applause, dim. The conductor raises his baton, “Michael, enter at top of stairs and slowly walk down. Up stage at rail. Or closer to center if you are comfortable. GO. Michael, sit in the wheel chair holding the bank box in your lap. Stage hands secure the wheel chair. Don’t forget the rake. Raise the wheel chair foot rests. Feet flat on floor for support. Just in case. GO.

Angela, sit in chair stage left. Go to the lip of the stair landing stage right. Face down stage. Three quarters body front. Look back up stairway. Exit stage right. GO. Jim, enter third level windows stage left, stand by center windows, open windows, close windows, open windows, close windows.

The lights circle the stage searching you at just the correct angle. Lights from stage left, stage right, up stage and down stage. Each item lit to perfection. Each item aglow (or shadowed in the dim.) “The stage will go to black out. GO.” In the fly, electricians adjust lights. At the makeshift desk with several computers the people make notes, discuss, decide, make notes, pick up the microphone, say GO.

Light walkers stand and wait until the next GO. Twelve in the afternoon until ten at night, fifteen minute break every two hours, two half hour dinner breaks. Four dollars an hour ... but done for love not money.

And finally ... light walkers take a bow and thank you.

OPERA Part II

The following is a transcript of the interview that took place at The Lyric Opera of Chicago and was broadcast on WBEX Public Radio on October 18, 2010. See the previous post for more information. Also you can click on the link to hear the interview (for as long as it remains on WBEZ's site.)

Eight Forty-Eight Monday through Thursday at 9am and 8pm; Friday at 9am EIGHT FORTY-EIGHT 10/18/2010 Supernumeraries: Opera's Extras You may not be able to sing. In fact you may not know an aria from an arpeggio! But that doesn’t mean that you can’t tread the boards at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. They need extras. In the opera world these special scene fillers are called supernumeraries, or “supers” for short. For WBEZ, Anne Cadigan spent the day at the Lyric Opera learning more about them.  By day, Ken Giambrone works in advertising. But at night, the characteristics that make him successful at his day job, could get him fired. GIAMBRONE: Rule number 1 is we’re supposed to make absolutely no sound on stage at all. Nothing. There’s a saying among us, if the audience notices you, you’re doing something wrong. Night after night during opera season, men and women from all over the Chicago area finish up their day jobs, hurry over to North Wacker Drive, and spend their evenings on the stage of The Lyric. They are supernumeraries or extras on stage-the servants, prison guards, maids, policemen, townspeople, things like that. GIAMBRONE: We just sort of fill out the scenery. We’re kind of like live action scenery in a way. Ambi – REHEARSAL AND ORCHESTRAL INSTRUCTION  It’s a rehearsal day at the Lyric and Macbeth and Carmen are practicing simultaneously. Macbeth uses 14 children as supers, and there are 30 adult supers in Carmen. Many of them have been doing it year after year. Evanston resident Michael Horvich calls supering at the Lyric his “second career.” HORVICH: I taught for 30 years and right before I retired, I came to a backstage tour that the opera guild gives. The person that was leading the small group of about 20 people around the opera house was a super and talked about “supering.” And I said to myself  ‘oh my god’ can you imagine being on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago? So I retired and came to a casting. I’ve been in the opera as a supernumerary for 10 years now and I’ve been in about 20 operas. Ambient – “Ermine? Yes Maestro? From the top, please.” WALTERS: We do eight operas a year and almost every single opera has supers in it. Bill Walters is the "Super Captain."  He’s in charge of hiring, rehearsing and wrangling the 200 plus supers that will appear on stage at The Lyric over the course of a season. Occasionally, however, there are parts that he just can’t fill. WALTERS: We did Porgy and Bess a couple of years ago and, it was of course a special cast of course because it’s all African-American. And we needed, I think, 30 for the show. And, so we always have kids, I mean kids come in all the time, so we had enough kids to do it. And I noticed during rehearsal that their parents would be sitting there, bringing them, watching the rehearsal and one by one I went up to them, and I was like, 'You know, are you going to be here every night, driving your child?' Because we were still looking for adults. And they’re like, 'Well yeah,' and I said, 'Would you like to be in the opera?' Diane Gallagher of Muenster, Indiana, once found herself in a similar position. Her eldest child was a super in The Magic Flute  The Lyric needed someone who could dance and her son pointed at her. She has a ballet background  It wasn’t long before she was making her debut. She was a Dancing Lion. GALLAGHER: (laughing) So that was an experience in itself! Being able to see out of the costume and do the dance steps. So I will always remember my first time here! Diane is now an experienced super. She and her husband and 3 of their 4 children now regularly make the 45-minute trip in from Indiana to play all kinds of walk-on roles. It’s taught her children to love opera. GALLAGHER: Well, I think it’s a great, educational experience in the fine arts. And they just…they truly enjoy it. You know, they love being on stage. They’re learning about different operas, and different performers throughout the world. It’s just wonderful. Ken Giambrone says that being so close to the action is quite the experience. He should know – he’s been in 15 operas. GIAMBRONE: It’s pretty loud! (laughs) It’s pretty loud. I remember when I was in the Pearl Fishers...Nicole Cabell, I was lucky I got to be in a scene with her, part of the story where she takes off her necklace and gives it to me. It was unbelievable to me that she was standing right there and I was standing in front of 3,500 people. She stands right there and is like inches from my face and she sings to me. To ME. It was pretty thrilling. For Michael Horvich, the man who got turned on to supering by that tour guide, “being on stage at the Lyric Opera of Chicago” is every bit as amazing as he imagined it would be when he first heard the word supernumerary ten years ago. HORVICH: When I’m on stage my spirit soars. It fills the whole opera house. To be in the middle of all of that gorgeous music. It’s a dream come true, really.

OPERA

Very exciting having been interviewed by WBEZ Public Radio about being a Supernumerary (acting extra) at The Lyric Opera of Chicago. I began my supering career in the 1998/99 season, over ten years ago, and have been in 21 operas last count. The interview took place at the opera house during rehearsals for Carmen.

Musical theater has always been a love of mine. Opera is a recent love of approximately the last ten years. My approach to music is that “Life is meant to be sung” and opera certainly fits that bill.

Several years ago I retired after 30 years as an educator. What better way to use my new found free time then to be involved with the Opera, both on stage (as a supernumerary) and behind the scenes (light walking, rehearsing, or watching a scene from the side.) 

Being a supernumerary has enabled me to pursue a career in music and acting at this time in my life without the intense training and early commitment that actors and singers must make to be successful in theater and opera.

The people at the Lyric are wonderful to work with. I feel that I am an important part of the company. As a supernumerary, I am entitled to attend all of the season’s dress rehearsals and the end of season party. 

While supernumerary roles may be small compared to the role of the chorus or principals of an opera, I am part of the big magic created by the Lyric Opera of Chicago at each performance for the approximately 3,600 people in the audience.

Click here to listen to the Radio Interview.

COSTUMES - PICTURE ONE

Act I - Gypsy Street Person

Act II - Waiter at the Tavern of Lillas Pastia

Act III - Micaela's Guide to the Gypsy Hideout

COSTUMES - PICTURE TWO

ACT IV - The Aguacil, Govenor of Seville