Tuesday, Feb. 17- Day 3Today was our first day of performing in Midland. The day began bright and early with an 8:00am departure for our first school of the day. We all knew today would be challenging since we had three performances scheduled during the day and a concert and dinner reception on the books for tonight.
It was really interesting to see how each of the schools responded to Little Mermaid. The first school laughed a lot and was very vocal during the performance of their satisfaction. The second school of the day seemed very serious and quiet while watching the show. Backstage, we all wondered if they even liked the performance, but after the show was over they gave us a standing ovation and had many wonderful questions during our Q & A session. It showed us once again that you can never assume what your audience is thinking!
The final show of the day was marked with several humorous moments. During the very opening of the opera, the stage curtain knocked over one of the coral ornaments that decorate the set. Hannah did her best to get it upright while singing, but to no avail. It was hard to keep composure while watching Hannah struggle with the coral. I don't know why things are funnier while on stage, but it was a very humorous moment and took much concentration to not break down laughing. Seeing her frustration while trying to sing beautifully was hysterical! Later on, during the party scene, there was a slight mishap in staging. While I was bowing my head down in a moment of staged self-congratulation, Hannah's hand made a bee line towards my face and made direct contact. Luckily, she didn't take out my eye! We had a great lunch at La Bodega (special thanks to Sue Solari!), a Mexican restaurant here in Midland. Great salsa and the quesadillas were tasty. I highly recommend it next time you're in Midland. The day ended with a concert and dinner at the Garay home. We each sang an aria and ended the concert with the Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann. I was so proud of my colleagues; I'm so thrilled to be a member of this talented ensemble. I thought we did a first rate job. The potluck dinner was delightful and I got to meet some wonderful patrons of the arts. Whoever made the sweet potatoes did a killer job. They were perfection! Everyone was so complimentary and kind to us. It was awesome to end the day with great food, wine, and conversation. I definitely enjoyed myself today knowing that the community was so responsive and grateful for what we're doing. It made all of the stresses of the day worth it!
-Michael Walsh, Smedrich in Opera to Go!'s production of Little Mermaid
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