Announcing the 2007-2008 Season

Here are the operas, operettas and musicals that we will present next season at the Landestheater:

La Boheme (opera by Giacomo Puccini)

Frau Luna (operetta by Paul Lincke)

Kiss me, Kate (musical by Cole Porter)

Endstation Sehnsucht/A Streetcar Named Desire (opera by Andre Previn after Tennessee Williams' story)

Der Zauberer von Oss/The Wizard of Oz (musical by Harold Arien and E.Y. Harburg)

Glueckliche Reise (operetta by Eduard Kuenneke)

Faust (opera by Charles Gounod)

Wildschuetz (opera by Albert Lortzing)

Comedian Harmonists (musical by Gottfried Greiffenhagen and Franz Wittenbrink)

I am excited to start the year with a classic like La Boheme and am interested in learning the shows that I haven't seen or heard yet. The announcement of the season kind of reminds me of registering for fall classes in the spring. We have all summer to get mentally ready for the shows, but no-0ne really knows what to expect until our first meeting and our first musical and staging rehearsals. Most of all, I am excited to be a part of the company from the beginning of the season. This week we took our choir photo for next season's brochure and now I really feel like a member of the Landestheater company.

Beautiful architecture in Coburg

When people find out that I lived in Seattle before coming here, they often are surprised to find that I am just as happy in a small town as I am in a larger city. Although Seattle has more variety, Coburg is very charming and I can find many ways to entertain myself when I have free time. One of my favorite activities is looking at all of the pretty buildings in the city center. Okay, okay, and I like going into the buildings to do a little shopping, too. Coburg just celebrated its 950th birthday as a town in 2006, so there are lots of great things to see.

This building has a really great gable and must be several hundred years old. But it might make me nervous to live on the top floor because the roof has started to lean after so many years.



























This is the back of the St. Moritz church, which is actually right next door to the hotel where I live. If you were to turn to the left from this position, you'd see our apartment window. I actually haven't been in this church yet because honestly, I am a little churched-out after all of my sight-seeing this fall. But I'll poke my head in one of these days to take a look around. I expect it will be very plain on the inside since the church is very old. I think it's from around 800 or 900.
















Here is the front of the St. Moritz church. The city kind of grew up around the church over the centuries, so it's hard to get a good view of the front.



























This is the main town square in Coburg. The brownish building on the right is the old apothecary, which is one of the oldest buildings in Coburg. It still operates as a pharmacy, which is where you have to go in Germany to buy over-the-counter medications like ibuprofin and eye drops. The two pinkish buildings are cafes and they have really nice treats. Yes, I may be all churched-out, but I still have plenty of desire to sample all the sweets and baked goods every new city has to offer!
















This is another angle of the town square and the city hall building. It has lots of great decorative features on the facade and there is a restaurant in the basement that serves local food and beers. Beer in southern Germany is really an artform and people take their beers very seriously.















This is a view of the town square with my back to city hall. To re-orient you, the old pharmacy is to the right of this picture. Can you see the green building on the right side of this photo? That is the oldest hotel and restaurant in Coburg (called a Gasthaus) and has been in steady operation since the 13th century. I know, it's totally amazing, isn't it?? This big open square fills up several times a year for different events. In the winter the Christmas market was here for a month and at least once a week there is a fruit and vegetable market. Today there is an arts and crafts market I think to celebrate spring.
















This is one of the original towers that used to connect the city walls of Coburg. There are several towers like this around town, but the wall itself is long gone. When I get close to one of these towers that has been around longer than I can imagine, it makes me wonder who the people were who were in charge of designing these kinds of towers. Then I wonder where the stones came from, who shaped them, and who was unlucky enough to have to carry the last piece up to the top!

























This is a closer view of a building in the town square. This building seems to have been decorated with a lot of wood. Those types of buildings are called "Fachwerk" houses and are very typical for Bavaria. Don't you just love the bright colors?

From Conception to Showtime

About two weeks ago we had a concept meeting for “Jesus Christ Superstar” (called Konzeption in German). This rock opera is my first show in Coburg that I will participate in from the first meeting through to the premiere and subsequent shows. At the meeting all the cast members were in attendance and each member of the production staff presented his or her concepts and ideas for our show. Everyone was in high spirits because the director has worked on other successful productions in Coburg before and we all seemed to be excited about getting started on a new project. I know I was, considering my new life in Coburg is a little slow when I’m not involved in rehearsals or meetings.

The director (who is a choreographer) explained his vision of the show as a whole and what kind of images he wanted onstage to realize his vision. He was more influenced by the newer version of JCS than the original film where everyone is dressed like hippies and said that we won't be doing a lot of choreography, although our movements will be very calculated to create images for the audience that portray his ideas. From the ideas he presented and the first few rehearsals we’ve had with him, this show should be full of very powerful images of what consumerism can do to break down a culture’s fundamental values.

A master carpenter showed a model of the stage and what stage elements will help realize the director's vision, including different set pieces, graphics and lighting choices. There were also computer-generated photos of each scene in the show so we could get a mental image of the progression of the scenes. These pictures help a lot, considering our rehearsals are in a plain rehearsal room and we don’t actually see the stage and finished set pieces until just a few days before the premiere.

The costume designer was also there to describe what we would be wearing and he was just vague enough about his concept to keep everyone guessing as to individual costumes. About half of the choir has gone in for fittings, but I haven’t seen my costumes yet. The choir is extremely busy in this show and has to do many extremely fast costume changes, so each piece will have to be easy to get in and out of.

The dramaturge was also on hand to pass out packets she made containing the history and reviews of the show, as well as lots of reading material regarding the overall story of Jesus’ last days. She included articles from several perspectives and gave a well-rounded presentation of the life of Christ and a thorough description (like a who’s who) of each character in the rock opera. I think this was the most important presentation of the evening, because it gives each person in the cast a chance to get to know the other characters and relate their own character to every other person they may encounter onstage.

This production has a fairly long simmering period. There are about six weeks in between the conception meeting and the premiere and musical rehearsals began about two weeks before the meeting. That means the preparation for this show is about two months long. Hopefully with all the careful planning and time to get each scene just right, the show will turn out to be one of the gems of the season.

A Walk to the Fortress

I am really excited to see Coburg in the summer. Since moving here in December, the trees have been bare. Although I prefer the bright colors and textures of trees with leaves in the summer and fall, I really enjoyed my walk to the fortress and all the beautiful sleeping trees along the way.

This is a view of the theater from the Hof Garten, which is the park leading up to the fortress.
















Just look at the size and shape of this tree! The trees in this park were planted many decades ago and the park planners were smart to give each tree lots of room to grow. Each one seems to have its own personality. I'd say most are almost regal in their manner, sitting high above the city like royalty.


























This little valley is a pleasant surprise that I'm sure will be a popular spot for sun-lovers in the summer. It was fairly quiet in the park during my walk, but I did hear a few woodpeckers and some birds chirping. The birds in Coburg sing songs that I've never heard before, which is really interesting.
















This cluster of trees looked so inviting as I got closer to the fortress. The texture of the trees and the way they are bunched together reminds me of a group of people at a cocktail party!















This was one of my favorite trees on my walk. The different colors of the bark are amazing and the texture is really fantastic in person. It actually looks like an impressionist artist came by with a set of paints and had a little fun.



























Here is a view of the path I took looking back down towards the city. The path swings to the left and goes back into the Hof Garten and winds back down to the theater.















Here's a view in the other direction. The fortress is getting closer!
















Whew, i finally made it! The afternoon sun really set off the walls of the fortress, making it easy to see the years of work that went into constructing such a majestic building.
















It looks like the fortress was built in different stages. Some walls have really large stones that are jagged and kind of raw. This corner looks newer, with more style put into the construction.



























This dragon was carved into a wall in the courtyard of the fortress. At first glance he looks pretty fierce....















But he's obviously just a big softy or else this ladybug wouldn't have felt safe enough to take a nap in between his toes. :)
















Here's another example of the different kinds of stones that went into the construction of the fortress.


























Modern gutters just seem so boring in comparison with these old chaps, don't they?

More about the Theater

So you’ve probably all heard that infamous question called out in some movie: “Is there a doctor in the house?!” You bet there is! At the Landestheater there is a house doctor who attends every single performance and even has an assigned seat near the door. Although it seems a little extravagant, it is sometimes necessary to have a medical professional on hand for any unforeseen accidents during a performance.

The other night after a play I was sitting around chatting with a couple performers and a woman who has worked in the make-up department at this theater for a long time. She told us a story about a singer who once slipped and fell down onto some stairs that were part of the onstage scenery. He sprang back up and continued to sing, so everyone assumed he was fine. Well, during the intermission he was supposed to go to the makeup department to get a new wig and a touch-up and he never came. So when the make-up artist finally went looking for him, she found him in agony in the dressing room. Apparently the fall was worse than everyone thought. The house doctor came and examined him and determined that he had broken two of his ribs! But, the singer was adamant about finishing the performance, so the doctor taped him up and he went back out onstage and sang the second half of the opera!

Unfortunately, accidents happen in staging rehearsals as well. This past week I accidentally hit one of my choir colleagues in the face during the staging of a pretty crazy mob scene. She ended up getting a black eye and missed that night’s performance, but she told me she’s had worse accidents at the theater. I feel just awful about hurting someone, but my roommate said it sometimes comes with the territory. Of course, singers don’t often encounter really physical staging like in ballet or theater, but I guess it can happen to anyone.

The security of the employees at the theater is also very well-guarded. There is a doorman who proofs all of the theater employees as they come in and buzzes them in through a secure door at the back of the theater. Guests need to sign in and be escorted, although this is not really enforced. In addition, during a performance there are a handful of uniformed security guards who stand backstage to make sure that everything stays under control. They even have those plastic earpieces like you see on TV. I haven’t heard any stories about our security yet, but I wonder if any people have tried to sneak backstage before, like a crazed stalker fan or something like that.

Practice rooms in the Landestheater are scarce, so I practice in the choir room when it’s not in use. The other options for practicing in the theater are on the two rehearsal stages, in the director’s room, or in a mysterious practice room somewhere in the theater that I haven’t found yet. Apparently the only way to get to it is through a door leading to the audience area, then up the stairs to the second floor. I figure the choir room is good enough for me. The only problem with it is that the door is not at all soundproof and pretty much whatever I’m singing echoes off the marble staircase that runs up and down that entire side of the theater. That is a little disconcerting, especially when I’m asked the next day about a specific piece I thought I was practicing in relative privacy.

Almost every room in the theater has a closed-circuit audio system that broadcasts whatever is happening onstage and is controlled by an announcer. During all dress rehearsals and performances, the announcer gives curtain times and calls out all main entrances. We’ll get a call 30 and 15 minutes before the performance, then a places call, and then we’re off. It’s not only a handy way to keep so many people organized during a performance, but it’s also fun to listen to what’s happening during a performance when we’re not onstage. And our announcer in the musical department has a really cool radio voice, so it’s nice to hear his calls.

The real hub of the theater is the cafeteria (“Kantine”). Every theater that I’ve seen in Germany has one and usually the food is good and low-priced so the theater employees can get something to eat or drink during a performance without having to run somewhere. Our cafeteria is pretty small, but full of activity. During the intermission of an opera there may be 40 or 50 people crammed into the room to get a beer or some dinner. It’s also a nice way to get to know people at the theater, since the technicians, orchestra, ballet, theater and opera all congregate there.

How I Became a Singer

My formal music education began in Mrs. Edwards’ music class at Lydia Jane Hawk Elementary School in Lacey, Washington. The music, PE and art classes traded weeks, meaning every third week there would be an hour of music class each day. These were my favorite weeks, where we learned to read rhythms from giant flip-charts by saying "tah, tah, tee tee tah," danced the waltz (with boys!) in 3/4 time to scratchy records, and watched movies and cartoons on reel-to-reel projectors that featured classical music. But, my favorite activity in Mrs. Edwards' class was singing. She would accompany us with her guitar and always kneel down in front of us during assemblies to mouth the words to our songs (normally involving some sort of patriotic holiday) in case we forgot them.

In the second grade I was chosen to sing in the Christmas musical, which was the story of the three little pigs. I got to be the third pig (the one with the best idea--"let's build the house of brick!"), and along with my other two piglets, we eventually taught the big bad wolf how to be kind and learn the giving of the Christmas season. I remember my Mom putting my hair in braids the night before the performance so I would have crimped blond "pigtails" (tied with pink yarn) for the show. The performance itself is a distant memory, but is still revisited every once in awhile, thanks to my Dad recording it on VHS. Actually, I think both my parents are secretly hoping to sell the footage to a TV station after I "make it big" and take a vacation to Hawaii with the profits.

When people ask me how I got into singing opera, I never have a good answer. I didn't grow up listening to opera and didn't see my first live production until I was a senior in high school, which was pretty intimidating. I was invited to go to Seattle Opera with three members of the Olympia Opera Guild after winning a Guild scholarship earlier that spring. The opera was Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde," and the ladies declared to me, after the five hour show was at an end, that I had been baptized by fire into the world of opera. No kidding, there was plenty of real fire onstage, as well as huge moving sets and even a snow storm with "real snow!" But I couldn't really identify with the large singers onstage with extra-large voices--how did they sing so loud??

After eight years of college and a roller-coaster ride of experiences related to performing, I still don't have a straightforward answer how I went from the third little pig to a professional singer. But my love of performing (plus plenty of opportunties during my years in public school) and my desire to work hard to accomplish whatever goal I set for myself is probably the best response I could give to how I ended up in Coburg.

Life in a Hotel

Some of you may not know this, but I actually am living in a hotel about a five minute walk from the Landestheater. Although I get teased by some of the people at the theater for not having a "proper" apartment, I'm really happy living here. The best perk of the hotel besides its close proximity to the theater is having a cleaning lady change my sheets and towels for me every week! Here are a few photos of my new home in Germany.


The Baerenturm Hotel is an old building that is divided into two wings. The right side of this photo is the hotel side and is for out-of-town guests. The left side of the building has vacation apartments and also a small population of theater employees who choose to live there.















Here is a close-up of the apartment side. That steep gable in front is my apartment and the small window with the white frame just to the left of that gable is my kitchen window. The window in the middle of the gable is my roommate's bedroom window.















Here is the entrance to our apartment. My roommate installed the red carpet, well, because every actor should have access to a red carpet! The bathroom and kitchen are on the left side and our bedrooms are on the right side.

























This is my room. It was a sunny day this morning and let a lot of light in. The walls are still a bit plain, but some plants and one of my Grandma's quilts makes it feel more cozy.
















My little computer desk is where I sit to write all my blogs! Hey, I'm sitting in that orange chair right now!















Here's my newest piece of furniture, a "Fatboy" beanbag. It is really comfortable and a great substitute for a heavy couch.

























Here is our little bathroom. Although it's small, the bathtub is really great.


























Here's the entrance to our kitchen. The fridge is to the right of the cabinets and the oven and stove is around the corner to the right. It's a really small kitchen but I've found I can still cook quite easily in the space.


























Here's the view of the fortress from our kitchen window. And that little path below takes me straight to the theater.















It was pretty bright this morning (thank goodness the sun came out!) so here's a closer view of the fortress from our kitchen window. Not to shabby, eh?