Last night's performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" ended the 2006/2007 season. It was a great performance and the audience was fantastic--all 640 of them! However, it was also the last time the Landestheater Ballet company took their curtain call. Due to budget woes, the theater has cut the ballet for the 2007/2008 season. That means the five wonderful dancers that we have here are all headed off to different theaters and will be sorely missed next season.
Since the Landestheater is supported in part by federal funds, there is actually a byline written into the agreement from the government that the theater should have a ballet ensemble, and the recommendation based on the funding is that there is a company of 10, plus a ballet master. But as far as I know, drooping ticket sales (our overall attendance is approximately 80%, a very low percentage for this area) are responsible for the budget problems. So, the tentative plan is to have no ballet next year, but to re-establish the full company for the following 2008/2009 season. Most people at the theater seems skeptical about this actually happening, but we're all trying to think positive.
The audience's reaction to the ballet's departure was very strong. When the Intendant gave a short speech after the curtain calls to formally say goodbye to the dancers there were shouts and cries from some in the audience expressing their disapproval of the ballet's removal. And after his speech there were flowers thrown onstage and many cheers (and tears) from the audience AND the ensemble.
I have purposefully tried to make this blog very informative, but I'll admit that most of the information I choose to share in this online setting is positive. There are also many negative aspects to my job at the theater, but these negative points exist in every single job, so I don't tend to dwell on them in this type of forum. However, the seemingly rapid decline of the theater culture in Germany is a shocking and very scary phenomenon that seems to be overtaking the country. Although the support for the arts here in Germany is very strong compared to the United States, the reality is that there are ballets (and choruses!) and other ensembles that are disappearing from the German stages, seemingly never to be seen or heard from again. It is definitely a wake-up call that old Europe is no longer the cultural mecca that we Americans want to see it as.
Although there is not much you as blog readers can do to help the arts situation in Germany (unless you come visit me and buy lots of theater tickets!), there is a wonderful program in the United States called Americans for the Arts. It is a non-profit organization that is fighting to keep (and restore) music education in schools, as well as support funding for theaters and arts programs across the country. If you have a moment, I encourage you to visit their website at http://www.americansforthearts.org/.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
One more performance!
Thursday night is the last performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and the official end of the 2006/2007 season at the Landestheater. This has been my favorite show since I started here back in December for many reasons. First, this is the only show this season that I was involved with from the very first conception meeting through musical rehearsals, stage rehearsals, the premiere, and all subsequent performances. Also, it's in English, meaning I have the upper-hand on my colleagues and get to be the "language expert" with pronunciation. The dancing is also really my thing and our director/choreographer gave the choir a lot of actions do to (which doesn't always happen with directors), meaning we're never standing around onstage. And finally, we had 22 performances scheduled, meaning that we get lots of opportunities to perform. Tonight was our 21st performance and the show is now old hat and I can really relax and have fun onstage without worrying about my choreography or some of the fast costume changes.
This is also the most well-received show of the season. Two nights ago we had 632 people crammed into a theater with approximately 550 seats. And tonight there were 638 who managed to stuff themselves in, which I think is a theater record! For the extra 80 or 90 people that don't have seats, they get to stand in the back of the balconies for cheap and try to crane their necks to see what's going on onstage. But no-one seems to mind. In fact, the applause at the end of the Jesus Christ performances are amazing. Standing ovations are fairly rare in German theaters, but we receive them nightly. And our curtain calls are getting longer and longer, since the whistling, stomping and cheering audience can't seem to get enough of our sweaty faces! What a great feeling! With this kind of reception, I wouldn't be surprised if the administration tried to bring the show back next season for some extra performances. I'll keep you posted!
This is also the most well-received show of the season. Two nights ago we had 632 people crammed into a theater with approximately 550 seats. And tonight there were 638 who managed to stuff themselves in, which I think is a theater record! For the extra 80 or 90 people that don't have seats, they get to stand in the back of the balconies for cheap and try to crane their necks to see what's going on onstage. But no-one seems to mind. In fact, the applause at the end of the Jesus Christ performances are amazing. Standing ovations are fairly rare in German theaters, but we receive them nightly. And our curtain calls are getting longer and longer, since the whistling, stomping and cheering audience can't seem to get enough of our sweaty faces! What a great feeling! With this kind of reception, I wouldn't be surprised if the administration tried to bring the show back next season for some extra performances. I'll keep you posted!
Friday, July 06, 2007
If you ever need a good distraction...
Well, now I know the best way to pass the time until I find out what solo roles I'm singing next season! The last 7 days for me have been filled to the brim with looking for a new apartment (wow, all sorts of culture shock there, but I'll explain that in a minute), signing a lease, changing my address, getting utilities set up, and shopping, shopping, shopping!
On Monday I found a really great apartment in Coburg that's just right for me! I had looked at four others, but the fifth one was great for several reasons, some of which may sound odd to those of you who have never rented an apartment in Germany. What really sold me was the fact that the apartment had a kitchen with all the appliances and cupboards already installed, and light fixtures in every room except the living room.
That's right. Most apartments in Germany are bare bones, meaning the kitchen is an empty room with a hookup for water and electricity, and there are usually electrical wires hanging from the ceiling where you would expect to find lights. And of course, there are no closets built into the bedrooms, meaning the bedrooms are normally bigger, but you have to get yourself a closet. Strange? Maybe, but many landlords want to give the tenant the freedom to make an apartment their own and fully personalized in the hopes that they will rent for a really long time. For instance, I'm allowed to paint the walls whatever color I want and put holes in the walls and mount things from the ceiling, as long as the apartment is returned to its pre-rented condition before I move out.
Oh right, moving out. When I signed a lease, it wasn't for 6 or 12 months. Here you can rent an aparment for an undetermined amount of time. However, it is standard that you give three months notice to your landlord before you can move out so they have time to find a new tenant. Sounds reasonable, right?
The other thing to consider when renting in Germany is the price. When looking at apartments in the newspaper, the rent can be deceiving. Normally the "cold rent" price is listed, meaning the cost of the apartment without any utilities, cleaning costs, or whatever extra fees go with that particular place. "Warm rent" prices include utilities and also stairway cleaning and/or handyman services, but don't always include water, gas, or electricity. So, this means that an apartment that is listed for 300 Euros in the paper (cold) might end up costing 500 Euros a month once all the extra costs and utilities have been figured in! How confusing!!
But after a lot of help from the women in the choir (I can't believe they aren't tired of my constant questions yet!) I managed to find a place just right for me. In addition to being patient, my co-workers are also generous, and have helped me immensely with hand-me-down furniture, moving arrangements, kitchen items, and lots of moral support! Here is a link to some apartment pictures. I have furniture moved in and am getting settled, and will link more pictures in the fall after I've painted and made the apartment all mine!
http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/cougardiva/Apartment/
On Monday I found a really great apartment in Coburg that's just right for me! I had looked at four others, but the fifth one was great for several reasons, some of which may sound odd to those of you who have never rented an apartment in Germany. What really sold me was the fact that the apartment had a kitchen with all the appliances and cupboards already installed, and light fixtures in every room except the living room.
That's right. Most apartments in Germany are bare bones, meaning the kitchen is an empty room with a hookup for water and electricity, and there are usually electrical wires hanging from the ceiling where you would expect to find lights. And of course, there are no closets built into the bedrooms, meaning the bedrooms are normally bigger, but you have to get yourself a closet. Strange? Maybe, but many landlords want to give the tenant the freedom to make an apartment their own and fully personalized in the hopes that they will rent for a really long time. For instance, I'm allowed to paint the walls whatever color I want and put holes in the walls and mount things from the ceiling, as long as the apartment is returned to its pre-rented condition before I move out.
Oh right, moving out. When I signed a lease, it wasn't for 6 or 12 months. Here you can rent an aparment for an undetermined amount of time. However, it is standard that you give three months notice to your landlord before you can move out so they have time to find a new tenant. Sounds reasonable, right?
The other thing to consider when renting in Germany is the price. When looking at apartments in the newspaper, the rent can be deceiving. Normally the "cold rent" price is listed, meaning the cost of the apartment without any utilities, cleaning costs, or whatever extra fees go with that particular place. "Warm rent" prices include utilities and also stairway cleaning and/or handyman services, but don't always include water, gas, or electricity. So, this means that an apartment that is listed for 300 Euros in the paper (cold) might end up costing 500 Euros a month once all the extra costs and utilities have been figured in! How confusing!!
But after a lot of help from the women in the choir (I can't believe they aren't tired of my constant questions yet!) I managed to find a place just right for me. In addition to being patient, my co-workers are also generous, and have helped me immensely with hand-me-down furniture, moving arrangements, kitchen items, and lots of moral support! Here is a link to some apartment pictures. I have furniture moved in and am getting settled, and will link more pictures in the fall after I've painted and made the apartment all mine!
http://s121.photobucket.com/albums/o223/cougardiva/Apartment/
Monday, July 02, 2007
Keeping your ear to the ground
A few days ago there was a premiere for a new play at the theater. Actually, it's an open-air production, meaning they set up a nice big stage and lots of chairs in the courtyard of our local castle. Because, you know, that's the most logical place to have an open-air theater. :) Anyway, I was mingling with some other singers before the play and ran into one of the important decision-makers at the theater. He said hello and asked if the General Music Director (GMD from now on) had spoken with me yet. I assumed that this was regarding my solo role(s) for next season, but either way, I hadn't heard anything from the GMD. And then I was told that he had been asked twice now to sit down and talk to me (i.e. tell me what roles I'm going to be singing), but he's been busy with concerts this week, so he probably hasn't gotten around to it.
So, after this enlightening (but overall useless) conversation, I was very surprised when one of my singer friends came up to me and congratulated me on being cast as Hattie in "Kiss me Kate." Um, what?? I had just been told that the GMD was going to tell me what roles I would be singing, so this congratulations came out of left field. But apparently a cast list had been put up in the theater for "Kiss me Kate" and I had indeed been cast as Hattie. So, I'm excited to know for sure that I'll be doing at least one solo role next season, but it's a little strange to hear from a cast list and not from the GMD (as promised after my second audition here a few weeks ago). Also, I will be paid differently as a soloist and no-one has discussed changes to my contract yet, so I'm thinking about going into the main office sometime this week to ask what's going on.
The funny thing about this situation is that this is apparently a very common way for singers at the theater to find out how they have been cast. Several different singers have told me stories about hearing from the costume department or wig department about being cast in a show only after they tried on a specific costume or wig for that role! Other people have found out through colleagues or by seeing the cast list posted in the theater. I really hope all theaters in Germany aren't like this, because it seems disrespectful of the singers that they are seemingly the last ones to know about casting decisions. But hopefully I keep my role in "Kiss me Kate" through the premiere and all of the performances, because the other casting horror stories I heard involved singers seeing their name on a cast list, only to see it scratched out several weeks later and replaced with another person's name. Or worse yet, to show up for the first staging rehearsal only to find out that the role you had prepared had been given to someone else. And yes, these are all true stories that have happened to soloists in Coburg in recent years. Boy am I glad that I'm singing in the choir!!!
So, after this enlightening (but overall useless) conversation, I was very surprised when one of my singer friends came up to me and congratulated me on being cast as Hattie in "Kiss me Kate." Um, what?? I had just been told that the GMD was going to tell me what roles I would be singing, so this congratulations came out of left field. But apparently a cast list had been put up in the theater for "Kiss me Kate" and I had indeed been cast as Hattie. So, I'm excited to know for sure that I'll be doing at least one solo role next season, but it's a little strange to hear from a cast list and not from the GMD (as promised after my second audition here a few weeks ago). Also, I will be paid differently as a soloist and no-one has discussed changes to my contract yet, so I'm thinking about going into the main office sometime this week to ask what's going on.
The funny thing about this situation is that this is apparently a very common way for singers at the theater to find out how they have been cast. Several different singers have told me stories about hearing from the costume department or wig department about being cast in a show only after they tried on a specific costume or wig for that role! Other people have found out through colleagues or by seeing the cast list posted in the theater. I really hope all theaters in Germany aren't like this, because it seems disrespectful of the singers that they are seemingly the last ones to know about casting decisions. But hopefully I keep my role in "Kiss me Kate" through the premiere and all of the performances, because the other casting horror stories I heard involved singers seeing their name on a cast list, only to see it scratched out several weeks later and replaced with another person's name. Or worse yet, to show up for the first staging rehearsal only to find out that the role you had prepared had been given to someone else. And yes, these are all true stories that have happened to soloists in Coburg in recent years. Boy am I glad that I'm singing in the choir!!!
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