My recent knitting projects

I have recently completed three very fun knitting projects that I thought you all would enjoy seeing.

The biggest project is was a blanket for my boyfriend Joe. It was his Christmas present, but due to a yarn shortage in Coburg and some online delivery delays, this was more like a Happy mid-January present. I used a pattern from my Great-Grandmother and doubled-up some pretty sock yarn so it would be extra warm and squishy.















Here's the new owner trying it out. You can see the stitches I used makes a fun wave pattern.
















I finished this scarf last week. It is super thick and very warm due to the really large cables and ribbing pattern I used. This yarn actually used to be a sweater I had knit. I bought the yarn back in 2005 and knit a sweater out of it that did not turn out well. Instead of letting the sweater sit in the bottom of my closet forever, I decided to "frog" the whole sweater (you know, rip it/"ribbit" out) and make myself something I would wear.




















I got some new double-pointed bamboo knitting needles in my stocking this Christmas that are perfect for knitting socks. This is my very first pair ever! After reading the directions about 50 times and watching some tutorials on the internet, I finished the second sock just this afternoon. It is a cables and rib pattern and I think they look really great. I think it's time to pull out my mary janes and cropped pants!!

Which performance should I attend?

A great thing about the Landestheater is that the people in Coburg have lots of opportunities to see our shows. Our theater has about eight musical theater productions a season (opera/operetta/musicals) and we normally perform each show between 15 and 25 times during its run. To compare, Seattle opera normally has about five musical productions a season and each show is performed about 9 or 10 times. With so many performances running throughout the week (and the season), I've started to notice that our audience is different depending on where we are in the week, as well as the run of the show. Here are some observations that might influence what performance you choose to see in the future:

Opening Night:
This show is just as much about being seen as watching what's happening onstage. The audience for this performance wants to be the first to share their opinion about the newest entertainment in Coburg. The people generally come with a good, positive attitude and are ready to be entertained. In turn, the people onstage have almost explosive amounts of energy from all of the anticipation and rehearsals leading to the premiere. Even if there are a few kinks in the production in the form of missed light or sound cues, the audience is vocally responsive to what happens onstage and there is a lot of applause at the end of the piece.

First performance after opening night:
This is generally the worst-attended show of the entire run. The newspapers have run the critiques and the people at the premiere have shared their opinions with their friends. The performers are usually exhausted after a strenuous rehearsal period and may still be struggling to master dialogue, choreography or a hard musical sequence. But even if the piece received good reviews and the premiere was without visible faults, this is not normally a great show to attend because the audience is not as peppy, and the energy after the premiere really has no place to go except under.

A weeknight performance:
Since our "work week" at a theater is all over the board, our energy level isn't normally affected whether we perform on a Tuesday or a Saturday. But the audience during the work week is typically much quieter and more subdued than a weekend audience. They usually don't clap in between numbers, they don't laugh outloud at jokes, and the applause at the end is pretty brief compared to a weekend crowd.

A holiday performance:
During the Christmas season the audience is pretty rowdy during the first half, and then kind of quiet during the second half. We joke that they spend a bit of time at the Christmas market before the show, toss back a few glasses of Glüwein and then fall asleep after intermission. In reality, our holiday shows are usually only well-attended on a holiday itself. For instance, the couple days leading up to Christmas we had low numbers in the audience. But Christmas Day and New Year's Eve were sold out weeks in advance. The people who come to a performance on a major holiday normally don't go to the theater (i.e. they may have received opera tickets as a Christmas gift) and sometimes it shows in the form of a quiet and very reserved audience.

Closing night:
These performances are usually wacky. I wrote a blog entry last season about having to be on my toes on closing night because usually there is mischief waiting around every corner onstage. But generally this is all in good fun and really keeps the energy level up for the final performance. The audience for closing night is typically very appreciative. I'd say a lot of people attending closing night are seeing the show for the second (or more) time.

So I guess if I had to recommend the best time to attend the theater, I would say ty pically a Saturday-night performance on a non-holiday weekend would be best. Of course, I have ignored several things like how many other performances the singers have already done that week, health, who's conducting, etc., but for a general recommendation, that's my pick.

Hey Mom, I'm a Tree!

Stage rehearsals for "The Wizard of Oz" began this evening for the chorus. In addition to being a Munchkin and whatever else the chorus is involved in, I have also been cast along with five other women in the chorus as trees. We will be divided into groups of three and sing every-other performance as a cute little tree trio. When I told my Mom about the casting, she was about as proud as when I was cast as the second little pig in my school's second grade production of the Three Little Pigs. :)

At first it does seem pretty hokey. I mean, here I am touting myself as a professional singer in Germany, and then I write home to say I've been cast as a tree in the Wizard of Oz. It doesn't just scream high art and culture at first glance, in any case. But I do think it will be a ton of fun. First of all, we are introduced when Dorothy discovers the Tin Man rusting in a forest. When she comes into the forest we will be bedecked with apples, which Dorothy will try to pick off of us. Then I guess we have some dialogue and we will start throwing apples at her. After the Tin Man is discovered, we have a cute trio to sing and then have our own dance number. I'm very excited about that part.

Anyway, since our theater does not have an unlimited budget, it means that there are a limited number of portable microphones for the singers. And since we trees need microphones for our solo, it means we have automatically been cast as all the other female solo parts, including the three "lollipop guild" representatives. Of course, since we are doing the show in German (and boy howdy, that's opening up a whole other can of worms), we sing "Lebkuchen Zunft" which is basically saying the gingerbread gang. Ha! There is also going to be a do-wop number during a Jitterbug scene near the end of the show where we tree ladies will once again be featured.

So, although being a tree seems like a fairly silly way to make a living, it should be a very fun time. The Wizard of Oz will premiere on February 23rd, so if anyone wants to fly over for the premiere, I'll make sure I get you a ticket!

The Art of Bowing

Taking a bow as a singer is an extremely important gesture. Not only are you acknowledging the applause from the audience, you are also showing your "true" self to them for the first time. As a voice student I had teachers who were very conscientious about the correct way to walk onstage, walk offstage, bow, and gesture to an accompanist. These movements should not look choreographed, but they really have to be in order to present the right impression to an audience. For instance, if a singer bows without lowering their eyes, the audience could interpret insecurity. Also, if a singer throws their head down in an overly-grandiose bow, the audience may very well interpret arrogance.

So how does a singer learn to bow? It actually takes a bit of practice. Women and men have different options for a bow, but a safe, unisex method of bowing is to drop your head gently, lower your eyes to the ground, bend from the waist or hips and say "thank you" to yourself before coming up again. Right, and coming up should be as gentle and graceful as the descent. I find bending my knees slightly as I bow makes it easier to maintain my center of balance so I don't accidentally tip forward.

Group bowing at the theater is another issue altogether. Some shows have a cast of over 30 people, which means the bows need to be choreographed. At the Landestheater we even have shows where we bow to music, which adds another layer of complication. In any case, since we are a large number of people and spread out onstage, it is up to the assistant director for the show to call out the bowing. The director makes an applause list before the premiere and we practice the bowing order at the end of each dress rehearsal. Usually these bowing rehearsals take about 20 minutes. Since sometimes the bowing order can get complicated (like if we are being accompanied by the orchestra and are on a time limit), the assistant director always calls our our bows from the side stage. If you listen carefully the next time you go to a performance, you might just hear the assistant director telling us when to step forward, bow, and step back.

How to Lose a Theater Job

Don't worry, I didn't find a pink slip on my seat this morning at rehearsal. But in the last several weeks (actually months, if I stop to think about it) there have been numerous people who have lost their job at the Landestheater for a variety of reasons. Since job security at a theater is different than in other careers, let me first explain our employment contract system.

Artists at a theater (singers, dancers, actors) are typically hired with an initial two-year contract, which is two full seasons at the theater. This contract can then be renewed, or extended, for one season at a time after that. This yearly renewal is necessary until an artist has been employeed for 15 consecutive years at one theater, at which time they become fully tenured and have full job security until they retire. I must add that this is an extremely rare occurance. If you think about it, having the same singer at a theater for over 15 years means that the theater will still be paying that singer at age 60, whether their vocal cords still work or not.

There are also a couple other types of temporary employment for artists. For instance, I was hired to temporarily replace a woman out on extended maternity leave, meaning my contract is for less than two years. There are also artists hired as guests, meaning they are contracted to usually perform one or two roles in a season, but are not considered full-time employees of the theater or members of the theater ensemble. And finally there are artists who jump-in for another artist who is sick, which I wrote about in a previous blog entry.

If the theater does not wish to continue its relationship with an artist, they must inform that artist on or before October 15th of their final season. And since our season begins September 1st, that's a really long time before their last day of work. Although it would be difficult to work at a theater for nearly an entire season and know you have been canned for the following year, it does offer some protection to the artist. During that final season the theatre has to provide you with two premieres, meaning you are provided with two good press and networking opportunities. You also then have several months to sing for agents, schedule auditions and try and find another position.

If an artist decides to leave the theater of their own accord, it is recommended that they submit their resignation by October 31st of their final season. This then gives the theater the same protection provided to a terminated artist, giving the theater enough time to hold auditions and find a replacement. Although I know a few colleagues who formally submitted their resignation at the end of October, I did see one or two ensemble members leave last year after giving just a month or two notice.

So, that's the background, but it leaves the question of why an artist would be asked to leave the ensemble. Sometimes it is as simple as a singer not being up to snuff, and sometimes it is as simple as a difference of opinion between a singer and administrator. In the year since I've been here I have seen singers be released for both reasons, with one singer actually being released from her two-year contract after approximately three weeks.

But it's not just the singers who can get the boot at the theater. In a very shocking scandal that hit our theater in the fall, one of our assistant directors was immediately fired after German police revealed that he was downloading extremely large amounts of child pornography onto his home computer. And in another, less shocking event last week, our Intendant was fired (effective immediately) for reasons that are not 100% clear to me. I don't have a lot of good will towards this man, considering he is the one who called me by the wrong name at the premiere of Kiss me Kate and is a rotten stage director, but it does appear that a bit of a witch hunt was happening in the weeks leading up to his dismissal. And 2008 is a big election year in Coburg, meaning that certain powers above the Intendant may be looking for election leverage. In our rehearsals for the Wizard of Oz I find it particularly ironic when we sing the phrase "Ding dong, the witch is dead."

Some of my regular blog readers may notice that I recently put a new link on the right side of the screen. This is a link to a free movie online called "Zeitgeist." It is an eye-opening film about the history of western religion and civilization, particularly focusing on the United States. It is almost two hours in length, but I would recommend beginning the film about five minutes in, after the very long introductory pictoral montage is completed. Please take the time to see this film.

Happy New Year!

It's been a long time since I posted a blog! I hope everyone has had a very happy holiday season! Here are a few pictures from my second Christmas in Coburg:

I knit Christmas stockings for Joe and me, which really put me in the holiday spirit. I think they turned out really well, especially since we found out how stretchy they are (i.e. they can hold a LOT of stuff) on Christmas morning!















I decorated my rubber tree with ornaments and we put the presents around it. And in this picture you can also see my Christmas present to myself: a German Christmas pyramid! They are hand-made in the former East-Germany and this one is particularly cool because the fans on top spin in two different directions! And the choir of angels spin around and it just looks so beautiful. Joe and I spent many evenings enjoying it.




















Here's a view of the new layout of my furniture. It's much more useful for two people, and since Joe has been here for a few weeks, it's definitely a lot more comfortable set-up.















Here's a view from the opposite corner and my new work niche. Hey, I'm sitting there right now! :)















We have had snow off and on for the last couple weeks, but never more than about an inch. It looks so pretty on the tree right outside my window, though!















Right before New Year's Eve, Joe and I went to dinner with two of our friends at a castle near Coburg called Schloss Hohenstein. Click Here to see a picture of the dining room where we ate! The castle has a lovely restaurant and they serve four-course menus that you can reserve in advance. We booked the fish menu and had an amazing meal that lasted over three hours.

Yesterday Joe and I went to the Lohengrin hot springs in Bayreuth, about an hour away from Coburg by train. We swam in the hot springs, sat in the steam bath, and I even went tanning! And in the afternoon we enjoyed a wellness package, which included a steam in a warm oven with aromatic hay and taking a beer bath! Click Here for a picture of the copper bathtub and to read a little more about the hot springs.

Today Joe and I went to Sesslach with our friend Verena. It is a walled city about 15 kilometers from Coburg and is really cute. We then drove a few kilometers further to Altstein (old stone) to see the town's castle ruins, which are about 800 years old and surprisingly intact. After watching the sunset from the hilltop amid the ruins, we headed back to Coburg to warm up.

In between fun and feasting I am still performing. We actually did two performances of Kiss me Kate on New Year's Eve, which was extremely exhausting. But the hot springs in Bayreuth did a lot to restore my energy. :)

Anyway, that's about it from Coburg. Happy New Year!!