Friday, May 16, 2008

Understudies

Woohoo, Mr Oh!

I hope you get to sing "Timeless" in the medley - the first time DW and I heard it, we fell in love all over again. After 25 years of marriage, we finally found "our song".

My parallel story this week is with Portland Symphonic choir's performance of Oregon Symphony: Carmina Burana this weekend: I learned/understudied/sang for rehearsals the tenor solos (the featured number is literally a "swan song" that requires shrieking as you anticipate being butchered, cooked and eaten by the chorus). Our out-of-town pro soloist showed up last night, fit and healthy, and sang it wonderfully. I got more laughs that he did, but his voice carries better than I would have. Instead, I'll sing with the chorus and eat him up.

Yours, Gary Shannon

I teach online voice lessons! http://www.voice-mentor.com/ My passion: Your art.
4022 SE 100th Ave. Portland OR 97266 503-761-1837
( 8-{D} Balding, bespectacled, mustachioed, happy, bearded guy, usually open mouthed.

>>In a message dated 13 May 08 10:43:24 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, Mister oh writes:

I wrote a while ago telling everybody how I was auditioning for a solo in the upcoming concert for the chorus (it's this Saturday!!)
Although I didn't get a solo initially (other than the brief chanting I do in the Lion King number) fate came into action. The chorus member who got the part of Edna Turnblad in our Hairspray medley has a work conflict and cannot do the concert. Alan had called me a few weeks ago to ask if I could do the part. I agreed thinking that it was just for our run-out performance at the church in Riverside (which was a couple of Saturdays ago). Turns out that not only did I perform it then, but I am also doing it on the big stage at the McCallum theatre this Saturday. In full drag. With costume change. I've already shaved my beard (moustache to follow) and did my legs on Sunday. THAT is a weird sensation! Feels like my legs were dipped in oil. Somebody gave me a fat suit (it's from a Halloween costume - the overweight stripper) and it is quite a scream. I found a lovely "social" dress at Ross, it's a 22W and is quite a stunner. I'm going to put a blue duster over it for the number before so that I can do a quick change from frumpy Edna to glamorous Edna. I'm sure there will be photographs/video to share later....