I had quite a day yesterday. I got the call at around 8:30 AM, just as I was about to go off to the park to exercise the dog. Could I perform the role of Sciarrone in the evening’s performance of ‘Tosca’? The singer who had done the role for the previous 13 performances could not stand due to illness, so the usual emergency measure of someone else sings from the pit while the indisposed singer walks through the part was not an option. Someone would have to learn all the staging in the next 11 hours.
I told them that, unfortunately, I had never done the role and didn’t know it at all; they should phone around and see who else there is in Toronto who already knew it. 20 minutes later, the phone call comes in - there is no such person available in town. They understand that it is a role I have never done, but if I am game, they will do whatever is necessary to make this work out. Okay, I said, let’s go.
I downloaded the score from IMSLP and looked through it - there are six singing moments in the second act, one in the third. Luckily, my daughter and I had seen the opera last Thursday, so I had an idea of Sciarrone’s actions and what the set looked like.
So, I get a music rehearsal from 1:45 - 2:45, costume fitting from 3 - 3:30 and staging rehearsal from 3:30 - 5. Curtain is at 7:30. I spent the morning memorizing the music as best as I could; my wife did me a massive favour and got me a copy of the full score that I could mark up in rehearsal (for all of the acting entrances when I wasn’t singing - printing off and hole-punching 300 pages didn’t seem like a very good use of resources…).
So, I had three entrances in Act I, seven entrances in Act II and one entrance in Act III. The stage business included grabbing and beating the Sacristan, grabbing and beating Cavaradossi, throwing Tosca across the stage, dragging an unconscious Cavaradossi across the stage and of course, running across the stage and up the stairs in a futile attempt to stop Tosca from leaping off the parapet.
It was funny that the night we saw Tosca, I saw John K. in the audience - John alternated in the role of Spoletta with another performer. He’s an old and dear friend, and we had worked together on Ariadne auf Naxos last May. I had said to him ‘When are we going to get to work together again, anyway?’ He was my Spoletta last night, and he saved my bacon several times.
I was also struck that on Friday night, I took the dog watch (in our family slang, the person who stays up until at least 10:30 PM to take the dog for one last stroll before going to bed, allowing everyone else to turn in early) and was nodding off in my comfy chair while reading and listening to my iPod from about 9:30 onward… It made me think of what a boring old fart I was turning into, and how happy that made me. Let others seek wild excitement - I had a Josquin mass to listen to and a book of poetry to read. The same hour on the next night, I was fully awake and doing a role I had learned less than twelve hours previously.
It went far better than I had any right to expect. I won’t say it was perfect, but the show went on, albeit with a couple of expectant glances at Sciarrone who would then leap into action. ‘A follower, not a leader’ one would say of this character.
And at least I can skip the blood pressure tests I’m supposed to get as I turn 50; if last night’s stress didn’t do me in, I reckon I’m good for another 100,000 km…