Un po' di pazzia

This is some fucked up shit right here.

Basically, and I do know some of the players here, John Massaro appears to have gone completely batshit insane and is taking it out on the AD of AZ Opera.

Yiiiikes.

Speaking of dead people

All I have to say about Milosevic's demise is: I sure wish I believed in hell. I hope he did. Couldn't happen to a nicer person.

One fuckwad less in the world is never a bad thing.

Bloggy day of mourning

Beautiful soprano Anna Moffo has left us at age 73.

La Cieca has a tribute podcast.

The kind of thing that makes me want to stay over here

All the way across the ocean, that is.

Scary. I'd sure like to hear from some Christians who are confident enough in their beliefs that they don't need this kind of bullshit.

Missouri legislators in Jefferson City considered a bill that would name Christianity the state's official "majority" religion.

House Concurrent Resolution 13 has is pending in the state legislature.

Many Missouri residents had not heard about the bill until Thursday.

Karen Aroesty of the Anti-defamation league, along with other watch-groups, began a letter writing and email campaign to stop the resolution.

The resolution would recognize "a Christian god," and it would not protect minority religions, but "protect the majority's right to express their religious beliefs.

The resolution also recognizes that, "a greater power exists," and only Christianity receives what the resolution calls, "justified recognition."

State representative David Sater of Cassville in southwestern Missouri, sponsored the resolution, but he has refused to talk about it on camera or over the phone.

Hey Johnny boy!

This what you had in mind with that anti-torture legislation?

"Bush administration lawyers, fighting a claim of torture by a Guantanamo Bay detainee, yesterday argued that the new law that bans cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees in U.S. custody does not apply to people held at the military prison."

Yeah, didn't think so. And here we have yet another example of the Bushies screwing John McCain as hard as they possibly can. Will he close his eyes and think of England this time, or find his nads under the bed and do something about it?

While I´m thinking of it,

one more note on preparation in the opera business.

I am currently involved in a production for which we had exactly four days of rehearsal (for two casts).

If even one person had shown up unprepared, it would have turned into a huge clusterfuck. Moreover, the person would have been summarily fired.

In fact, REALLY knowing my role is the only thing that got me past the various language barriers, not to mention the experience gap (I´m working with a bunch of singers who have far better resumes than do I).

Make of that what you will. But hey, if you´re a soprano and sing my rep, feel free to show up not knowing your ass from your elbow. I´ll be happy to take your job.

Slow posting for a while longer

As you´ve probably noticed, I´m traveling. Internet access will be spotty for a while, but I´ll post when I can. I´m in an unnamed country in Western Europe till April...

BRAVA DIVA!

This is a really exciting singer to watch. The relevant paragraph:

"Soprano Marie-Adele McArthur possesses a striking voice - unified in its pleasing color, capable of tremendous range, strong enough to easily soar over the combined sonic mass of the orchestra and chorus, and used with acute intelligence. Her blend with the other soloists was admirable, and her sense of the dramatic in her solos was unerring."

YAY!