There is so much to catch up on--I've been so busy with schoolwork that I almost forgot I have a blog to keep up!
Let's start with another great football game last weekend against The Fightin Irish of Notre Dame--WHAT. A. GAME. (cue Ragtime)
Again, I watched alone on the TV in my apartment, but it was still thrilling. The Wolverines were sure to lose, but then within the last mintue and twelve seconds, we scored THREE touchdowns! A-MAIZE-ING! You should've seen me cheering and singing in my apartment. I was and am so proud to be a Michigan Wolverine! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I'd be so excited by sports. (Except for Quidditch, of course.)
Moving on: This past week was my first full week of class--and it was FULL! I can't believe how busy I am from day to day. There is so much to keep track of, it's almost overwhelming. But I LOVE IT! My classes are all incredible, mostly due to the fact that the facutly here is unmatchable. I don't dislike a single teacher. Here are the classes I am taking: Ballet I, Acting for the Camera, Performance I, Musical Theatre Ensemble, English (Academic Argumentation), Intro to Musical Theatre, Voice Studio, and Voice Lessons. On top of that, I have a work-study job as a lighting electrician with all the University productions. My boss is great, and I can't wait to learn more and more about this field. I only recently discovered my interest with lighting last semester when I designed two dance pieces in a Dance Showcase at Queens College. I had some great mentors there, and I learned a great deal from them. It was because of that experience that I was able to get this job on the spot! (Special shout-out to Jeff Greenberg and Stephen Quandt!)
BTW, I have been assigned to run the Light Board for two shows this semester: The Full Monty and The Beaux' Stratagem. Yikes. (More on this in later blogs, I'm sure).
Another BTW, on Monday I got to meet two Broadway stars: John Ellison Conlee (who played the original Dave in The Full Monty on Broadway), and Celia Keenan-Bloger (UMich Musical Theatre Alumnus and original Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Broadway).Both humble and talented people who were willing to share their theatre experiences with us.
Then came the weekend. On Friday, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) had a really special treat: JESSYE NORMAN CAME TO TOWN! As a graduate of the voice program here at UMich, Jessye Norman has contributed alot to the SMTD and has come back to give masterclasses and concerts. This past Friday, she came back to perform on a Gershwin-themed concert. I never thought I'd be able to see her in person, let alone PERFORM! It was stunning. In fact, I had to write a little review of the concert. Here it is:
An Afternoon with Jessye Norman
I have been looking forward to this event ever since I first about it on Labor Day. Then it happened.
Wow. First of all what an honor it is to be a part of one of the most prestigious schools. Our orchestra was phenomenal, tackling Gershwin’s music with such charisma. Gil S. Chapman’s piano solo homage to Gershwin was tasteful and a nice reflection on his work. And of course—faculty, accompanist, arranger/orchestrator, and vocal coach Jerry DePuit’s wonderfully harmonious arrangements sung by our own talented Musical Theatre and Vocal Performance majors were a delight.
Then it came to the moment I was waiting for. They announced her name and I shuttered. I was about to see Jessye Norman perform right before my eyes! When she came out, something came over me, and I was struck just by her presence. I could tell she owned the stage and everyone’s attention in that moment.
She proceeded to sing two classic Gershwin pieces with her own unique interpretation, and it was fascinating to watch. To see her go through the motions and listen to her voice soar in so many different ways was quite an experience. During “Our Love is Here to Stay,” she executed this extremely soft but intense diminuendo, and it was so effective. It was silk floating in the air.
In “I Got Rhythm,” she was charming in her very own way. The song had a new kind of energy that I hadn’t heard before in any other performance of the piece. Her hands and feet were swinging along with the music, but it wasn’t heavy—it was relaxed. It was a refined kind of performance of jazz, which might have thrown some people off. For me, it was just fascinating.
Afterwards, she addressed the audience with a beautiful speech about Life in the Arts. We all have a responsibility towards the advancement of Art—it moves the world forward. Our imagination and creativity should be valued and expanded to incite inspiration and joy in others. She said to “be the change that you want to see.”
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest voices in history perform right before me, as well as hear a moving speech about the intense business of the Arts. I am so proud to be at this superb university.
-END-
Lastly, (though I am sure there's much more I can say, and if I had the time to spend on it I'd write it!), after having slept in this morning, I woke up to find that I was locked INSIDE my apartment. That's right: INside. Turns out the lock got stuck in the niche, so there was no way to move it with tools (which neither my roommate or I have). Being in a rush to get somewhere, Andrew (my roommate) left via his window. I stayed and called the Fix-It people. Within a couple of hours, somebody came to take a look. He knocked on my door and I answered: "Hi! I'd open the door to welcome you, but alas...I am locked inside..."
He ended up coming through the window like my roommate, and proceeded to examine the door. Turns out he was pretty dumbfounded himself. It just seemed impractical for this sort of thing to just happen. He actually had to go back to the warehouse, get some spare lock parts, and replace the inner-workings of the lock. It's not entirely back to normal, but it works. He said managment may want to replace the entire lock in the near future. Let's hope.
Well, that's enough for now. I've got plenty more things to do: grocery shopping, cleaning, cooking, homework, etc.
Until next time,
R
