Schaunard Redux-How will I do it this time?

One of the great joys of learning and performing a role is that more than likely you will get to do it again. I am experencing the joy of singing Schaunard in excerpts of La boheme with St. Petersburg Opera as part of the holiday concert called Seasonal Sparkle (great name, right?) The other joy is taking what you have learned from your coachings and lessons and previous productions and bringing that to the table. What's always interesting to me is that often a singer will have to "make adjustments" to what they have done in the past in order to perfomer in the present. An example of this is that last conductor wanted the character of Schaunard to bring a lightness to his talky text, while the conductor I am currently working with is much more into a broader vocal line so as the singer I have to jump to the now and sing it the way they are asking. This does two things: 1) It gives the conductor faith in your ability to be led and 2) it shows that your technique is flexible enough to make the change and quickly. One of the worst things a singer can do is to say the dreaded "I can only do it this way" line which can make one come off not only as a diva/divo, but as someone who doesn't show trust in the conductor's wishes. Now, I'm not saying that you have to give in if something is clearly not working for you, but the push-pull that is so necessary in music is also necessary in the conductor-singer dynamic. It's really about creating trust on both sides and if the singer puts up a wall, then the conductor thinks to themselves, well this singer may be good, but they are missing out on the opportunity to be great.

Something else that changes how one sings a role they've done before is their colleagues. A different Colline certainly affects the way I sing Schuanard. A different point of view from the director will color how I approach the entire character that up til now, I thought I had figured out. It makes it fun to create that push-pull with another set of singing actors who bring their own energies, colors and thoughts to the table. Performing a familiar role with new people actually can keep the freshness of the character and helps to bring out new colors.

The final joy of doing a role again is that you can "play" a lot more. Often we get so caught up in our performance that we forget that we are onstage with other people. Each person brings their strengths and weaknesses to the stage and part of the joy of rehearsal (and sometimes performance) is going with the flow and working with what you are given. It can be really great to share some insight you might have about your character with someone who is singing their role for the first time. This spark of information may lead to that light bulb moment and the next thing you know, you and that actor have a "bit" that only you two know about, but that makes a particular moment special onstage.

As I prepare for the performance, I look forward to what my current boheme colleagues bring to the stage and what special moments we can create to keep not only Schaunard fresh, but this timeless work which seems as relevant today as it did when it premiered.

Peace,

Eric