(Ooh … the Phillies’ pitcher just said a naughty word and the TV caught him. Speaking of “better left unsaid”!)
So … going back to a Mercury article I read earlier, check these quotes out:
Finding the right singer for the right role is a complicated process, one helped by the Excel spreadsheet Sloss has open in his laptop. “Our Mimi has to look credible. She dies of TB, so she shouldn’t be too hefty,” he says, running down his checklist. “She requires a lyrical voice and musical sensibility, and has to also be a touching actress.”
Sloss is not terribly optimistic. “We’ll see dozens of sopranos in the next three days, and we’ll be lucky to find one who’ll be the Mimi we’re hoping for.”
Ouch. Right out there for everyone to see. The “little black dress” syndrome is everywhere.
I understand the problem. Really I do. I love it when the singers look right for the parts. But since when has opera ever been believable? And I thought it was about the voice?
And then:
“Usually we know within the first eight bars whether it’s someone we’re looking for,” says one director, who asked to remain nameless because what he had just said “sounded cruel, didn’t it?”
Yes, indeed. It’s true sometimes … but not always … and I’d prefer to give an auditionee a bit more time in case there was a “glitch” when beginning.
And finally …
The term cattle call comes to mind: One director plays solitaire on a laptop during an obviously lukewarm performance.
I just think that could have been left out. We don’t need to know about this. Really.
No wonder audionees get so darn frustrated and feel as if they are being ignored or given only minimal attention. It’s just because it’s true.
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