The opera is over. There’s always such a flurry of rehearsals close to tech-week, and preparations (buying shoes, make-up, figuring out hair styles, dinners made ahead, getting MORE gas in the car, who’s going to watch Stephen?) and then the final excitement of the performances, that it’s a little shocking to have stopped all of that today- the day after. As I sit and process the past few weeks, ending with our daughters’ final show last night, I’m in awe that we made this experience happen for them once again. One of the life-lessons for me is the driving has become one of the best aspects of this experience with the kids. I’ve had to overcome my fear of driving on major highways for one, and the kids sing together, tell riddles, and laugh, making the trip to Scotch Plains and Cranford feel shorter and shorter each time. (Obviously we had help with the long drive from Mary and Luke and we couldn’t do it without them.) Our education choices are not for the faint of heart and I am grateful to have a cohort in Mary who doesn’t mind being in the middle of her children’s educations either. Mary told me when Maddy got her first lead role last year in The Magic Flute, “All the driving will be worth it when you see Maddy on that stage.” And she was so right. It was magical and emotional to hear Maddy sing the Queen of the Night’s songs last year and even better this time because Maddy was on stage most of the opera and we got to hear her more.
The Elixir of Love was simply a delightful opera and all the kids were extremely talented and the leads amazing! I felt a little like the mother of the bride (I guess I kind of was….Maddy was the bride in Act 2) as our family and friends came to see the show and I was a ball of nerves and I couldn’t breathe (could have been the tight dress I wore too.) My fears were put aside as the caliber of talent came through with each song. (You never know what to expect when anyone sings – could be awful.) The cast was a strong one. The guys totally nailed their songs and roles. The trio with Maddy and two of the male leads, one of my favorite parts, was wonderful! Miranda looked very sweet in her mop cap and red dress. She smiled and sang happily with the ensemble. Maddie and Cole Nasta are very animated and just fun to watch. (Especially Cole’s moving eyebrows!) Maddy, as the female lead Adina, looked beautiful in her two costumes and curly brown wig, and sang like an opera singer. What else can I say? She was incredible. She’s like a super-hero. Mild-mannered Maddy Evarts wearing glasses one minute, Opera Woman on stage, without glasses, singing up a storm of notes the next! She was an elixir for me. Sheer joy! My father, who rarely gives out compliments, even said it was amazing and he only those kinds of words, amazing that is, to describe natural rock formations out west.
This idea of elixirs (although the Elixir in the opera is really a cheap bottle of wine being sold as a love potion) and their healing powers, or magical powers as in the opera, is interesting. Our children are certainly elixirs of love for us and always have been since they’ve joined our family. And music is certainly a strong elixir. It soothes, it inspires, it makes us feel happy, it’s joyous, it makes us smile. Put the two together, children and music (both important to our family too) and the title is very appropriate. I am a little sad to be done with this opera, yet there will be another in the fall and we’ll be rested and ready to take on the next musical elixir.
Max Said
Very true my love, I am so very grateful that you have kept your love of making music alive and found ways to instill this in our kids.
Don’t really have too much more to say about The Elixir being over, you have said it all very well. But I do want to brag on Maddy a bit more :) She is truly an amazing singer, blessed with natural talent and beautiful voice and also dedicated to mastering her technique. For me Maddy’s vocal accomplishments are a wonderful example of what is working in our approach to learning. Maddy excels at singing because she loves it, and because she has been given the space and encouragement to pursue it. As soon as she finds out what opera the company will be doing next, she immerses herself in it – listening to it hundreds of times, finding different recordings and DVDs of it, researching it on the internet to learn about the composer and history of the opera, etc. She shines on stage not only because of her voice and musical ability but also because she knows the story inside out and can connect with her character’s motivations and moods.
Equally important though is that because Maddy is driven to excel as an opera singer purely by her love for the art form, she remains throughout the humble and beautiful spirit that she is at the core. Several parents from the opera company commented on this and how this contrasted to other kids who have been in the lead roles and put on airs of superiority. I am not completely sure what brings this attitude out in kids who get the lead roles in things, but I think it has something to do with the fact that they may be driven more by the need for recognition, for the limelight, then a pure love of the music and the process.
Anyway, Brava to my lovely diva Maddy! And thanks once more to you for sharing your elixir of music with our kids.
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