By Scot Burckhardt | Corporate Giving Manager
Please enjoy this blog posting from our Soprano: Andrea Flores
What a week! In addition to a final dress rehearsal and two performances of La Bohème, we managed to squeeze in Opera Improv rehearsals (yes, a very busy week, but fun nonetheless).
Our first performance took place at Tualitin High School, which, by the way, has an amazing auditorium that made me wish I could've gone to school there. The students were very sweet and, to my surprise, absolutely moved by our performance. In fact, after the show, a number of them came to our dressing room (teary-eyed, I might add) to express how much they loved our story. I love how our art form can tap into human emotions at any age.
Our second performance, which took place at the Mountain Park Recreation Center, was, perhaps, the highlight of my week (not because of the performance, but because of what happened afterward). Again, we were blessed with a very nice performance space, and an enthusiastic audience. I had to keep myself from laughing during my aria because I noticed that all the children in the front row covered their ears after I sang the first high note! I enjoyed hearing the laughter in the opening scene, the hooting and hollering during Rodolfo and Mimì's first kiss, and the silence during the final scene. My favorite moment of this particular night, however, was after the show when we were loading the set back into the truck. Kevin (Bertin) and I happened to be standing next to each other when a young African-American woman and her 12-year old daughter approached us. She expressed how we'd taken them both on an emotional journey and how exciting it was to see people of color on that stage (Kevin is African-American and I am Mexican-American) because "it really makes a difference." Her comment made me realize the importance of diversity; when minority children see performers who look like them on stage, they feel more connected to the story.
Other non-opera related highlights from last week include: discovering the vintage shops on Hawthorne Boulevard, the Produce Row Cafe, and Zumba at the LA Fitness Signature Club on Weidler Street. I'm excited for Opera Improv and looking forward to see what this week has in store for us.
— Andrea Flores
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