Wash, Rinse, Repeat

Cinderella was a wonderful experience. The entire cast was a gem and there was no backstage drama. None. It was surreal. Everyone was talented and professional. And I got to check something off my bucket list.

When I was at Ithaca, I spent a lot of time in the music library and one day came across Clorinda’s “Ballet Aria.” What’s that? Opera AND Ballet? At the same time! Yes! Having trained for 12+ years at the Pennsylvania academy of ballet, it seemed like the role I was born to play, but alas, it is an aria that is always cut from the already 3 hour long Rossini smorgasbord of silliness. Oh well, I thought. Maybe I can use it as an audition aria one day.

When I first received my score for Knoxville Opera’s Cinderella I was SHOCKED to discover Clorinda’s aria was in the show! Full disclosure: the aria wasn’t even written by Rossini. It was written by Luca Agolini and performed at the operas premiere and as far as I have seen, that was probably the first and last time they were performed except for this production at New York City Opera that is readily available on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlY1a5iylbs 

Being me, I thought “Why don’t I do this on point shoes? That’ll be funny!” So I started training. 3 classes a week plus cross-training for the past 6 months et voila!

Naturally, this was a challenge, but I’m glad I had a chance to do it and be completely ridiculous. I can check that off my bucket list. Hey, maybe it will help me get jobs in the future. I even got some nice reviews out of it:

"Clorinda, sung by Donata Cucinotta, whose performance was part ballerina, part gymnast and a lot of Lucy Ricardo."Knoxnews.com  

"Rounding out the comic lineup were the roles of the shallow and hateful stepsisters, Clorinda and Tisbe, sung respectively by Donata Cucinotta and Dixie Roberts. Both were extremely comfortable with the physical and vocal comedy required of them, yet they each found ways to humorously individualize their characters. Cucinotta’s aria as Clorinda was almost a show-stopper in Act II as she bemoaned her rejection while on ballet point, ending with a comedic slow split." Knoxville MetroPulse

Of course I had to end it in a split. I think It's becoming my "trademark." Oeuf! Better keep stretching. It was a great excuse to get in shape, because two weeks after Cinderella, I married my best friend.

I don't know how we planned a wedding while I was traveling so much but we have awesome friends and family who made it all possible and we had a beautiful day to cherish for the rest of our lives. 

Back to real life. 

I’m commuting back and forth to New York again (that suitcase is getting a WORKOUT!) for a re-mounting of ¡Figaro! (90210) with Morningside Opera, this time staged and with a chamber orchestra. So far we’ve had a lot of great publicity. We’ve been featured in Broadwayworld.com & are a critic's pic in this week's Time Out New York! It’s so nice to get to revisit this piece with most of the original cast. If you're in the area it's really not to be missed.

A promo shot of our rehearsal. Apparently the Count now has a foot fetish.  

Time to load out. My bus is here!