Why is it that when I am sick, I, for some reason, hear Coolio singing “Gangsters Paradise” in my head? I know it is random, but it is true. I am currently in bed in Lewes feeling like death.
If you ask the doctor, I have a case of Tracheitis, if you ask me, I am dying. Tracheitis is a bacterial infection of the wind pipe. In other words, it sucks if you are a singer and have this infection!
I have been rehearsing The Elixir of Love with the Glyndebourne festival for the past five weeks. This terrible virus has been going around and of course, I was the last to catch it. We open in one week, so I guess it’s better to catch it now so than later. For the first time in my life, however, I had to cancel two rehearsals- and not just any rehearsals, but two orchestra rehearsals.
There is something about being a singer and sick that makes you feel so useless. I want to be in rehearsal, but I also want to heal. Today I had to make a difficult decision. I was asked if feeling better to possibly return to rehearsal to walk my part while someone else sings. Normally I would have no problem, but today I thought about myself for the first time. Please do not get me wrong, I am usually a team player, but today was different. I woke up feeling better having only been 16 hours on the medication. I went into the shower with every intention of going in and something was saying it is not a good idea. I realized that by going in, that it could only affect my healing process and my performance. I used to think otherwise, and I would have gone in to help and make everyone happy.
Nonetheless, at the end of the day, I have to go on that stage and I have to feel comfortable. In a way, I feel as if I had grown up as a performer.
Meanwhile, I have had a chance to catch up on Al Pacino films. So between Pacino films and Coolio singing in my head, I’m thinking maybe I was born to be a gangster.
I can see it now…Stephen Costello the first Gangster opera singer. For some reason that does not sound too tough. It would probably sound cooler if I were a baritone or a bass. Well, just finished downloading “And Justice for All,” another Pacino film to watch. Then, I’ll catch up on some sleep and start fresh tomorrow.
Wish me luck.
