Mezzo Alert: DiDonato. Cast. Rosina.
It’s been all over the opera blogosphere this weekend (La Cieca’s, Prima la musica, Intermezzo (with photos)) and deserves to be recounted countless more times. We already know that it’s going to be legend: “mezzo sets new standard for work ethics”.
During the ROH revival of the 2005 “Barbiere” under Pappano this past weekend, Joyce DiDonato, starring as Rosina, actually did break a leg on stage. And remained standing, singing (gloriously, as usual) and finished the performance with a crutch and to ovations.
The fracture was only diagnosed after the performance (the initial assessment was a sprain) and then treated accordingly.
Eh… WOW.
How anyone could even hold up with an untreated broken leg is a mystery to me, but doing so for three hours in the (already under normal circumstances strenuous) setting of a live opera performance, soldiering on while walking and SINGING?
I’m sticking with “Wow.”
Apparently, if you need an impossible task done, ask for the mezzo.
Hours after the event, DiDonato herself had already blogged about it (white shirt photo included), complete with cast photos of both kinds and with a lot more enthusiasm for being part of this “Barbiere” than being annoyed or angered by her injury. And that’s perhaps the most impressive of all.
Remaining performances of the ROH Barbiere are July 7th, 10th, 13th, 15th and 18th. And there’s no sign of a Rosina replacement in sight so far, so it seems that DiDonato will continue at her level of awesome and finish the run. So if you want to see not only an amazing singer, but also The Leg Legend in the making, get thee to ROH, stat. The backstage video is available here for a look at the production (interview bits with DiDonato included).
Best wished for a speedy recovery, Ms. DiDonato, and kudos to that kind of work attitude.
(if any of you want to add your well wishes to the growing list, here’s her blog post).
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Happy White Shirt Monday: Redux « Se Vuoi Pace said this on July 6, 2009 at 12:14 |
I bet the adrenaline rush helped, but man, that had gotta be one really sore leg after the show indeed! Those Londoners have better give her an ovation loud enough to be heard in Hawaii the next time she takes the stage there. What a trooper indeed.
…and DiDonato continues in style, singing the rest of the run in a wheelchair and joking about three weeks of stage rehearsals being gone with the wind (and blogging about it, too)
On a side note, this may give opera one of the first portrayals of an iconic young heroine in a wheelchair (previous instances coming to mind center more around The Pique Dame’s Old Countess and Ulrica), turning the love story between smitten Count and witty Bourgeois into an unexpected panel of visibility for mobility challenged listeners and opera fans.
Rock on, Joyce, and get well soon!
Well we have the Marschallin and her cane too… I do so aspire to a stylish stick like one of those (and still looking out for that stick with opera glasses built in…
I love the idea that in years to come aspiring young opera dykes will ask us (by then) old crones “and where were you the day JDD broke her leg onstage” – good stories for around the campfire indeed!
Diario El País, España, july 8.
La mezzosoprano Joyce DiDonato no está dispuesta a quedarse en casa a pesar de su aparatosa lesión. Ella, que es una de las grandes de la música, ha decidido cantar en silla de ruedas mientras esté escayolada. Todo está preparado para que DiDonato salga al escenario de la Royal Opera House de Londres a interpretar sentada a Rosina en El barbero de Sevilla.
DiDonato se rompió el peroné el pasado fin de semana durante el primer acto de la ópera de Rossini, que canta junto al tenor peruano Juan Diego Flórez, pero siguió hasta el final con ayuda de una muleta y a pesar del dolor que sufría.
…. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/agenda/Didonato/cantara/silla/ruedas/barbero/elpepuage/20090708elpepiage_4/Tes
thanks for the Spanish news, Sam!
Meanwhile, DiDonato continues to sing the run in a wheelchair, finds new aspects to Rosina along the way and and remains infectiously enthusiastic about the production and her chance to be part of it.
(I’ll try to rake up a mere inkling of that for my next set of footnotes. Talk about inspiring performances!)
Now where are the marshmallows for that campfire…