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C
ostumed and coiffed performers sing and act
compellingly onstage at the Lyric Opera House -- at
least until the director’s booming voice on the “god
mic” requests a do-over. Some time later, a minor technical
malfunction prompts a halt. The stage manager comes out in
a headset mic to confer with the maestro, director, assistant
director, and assorted others who emerge from the wings to
solve the problem while the performers onstage and the lone
pianist in the orchestra pit cool their heels. And so it goes for
five long hours, albeit with intermittent breaks.
What is going on here?
The nearly-ready-for-prime-time piano dress rehearsal,
a.k.a. the piano run-through (PRT). It’s a bit like seeing a
painter’s cartoon; you get the idea, but it’s a long way from
the completed canvas.
In opera, the final dress rehearsal is essentially a
preview performance for an audience of company and
board members, sponsors, and invited guests. Everything
and everyone is in virtually finished form, except that the
orchestra and conductor skip the formal attire they’ll wear
for performances.
The PRT less than a week earlier is something else
entirely - the very first time everyone onstage wears full
costume/wigs/makeup while singing and moving about the
stage. It’s the very first time the creative team and backstage
staff can assess whether everything looks and works as
intended. Do costumes or makeup need adjusting? Did
someone just slip on that step? Why is the light focused
on the table and not on the soprano? Dozens of eyes in the
theater and in the wings track every detail onstage to catch
and correct potential problems.
e
Behind the scenes before final dress rehearsals at Lyric
Ready for Prime Time
By Magda Krance
CORY WEAVER
14
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February 17 - March 16, 2018