Friends and snowflakes

As a little neophyte at the Met I sang at a huge gathering in Altman’s in front of these lovely ladies, so gracious and so supportive of me in those days. Zinka was there too, so fabulous and funny and kind. How we miss these great links with a time where opera didn’t have to dumb itself down, or sing Broadway, or just NOT be opera enough to get “exposure”.

I suffer for the Arts today. My hope is the new administration will appoint a new NEA leader who will really care about the Arts, I don’t know if that will be the case. I sincerely hope I am wrong about this, but it looks like IMG and Universal will go head to head with arena concerts and “vapid” evenings of “marketing” the pretty people making lots of pretty sounds and not much else. Your head shot is more important these days than your voice. The emperor must be freezing . All in HD if you please. So what if Verdi is sung like Puccini, and Bellini like Mozart? It will all LOOK fab!

This apartment had a wrap around terrace and every morning after a performance of Aida went late- as they always did, I would watch the sun rise and stare at the hypnotic Roman skyline. St. Peters in the distance and the frozen tress of Rome, the Pines. They look suspended in time! The color of the sky just before dawn and the quiet of an ancient city so thriving and beautiful. The birds in flight, and the feeling of really NEW day. God, I do miss Rome so much. It is a sickness with me, I love it so.

This was an AIDA I did in San Antonio for the Festival, and believe it or not, I designed the costume I was wearing. I had used it in Hong Kong and really enjoyed it. The make up was Elsen’s fabulous company. I loved this.

As I write this at my desk, the floating snow flakes are falling and pretty plump ones at that! How beautiful to remember all these great photos and feel like I am in a snowball all shook up. This was from a performance of Turandot and needless to say, I loved that opera and seem pretty happy here.

The periodical “OGGI” had done a photo shoot and the cameraman was wonderful so he kept shooting and said, “You are like a movie star in the 40’s and 50’s. So sexy, do this for me….” and he asked me to tussle my hair, I did and in walked my boyfriend! The foto here is for him. Ah, Italia, what fun we have.