Audition season is kind of like Tom and Jerry

I'm in NYC for the 2nd time in the last 2 weeks to complete 2 more auditions. It has been an exhausting last month, with regular trips around the country to do auditions. So far I have auditioned for Cincinnati Opera, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, Minnesota Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Opera New Jersey. I still have auditions for Pittsburgh Opera and Prelude to Performance. This audition tour has taken me to Cincinnati for the first time, back to SLC for the first time in over a year, to New York twice, through Indiana into Illinois, down to Kentucky for the first time, and to Washington D.C. A big thanks has to go first to my various host families- Mike and Meg in Utah, Chad and Denise in Chicago, Teddi in New York, and Amanda in D.C. I suppose auditions are good for traveling, as well as seeing people that you haven't touched base with in a while. Although as a result of all my traveling, I am feeling increasingly more like a vagabond, and living out of a suitcase IS getting old.

I decided today that audition season is really like a big game of cat and mouse. The singers are the cats (of course)....and we're always going after that one little elusive mouse. Every time we seem to think we have it cornered and there's no way it's slipping away from us this time, it does. And it gets away quickly and foils all of our plans. And sometimes we end up burnt to a crisp, exhausted, and otherwise disheartened. But then we do it all again. It must be the thrill of the chase and the desire to catch that elusive "mouse" just once. So when people ask what my "back-up plan" is, I have to tell then that it is to get a job, save up the money, and do it all again next year. Just for the thrill of the chase.

So here's to the last two auditions of 2009, and looking ahead to 2 competitions shortly after the new year as well as Roméo et Juliette with Opera Columbus. But at least I have Christmas between to serve as a reprise between auditions and gigs. And hopefully with Christmas will come the best present of all- a job offer from one of the many companies I have auditioned for this season. By the way, did I mention that the holidays in NYC are beautiful? Wishing you all the happiest of holidays.