At a Met Trovatore with Price and
Domingo, the lighting designer reduced the lights during “Di quella pira” except for a spotlight on Domingo. As he finished with “all’armi,” he turned to run off to defend his mother Azucena, totally unable to see the stage set in front of him which had risers all over the place. Of course he tripped, the sword went flying into the dark and he crashed to the floor, letting out an agonizing scream (giving forth a real high C!) But, being a tenor, he could not miss his bow, and so, dazed and in pain, two chorus members carried him before the curtain for a thunderous ovation.
—Rabbi Mark Loeb, Baltimore
Several years ago, I fell during rehearsal be
cause of a faulty stage set and broke a foot. The company paid for everything—Workman’s Comp. I suppose I have a lawsuit but I don’t care to sue. I did perform, but I had to fight with management to let me do so. I told them they were welcome to pay me off, but they didn’t seem happy to do that either. My finances would’ve been in bad shape had I not performed after rehearsing for weeks with no paycheck. I wonder how they’d like it if they were told they wouldn’t be paid for weeks of work. —Name Withheld
I was at a performance of Butterfly when
Victoria de Los Angeles thought the steps onstage existed along the entire front of the house, rather than in one spot only, and just stepped off, tumbling down and injuring herself. She was obviously in some pain but never for a minute considered canceling. When she appeared in the second act there was an enormous applause. —Alan David Aberbach, Ph.D., Director, Opera Studies, Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre
Years ago, I collapsed on stage in the third
hour of a rehearsal for an Opera at Peterloon outdoor production of La Vestale in Cincinnati. It was about 95º and 98% humidity on a completely open stage. I was a Roman soldier and we were wearing these “wonderful” plastic helmets. All of a sudden it seemed as though all the water in my body went to my head and down I went. They stopped the rehearsal and dumped ice water on me. Then we all went home. Moral? Beware of plastic helmets! —Erik Johanson
During Lyric Opera’s production of Penderecki’s Paradise Lost in 1978, the chorus was placed in two four-level towers on either side of the stage. The towers could be moved by air casters, thus serving as a living curtain. This was done only once when everyone was in place. After that somebody up on top must have called OSHA, because at the next rehearsal we found the towers reinforced exceedingly and henceforth throughout the production, the towers were never moved again. —Name Withheld
Unfortunately a complaint from a performer isn’t nearly as effective as an onstage accident. When a wooden ramp in Pirates of Penzance was painted with glossy enamel, several performers warned that it would be too slippery for the “maidens” in hoop skirts and high heels to traverse safely. The warning fell on deaf ears until a maid or two slipped and fell in rehearsal and the rest came tumbling after. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. By the next rehearsal the ramp had been repainted with a mixture of paint and gritty sand.
—Name Withheld
I was in a professional production of The Secret Garden where the doll house was rigged with pyro and set to go off in front of a scrim. Behind the scrim, visible to the audience, was the opening Dreamer’s plague dance. When the doll house burst into flame during one performance, the onstage scrim caught fire! A quick thinking tenor playing the role of the Indian fakir, pulled the scrim to the stage and stomped out the fire. He never missed a note, but it was very frightening to watch from the wings! After this near disaster the union stage crew used LESS powder in the pyrotechnics and they added extra flame proofing to the curtain and scrims. —Name Withheld
I have seen more singers injured because they were NOT where they were supposed to be. If you are on your “mark” on the stage you diminish your chances of getting hit in the head by incoming backdrops and set pieces. If you are in your dressing room waiting for your cue or “call for places” you probably won’t get run over in the wings!
—Name Withheld
