Being asked to step in at the last second happens for singers, and provides a unique opportunity. Read more about how to learn music quickly for a last-minute gig.
This past fall I was asked to join the cover cast of Mitridate, rè di Ponto at Boston Lyric Opera in a role I did not know for a rehearsal that was already in progress. Now, as exciting as it is to be asked to jump in and save the day, being able to do so successfully takes a lifetime of preparation to be able to take advantage of that “lucky break.” I’ve noticed throughout my career and especially since the pandemic, these “jump in” opportunities are becoming more the norm, so I wanted to share my experience preparing a brand new role for Boston Lyric Opera: the good (amazing, supportive team and creating a wonderful work environment), the bad (parking in Boston), and the ugly (soooo many recits…).
Lesson One: Pause before the Yes
It’s so exciting to get this call! And it’s so tempting to blurt out a “Yes! You like me, you really like me!” But, if it’s not a role you already know and you don’t pause to at least look at the score, you could end up burning a bridge instead of building one by trying to sing something outside your wheelhouse.
In this case, I had never even heard of this opera, but I knew from experience that early Mozart is not Mozart. Just because I sing a killer Donna Elvira does not automatically mean this opportunity was right for me. When I looked at the score, though challenging, it felt like something I could accomplish, especially as a cover at a company known for supporting its artists. I was also lucky enough to have someone on my team who knew this opera and my voice really well and who encouraged me to dive in!
Other things to consider: the rest of your life, work commitments, and your relationships. While it was relatively easy for me to cancel my voice students, I’m a mom, so the number one priority was childcare. I’m lucky enough to have a crazy supportive partner, so while I was looking over the score to see if it was something I could handle, he was already solving the childcare puzzle.
Lesson Two: How Fast Can You Learn a New Role?
Time to dive in! This is why I’ve always felt that learning languages is so important. I’ve always found translating word for word to be incredibly frustrating and time consuming. I decided while still in college that it would just be easier to learn some basic French, German, and Italian and never stop working on my fluency within those languages, ever. That was 20 years ago, and though not as consistent as I would like, I have never stopped working on those languages. If I weren’t fluent in Italian, this would’ve been much more challenging.
Thankfully, this isn’t my first rodeo and I’m very familiar with my most successful learning style under pressure. I’ve always been an auditory learner and find the visual aid of sheet music to be distracting, so I knew the sooner I could get the music to be an earworm, the better.
From Left to Right: Alexandra Alene Dietrich, Angela Yam, Felicia Gavilanes, Charles Sy, Carley DeFranco, Donata Cucinotta, Alexis Peart, Morgan Mastrangelo, and Brett Hodgdon.
With that in mind, the next thing I did was make a table of contents of the pieces I needed to learn and roughly time map the process. I also made a Spotify playlist of just the music I needed to learn so I could always passively be working on this project.
The next thing I did was meal prep while listening to the opera. Hear me out. I know myself, and I knew that once I got into the zone of intense music learning I would be so focused that I would be mad that stopping to make food would take me out of my “flow state.” I knew that this was a marathon and I would do my best work if I fed myself healthful, balanced, brain-building food so I could do my best work.
Time to Dive In: Backwards
Why backwards? This way you always know where you’re going…and as the evening goes on you become more and more relaxed as you wade into the more and more familiar waters of the end of the opera. I find this especially important with a piece like Mitridate because it is so long. I’ve always been very methodical as to how I learn a role: I always start with the text (translating when necessary), then rhythm, then notes, then text again, and then I sing it.
Using this method, I was able to learn half the opera in one school day, 9 am–3 pm. This accomplishment truly felt like the culmination of a lifetime of preparations: piano lessons since I was 5, sight singing class, theory class, poetry classes, countless coaching and voice lessons, church jobs, and 15 years in the industry. I pulled out every trick I had ever learned so that I could be my most successful.
That evening, I looked over what I had learned that day right before bed, so it was the last thing in my brain. And, yes, I put my score under my pillow just for good measure. The next day, I took a rest day to let Act 2 marinate—which felt insane, but I’m glad I did it. That way I was able to learn the remainder of the opera on Sunday. One leading role of a two-hour Mozart opera learned, including recitative, in two days.
The Secret Sauce
Quality sleep! Multiple studies have been done that point to quality sleep being crucial when you’re trying to learn something new, so I made sure that I was sleeping like an Olympian. I also made sure not to be seated for too long a period of time. As reported in NPR’s LifeKit podcast series Body Electric1, regular movement breaks can be essential to helping your brain function and important for your mental health.
Coaching Time
Even though I knew that as soon as I arrived in Boston I would have access to coaching, I wanted to take the time to work things out with my trusted coaches here at home. Because I was able to learn the basics quickly, I had time to polish the tricky parts with a second set of ears before I left. Even though I play the piano relatively well, it’s not the same as having a coach play, listen, and help you make the most of your opportunity.
Donata Cucinotta
Time to Cover!
A cover is what we call an understudy or a standby. You’re the insurance that, no matter what, the show will go on. This role is particularly important for a new production or a show/concert created specifically for a certain event. While covers very rarely go on, it’s a very helpful opportunity to meet new people and learn a new role in a lower pressure situation so that when the opportunity comes your way, you are more than ready!
I learned a lot when I was the standby for Sandi Patty with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for their Yuletide celebration, which was right at the tail end of the COVID lockdown period. A lot of my learning was done remotely via rehearsal videos. One of the tools I learned there was something I borrowed from my Broadway dancer friends. I would take the rehearsal video I was given and, instead of having to flip it in my brain, I would turn my iPad to the mirror so I was looking at the reflection of the video recording. That way I could just “mirror” along any choreography instead of having to flip things constantly in my brain. (You may find that confusing; if so, throw it away! I find it incredibly helpful and wanted to share it.) So, whenever I have the opportunity and access to a rehearsal recording, I will use this tool to practice the physicality of the role in my living room after rehearsal. Even if I don’t have enough room to do the staging full out, it really helps my brain to get it in my body.
Donata Cucinotta
One of the challenging things about covering is that you spend a lot of time sitting and watching but not a lot of time doing (some lovingly call it “cover-butt” from sitting so much). This is why it’s so important to spend extra time in between rehearsals doing some sort of physical movement in your own space and on your own time. In my opinion, that’s one of the things that makes covering harder than singing the role.
One of the things that made this goal easier and more exciting was that we had a cover run! A run-through of the entire opera for all the covers and our cover cast was fire! It really was an honor to be in the room with so many amazing artists. Was it perfect? God no, but I feel really good about what I was able to accomplish within such a short period of time.
Once the show has opened, even when I know the person that I’m covering is solid as a rock, I will always treat that day as a performance day. I will always warm up before I arrive at the theater, because the thought of having to warm up my voice while getting into hair and makeup in costumes fills me with dread. I have far too much respect for what we do and to my fellow artists to not show up ready to go.
This is not the first time I’ve been asked to learn something fast, memorize it, and perform it within the span of two weeks—and the way things are going now that COVID is endemic, I don’t think it will be the last. I’m just glad that my brain is so quick on the uptake after a lifetime of learning how to get there. I know that as long as I continue to practice every day (worshipping at the throne of Vaccai, Marchesi, etc.), I will be ready for whenever that phone call comes my way that lets me do my most favorite thing in the entire world.
I’m not famous and never will be, but I will always be a hard worker and I’ll always be really proud of the work I’ve done. In the words of Jane Fonda: “It’s okay to be a late bloomer as long as you don’t miss the flower show.” It takes loads of experience and a lifetime of dedication and learning to be able to successfully navigate the kind of opportunity where you can successfully come in and save the day on short notice.
Footnotes:
Body Electric: “Tips for Building Movement into Your Life—and How to Stick with It,” hosted by Manoush Zomorodi. NPR, Lifekit, January 8, 2024. www.npr.org/transcripts/1217981506
