NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 3

NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 3

We’ve had a bit of drama over the past few days. Trevor Haumschilt, the baritone in the cast, had been belting out his songs like a champ, seemingly tireless day after day. He’s a very tall guy, with a football player’s build, and he looks indestructible. Imagine my...
NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 2

NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 2

I am always looking for the element that will lift a song from the memorized-and-well-executed to the owned-and-embodied. There are many ways to board that magic carpet, assuming the singers have the capacity for levitation. (Everyone in this cast does.) But it isn’t...
NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 1

NYFOS@Juilliard Rorem Project: Post 1

I have had a lot of good times doing my annual Juilliard concerts, a tradition since 2006. But I had not anticipated how much fun I would have with this year’s show, Ned at 100: A Rorem Celebration. It is a revamped revival of a concert we did ten years ago,...
NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 6

NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 6

Today was dress rehearsal—and out here that means actually getting into full concert regalia. That’s because Husband Jim comes to take pictures of the show the day before the performance. That way, no one has to disturb the crowd by skulking around the hall during the...
NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 5

NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 5

I’ve just been through a couple of tough days, and was determined to turn the corner today. My wonderful Spanish teacher, Dorothy Potter Snyder, advised me to meditate. I don’t really know how to do that, but I did take a few quiet moments to grab the tiller in my...
NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 4

NYFOS@North Fork 2023: Day 4

The weather, which had been superb, turned a bit gloomy today. Given the extreme heat in many parts of the world, it would be churlish to complain about how cold it was—and I am not complaining, just noting that there was a chill in the air and it felt peculiar for...