Yep, I'm in the middle of learning a German role. I don't speak German. I mean, not one bit. I sang one piece in German when I was 18 for a competition, which I lost to an uppity 16 year-old that I hated (stage mom, supercute-- ugh!), and never went back. So, here I am, with Google translate and a Cassell's German/Engish dictionary I picked up at Westsider Books for $11, trying to translate stuff like this:
ein roter Tau fiel mitternachtig, der macht die Naßgrünen moche trächtig.
Which means:
A red dew fell at midnight, making the damp green newts horny.
Did I mention I'm playing a witch??
This is actually going to be quite fun-- I love the sing-songy lines, and the fact that I get to play such a ridiculous, mean, awful, spiteful, nasty character. And wow! Navigating the sounds of german first-off is a bit tricky, but once you get it, watch out! This witch can bite your head off just with words!
The joke about mezzo-sopranos is that they only play three roles: witches/bitches/britches--- meaning evil women, loose women, and men. Women often play young men in opera-- they're called 'pants roles'. I should probably learn a role or two since I'm tall and have long legs, but I've been resistant for a long time-- I'm pretty sure I'd crack up if I had to pretend to make love to a woman. Still, you never know until you try....
Ha, I've never heard that joke before-- that's pretty funny. Witches/bitches/britches... :)
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