Nov. 30

I double-checked the steps. There are about 30 but it looks more like 100. The steps are very steep and made of metal extending entirely across the stage. In the opening scene the chorus and dances, slap their sides, and stomps. As I was standing there with them I hoped someone warned the set builders that this was to happen. The entire framework shook. The staging in this was changed yesterday since, as Placido observed, The Emperor would not stand and listen to 15 minutes of singing and then demand silence.(That is his first utterance.) Instead he would enter and demand it. Now, the Emperor enters, the drummers all skedaddle and I, the Minister and the General come on followed by Yueyang carried on her divan. The drummers are not used to being on stage and they are a bit like antsy children in a math class, playing and then squirming when they are supposed to be still. They also need to work on speeding up their skedaddle.

Basically, every movement we had planned was changed in the afternoon rehearsal. It is fine as it works better. However, I do see that Zhang Yimou and his co director Ms. Huang (I have been told not to even try to pronounce her name as it is very difficult and could mean something bad) need to see the big picture, so to speak, before they can decide.

Today there was an intimate scene with Yueyang and Jianli on a gorgeous black and red lacquered bed set about 1/4 way up on the steps. Was a great look- seemed like they were floating. However, they were hard to hear. The bed was moved a bit further downstage but then it blocked some dancing that was happening under the stairs (the steps are backless). So the bed was done away with and now the singers are just on the first step sitting/lying on the blocks, which are grey.

I have been wishing to communicate with Wu Hsing Kuo (our Peking opera Yin Yan master) to tell him how good he is. Today I made hand signals and he seemed to appreciate it. The other day he made a gesture to me of touching his throat and then motioning to the sky and then pointing at me. I took it as a great compliment. Today I motioned to him from throat to auditorium. He will have no problem being heard; what forward resonance, although at times he looks like he is not even making the sound. He also performs on platform shoes that look to be bout 5 inches.

Every house is different. The Met has all stage rehearsals from 11-2:30 as they need time for the crew to turn around to the evening opera’s scenery. Today they were assembling “Idomeneo” in the upstage area. It looks awful crowded back there- a bit of “Don Carlo” and a bit of “Tosca”. I believe the “Barbiere” and the “Butterfly”are done for the time being. “Don Carlo” opens tomorrow with quite a cast. I was able to briefly observe a few rehearsals. Cast: Pat Racette, Olga Borodina, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rene Pape, Sam Ramey. Now that is a cast of great singers. I really want to hear it.

Today so many of the crew gave me hugs and said welcome back. It is so nice. I swear they never change! They all asked about my son, Ben, and what else I was working on. Great guys.

It always feels like home here. They try to make it all work and they do an amazing job at that which is often a chaotic situation. Joe Clark, the technical director, is a gem.