Doggie Debut
Posted by Philipp Brieler on 9/22/20072 days until the Lucia di Lammermoor premiere!
For the opening of the Met’s season on Monday, Music Director James Levine will be conducting Donizetti’s Lucia for the first time in his career. Two other debuts in this production have received considerably less attention: Murphy and Gracie are appearing on the operatic stage for the first time in their lives. They are Irish Wolfhounds and make their entrance at the beginning of Act I, in the scene where Enrico’s men are searching for Edgardo. Waiting backstage for the final dress rehearsal to begin this Thursday morning, the dogs show no visible signs of stage fright. “They’re very well-behaved and confident,” says their owner Robin Coen. Her husband, Chris, adds, “Nothing really upsets them.”
Robin Coen with her dogs backstage at the Met.
At just two and a half years old, the canine brother-and-sister act are already veterans in the business—they even have an agent. “They’ve done some print work for Ralph Lauren, among other things,” explains Nancy Novograd, who runs a business that provides animals for film, TV, and advertising. “But this is their theater debut.” When they’re not posing for the camera, Murphy and Gracie do a lot of racing. “Running is what they’re bred to do,” says Robin. “They’re hunting dogs, but they hunt by sight, like Greyhounds, not by scent. They need a lot of exercise, so we take them to classes to do different kinds of training. They’re pretty busy and actually missed a few races because of the rehearsals here at the Met.”
The wolfhounds in the first scene of Lucia.
“They just love to run,” Chris continues. “Gracie has been clocked at 28mph, she’s really fast.” The dogs’ singing colleagues seem to be aware of Murphy and Gracie’s skills. “You know,” Natalie Dessay jokes, “children and animals are usually very good on stage because they’re so natural. That’s why I prefer not to be in the same scene with them.”
Gracie (left) and Murphy, waiting for their entrance.