One of my stranger opera costumes...

San Francisco Opera's new production of Wagner's Tannhäuser opened on Tuesday night. The reviews for the music, principal singing, orchestra, conducting and chorus were all superlative; the reviews for the directing and the production itself were mixed to bad.

My part consists of one scene during which I crawl across the stage on my knees as a repentant religious pilgrim/sinner-- to this gorgeously sublime Pilgrims' Chorus music. All of the chorus and super men have different sins scrawled on various parts of our exposed torsos. A partial list: Thief, Rapist, Addict, Sorcery, Waste, Spite, Doubt, Envy, Lust, Lazy... these are the ones I'm remembering; there are many, many more.

I've never shown this much flesh onstage before. I've been running on the beach and doing crunches so that I'll be a slim and attractive Sinner. Being middle-aged is not for sissies!

The accompanying photo was snagged from SFMike's blog-- he gets to play a Hunter in the opera, with a snazzy knight's costume and a (real) taxidermied wolf hung around his neck when he makes his grand entrance in his scene. Mike refuses to be a diva on his own blog and show off his look (He's so humble!), but I can tell you that he gets some beautiful Tyra Banks extensions that I am coveting!