Congratulations! You’ve landed your first professional gig—as a section leader in your church choir, a soloist for a local symphony, or an opera role. Perhaps you’ve got some stage experience from school, community theater, or programs, but now you’re on the professional stage. What’s different? How can you make a great impression and ensure that you’re invited back, recommended, and can start building not only your professional résumé but also a good reputation as a serious and professional young singer? What can you expect from a professional rehearsal?
Some of what we’ll cover in this two-part series may seem obvious and, if so, I congratulate you on your well rounded education. If this is the first time you’re hearing some of it, read on carefully. It could make the difference between moving up to the next level or not getting called back and never knowing why.
Timeliness
This probably is the no-brainer of all time—and yet again and again I’ve seen young singers shoot themselves in the foot by being habitually late. No matter how well you sing, this kind of disrespect to the company and your colleagues will not be tolerated. Being on time to rehearsals is essential. This means being settled in the space, ready to begin rehearsal, at your call time. If you are walking in the door, digging your score out of your bag, or ending a phone call at call time, you are late.
Emergencies do happen. If you find that you are running late, you should immediately call or text the opera rehearsal stage manager or whoever is running the symphony or choral rehearsal (or their assistant). It’s a good idea at the start of an engagement to ask whom you should contact in case of such an emergency and immediately program their number into your cell phone.
Health
Every organization has their own protocol for dealing with sick singers and often will manage it on a case-by-case basis. You should never just show up to rehearsal sick, risking infecting everyone else. If you are feeling ill but still feel you can come to a rehearsal, you should contact the stage manager or musical director and explain your symptoms to them. Let them make the call as to whether you should come in or not. If you have a cover, it is also courteous to inform that person ASAP if you think you might not be able to rehearse or perform.
Rehearsal Attire
It is not necessary to dress to the nines for rehearsals, especially staging rehearsals. However, you do want to look professional. “Business casual” is a good guideline, especially for initial rehearsals until you get a feel for the company culture. Khakis or dressy jeans with loafers and button-down or polo shirts with or without jackets for men and slacks, dressy jeans, and casual skirts or dresses with flats or low-heeled pumps for women are fine. Often, people will dress up a little more for initial company meetings/musical read-throughs and the Sitzprobe (the first, unstaged orchestra rehearsal) and attire will relax for other rehearsals. The most important thing is that your attire is clean, comfortable, modest, and well put-together.
For staging rehearsals, you should wear clothing you don’t mind getting dirty (you may end up on the floor) and that is comfortable to move in. It should also be modest and safe—no overly long pants or skirt hems dragging on the floor where they can be caught under a heel and cause you to trip. Low-cut tops and low-slung bottoms are equally inappropriate for rehearsals. Save the cleavage—top and bottom—and bare midriffs for the beach or the club.
Ladies are often given rehearsal skirts to work in, and you can always request one from the costume shop. These are simply skirts that approximate the length and volume of the costume you can expect to be wearing which help you get used to moving comfortably and anticipating any challenges. They are usually floor length, and often the costume shop will simply let you work in the petticoat you’ll be wearing under your costume.
Good shoes are important for rehearsals. Not only will you be on your feet a lot, but shoes inform the way we move and therefore influence how we present our characters. They also very much affect our stance for singing. It’s a good idea, whether in concert or a fully staged production, to rehearse in the shoes you will be wearing, or at least something which approximates the heel height.
For safety’s sake, you should plan on wearing close-toed shoes to all staging rehearsals, unless you have been specifically requested to wear something else on stage. Flip-flops, sandals, and bare feet are not appropriate in a staging rehearsal, and many opera companies have a policy specifically stating that you should wear close-toed shoes to rehearsal. For concert engagements, there is usually more leeway; but you should still make sure that your shoes are clean, comfortable, and stylish—and that your feet, if they are visible, are clean and properly groomed.
Hygiene
You would think that the issue of hygiene would fall under the “no-brainer” category, and yet the lack of proper hygiene is one of the most common rehearsal offenses. You should always shower and apply deodorant before rehearsal. If you’re coming from work and are hot and sweaty, stop off in the restroom and have a quick sponge bath and reapply deodorant. Have a fresh shirt to change into. Brush your teeth and use mouthwash. It’s a great idea to keep gum or breath mints with you just in case.
Never, never wear perfumes, aftershaves, or heavily scented products of any kind (including hair spray or body lotions) to any rehearsals or performances. If you’re a smoker or have been around smokers, make sure you change clothes before you come to rehearsal. Smoking deadens the olfactory senses, so you may not be aware of how strong your acquired “ashtray smell” is. Many singers are allergic or sensitive to scents, and the strength of the odors is magnified by the heat of stage lights and sweating. If you are wearing some when you put on a costume, that scent will work its way into the fabric. Many theatrical costumes are not actually washed, but spritzed with vodka or another odor killer. Others may be dry-cleaned or laundered, but some scents are hard to kill. The more clean and odor free you are when you get into that costume, the more clean and odor free it will remain!
Even if you are doing a concert performance and wearing your own gown or tux, out of courtesy to your colleagues you should refrain from wearing scented products. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been tempted to whip out a can of Febreze and hose down a singer who didn’t feel completely dressed without enough Axe body spray or Obsession perfume to asphyxiate a velociraptor. If you see me rooting around in my purse, better run for the showers.
Next month, Cindy covers more great rehearsal etiquette, including what’s expected of you once you arrive, the possible pitfalls of social media, working with colleagues, and how to handle yourself backstage.
