In my years as a singer, I’ve watched a lot of singers pack. I’ve come up with an extensive list of my own, which I keep on my Palm Pilot. Each time I am going on a trip, whether it is short or long, I pull out my Palm Pilot and go through the list. It has saved me from forgetting important items many times.
I never take everything on my list (and certainly not on this list!) to any one trip. It is a compilation of everything I’ve needed on any trip. The list below is even more extensive because I’ve added what I’ve seen other singers bring! Use this to jog your memory as you make up your own list.
Tasks Before You Leave:
• Stop mail
• Someone to feed animals at home
• Someone to direct church choir or sub church job
• Clean out and repack purse. (Include Vaseline, hand cream, cell phone, airline ticket, passport, work visa if needed, ZICAM (use nasal swabs if prone to catching others’ bugs on plane or if colleague is sick), eye drops, cash, sunglasses, makeup, address book or Palm Pilot with contact info for where you are going plus emergency number)
• Manicure/pedicure
• Get hair cut
• ATM
• Shine shoes
• Pay bills (long trip, have friend send to me)
• Vitamins/medication into week’s compartments
• Carry-on Bag: In Case Suitcase Is Lost, Plane Delayed. (This bag will also be the bag you’ll use to and from the theater. If not, plan on packing an empty bag to use for that purpose.)
• Book to read/needlework (some singers bring needlework to do between scenes)
• Wear (or pack) coat for correct season
• Toothbrush/paste (sm)
• Shaving kit
• Glasses/contact case sm/drops
• Food bar
• Bottle water (must stay hydrated on plane; DON’T drink plane water!!)
• Makeup (company may be picking you up at airport and first impressions count)
• Brush
• Hairspray (sm)
• Medication (allergy pills, even if you think you don’t have allergies. New locations surprise many singers)
• Oratorio or opera score
• Non-wrinkle gown or tux/shoes/jewelry
• Special bra
• Underarm shields (saves on dry cleaning)
• Hairpiece and pins/rubber bands
• False lashes and glue (if singing in a really big house)
• Mini piano or pitch pipe (I don’t use this anymore. My Palm Pilot has a piano and metronome. I included this for those who don’t)
• Minidisk recorder, batteries, headphones, blank minidisks, or camcorder and blank tapes (I try to get every performance recorded with something SOMEHOW! Never check this in baggage. I get a lot of work from these pirated tapes of performances. You can usually find someone to tape for you.)
• Laptop, power cord and phone cord (laptop has speakers)
Two Suitcases:
Toiletries:
• Antiperspirant
• Cetaphil (face wash)
• Bobby pins/hairpins
• Comb
• Contact lens solution/case
• Dental floss
• Extra pair of contacts
• Curling iron or rollers
• Feminine protection
• Hair gel
• Makeup remover/pads
• Nail clippers
• Nail polish remover pads, polish
• Pumice stone
• Razor
• Sewing kit
• Shampoo/conditioner
• Sunscreen
• Woolite packets (dry)
• Blow dryer (If you are going to be doing opera performances, you’ll want to bring your own. Hotels may have one for you, but your head will be wet when you take off the wig. Not all opera companies provide them for you. The Met does, but who gets to sing there every night?)
MEDICATION
• Zicam swabs (one in purse)
• Ester C 1000 (take every hour at first sign of cold)
• Excedrin
• Vitamins in labeled plastic bags (bottles too heavy)
• Band-Aids
• Meditation tape
• Imitrex
• Allegra
• Wax earplugs (noisy neighbors, sharing a room)
ELECTRONIC:
• Cell phone cord
• Camera and cords if digital
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Mini umbrella
• Scriptures (on Palm Pilot if possible)
• Score
• Recital music
• Audition notebook (try to audition while there.)
• Tapes or CD
• Travel alarm (or Palm Pilot, or?)
• Personal stationary/note cards for opening night & thank yous
• CDs: easy listening, operas I’m learning
• Pen/pencils and paper
If Cooking In Your Room: (This saves so much money, stress, time and calories!)
• Collapsible cooler (or order fridge ahead of time)
• Crackers
• Dry soup mix
• Favorite breakfast cereal
• A can of soup cans of dinner for first day
• Hot drink mix (herb teas, Postum or decaf)
• Olive oil, tiny
• Pam?
• Sea salt and a few spices in plastic bags
• Tiny milk/soy pack for first morning
• Plastic bowl/plate/mug
• Fork/knife/spoon/sharp knife
• Can opener!!
• Stainless steel sauce pan/lid (VERY lightweight)
• Non-stick fry pan (LIGHT!)
• Pancake turner
• Hot plate
• Water immersion heater
One singer I know travels with his own portable stove contraption! When you arrive, walk to and taxi back from store for perishables and keep in collapsible cooler full of ice.
Clothes:
• 1 bathing suit
• 5 pair underwear
• 5 mix/match rehearsal outfits (find out unwritten dress code at theater—ask on forums from singers who have been there)
• 1 set relax clothes (jeans/nice T/sweatshirt/sandals)
• 1 “church” type outfit
• 1 very dressy outfit and shoes (You’ll be required to attend black-tie fund-raiser events often, but not in your gown)
• Exercise clothes/shoes/sox/pulse monitor/fanny pack/lock/something for cold weather
• Panty hose for concert and regular wear
• Pajamas
• Jewelry, concert and regular
• Rehearsal shoes (Think: on your feet for eight hours…maybe dancing in opera? Square dance shoes work well for rehearsing some shows. Change into them when you arrive at rehearsal.)
• Character shoes, if low budget company.
Note: If you are going to a low budget opera company, it pays to bring along your own shoes, boots, your own wig or hairpiece, even costume pieces. Sometimes you can talk them into letting you use them, and you’ll look better. The audience isn’t very forgiving about singers who look cheap. It reflects on you, sorry to say.
To Pack Bag For Opera Performance:
• Black hat to hide wig hair afterwards, unless you are planning on styling it. I don’t recommend it because you’ll be exhausted and people will want to greet you…hopefully.)
• Rollers or curling iron if you want to style your hair after wig.
• Brush
• Energy food
• Girdle to hold up company’s cheap tights. (Cheap tights fall down giving you a penguin-like walk. Hard to do a romantic lead in that condition!)
• Hair dryer
• Hair spray
• Makeup for show if with low budge company. If higher level company, you’ll want to put on your own makeup to greet visitors after taking off garish stage makeup.
• Makeup remover lotion and pads. Higher-level companies will provide, but find out!
• Robe. (Get yourself a washable but nice looking robe for the makeup room. Whatever you choose, it can’t be something you pull over your head or wig, or makeup people will be mad at you! Always wear a two-piece outfit to a show so you have something on below unless your robe is a zippered robe. Some companies will provide you with a huge oversized white T-shirt if you forget the robe, but they won’t be happy, and don’t count one being there for you Before purchasing, think: Photos may be taken in this robe, important backstage visitors will see you in this robe but makeup will constantly be getting on it so it should be dark, able to hide stains, and machine washable.)
• Safety pins!!! Something is always tearing and wardrobe people aren’t always available to help.
• Opera or oratorio score
• Keyboard or pitch pipe or Palm Pilot with keyboard
• Tea bags (chamomile for calming)
• Water immersion heater and plastic mug
• Towel/washcloth (Some companies provide this. NYCO does not, the Met does, for example)
• Scriptures or other inspirational reading you can use before a show to get you centered and in the right frame of mind to get outside yourself.
• Pen and opening-night thank you notes/gifts for staff, colleagues, makeup people, wardrobe. Remember to tip on closing night.
• Cell phone.
