Final Dress as a Birthday Present

May 7, 2008 - So tonight is final dress rehearsal for Granite State Opera's Cosi fan tutte. Since it's also my birthday (a day I'm proud to share with Tchaikovsky and Brahms) I'm hoping for a smooth, relatively stress-free run of the show. And after the marathon day we put in yesterday, I have every confidence that it will be. Everyone seems to be rising to the challenges of this masterpiece and I was really excited to see all the elements come together at last night's piano tech rehearsal. Special kudos to Quentin Stockwell for his absolutely stunning lighting.

Many thanks to all my friends who have contacted me via mail, email, or phone with birthday blessings and especial thanks and love to my partner Bill who not only called and sent a funny e-card but sent me a dozen beautiful yellow roses. I don't care if the experts say this isn't the sort of thing that should be in a blog. It's my birthday and I'll blog what I want to, blog what I want to. . .Okay just to in some way tie this into opera, how about a trivia question: Post comments regarding any operas in which birthdays figure prominently. There's no prize or anything, so you'll have to just be one of those people for whom a lot of trivial knowledge is its own reward.

See you at the opera! - John Bowen