After the ball is over

From Eric Hale:

Carmen closed two days ago. I’m both somewhat blue and somewhat frantic.

Blue because the show is over. There’s something about being so focused on a goal. It makes me feel so alive – especially when I’m working with such a wonderful group of people. I miss them.

Frantic because all the parts of my life which I put on hold are screaming for attention. There are bills to pay, things to put away, preparations for my wife’s next business trip, and even more important things: I had a poignant moment on Monday when my son said “Can we talk? I haven’t seen you much this week.” You don’t hear that often from a 13 year old.

So, to quote a song written a century after the one in the title: “Back to life, back to reality”. Carmen was a success, but there's no time to dwell on that. Capital Opera is already preparing for “Amahl and the Night Visitors”. It opens in less than 2 months.