The Friday night performance went extremely well. The audience was thrilled, the orchestra members and chorus members with whom I spoke also thoroughly enjoyed the performance. In the moments afterward, I was asked how on earth I could sit for 45 minutes without warm-up and just open my mouth and sing when it was time. My response, "I practiced it! I warmed up, then sat quiet for 45 minutes, then sang my part." My mom backstage without missing a BEAT replies, "And you must know how difficult it is for her to stay quiet that long!" I t was BEAUTIFUL! Everyone cracked up!

So, the Saturday night performance is at hand. I go through my routine. I warmed up only a moment or two, waiting to do most of it right before the intermission is finishing. I begin putting on my gown during the end of the second piece in the concert which is right before intermission. My zipper gets stuck. I go outside of the dressing room and ask Joe, from the symphony, if he can help me. Aaron Nicholson, the baritone soloist, is out there as well with his bow tie and the hotel room sewing kit in tow. "Bow tie busted, but Brad (the tenor soloist) has en extra and is grabbing it for me right now." Nice save, I thought. I get zipped up and as I am bending to fix my shoe, I laugh at something said and feel air on my lower back.....my zipper busted open. Joe sees the look on my face and start cracking up. After a few moments of thinking of options with Joe, we decide, "Aaron, we're gonna need that sewing kit!" "I know exactly who I need!" and with that, Joe quickly and calmly went to find the seamstress in the sea of 170 chorus members. Soon I was being sewn into my dress during the moments I should be warming up....eek! I was more concerned about pulling a "Janet Jackson" in the symphonic world, which would not be a good thing in Grand Rapids, MI. I don't think a wardrobe malfunction of this magnitude would be forgiven quickly. 

I tested sitting before the seamstress left my dressing room, and decided that perching on the very edge of my chair was the only option to ensure not BUSTING out. After the concert, my mom, also quite a seamstress, came back to say hello with my family but I called out of the dressing room, "I am being cut out of my dress at the moment! My zipper busted!" the last thing I heard was my mom re-telling the story and the entire crowd in the hall bursting with laughter. The theater background helped. Anything can happen on stage....close call!!!!