The (unofficial) Metropolitan Opera Guide to Long-Distance Relationships

What do you do if you are in New York but your spouse is spending the next ten weeks performing in Vienna? Singers around the Metropolitan Opera offer strategies, ideas and methods for dealing with the dreaded long-distance relationship.

by Edward Hanlon

It’s Valentine’s Day! That means chocolates in heart-shaped boxes, candlelit dinners over glasses of red wine and sexy lingerie... at least that’s what Hallmark would have you believe! Of course the reality is, as always, much more complicated; it’s a mixed blessing of a day. People without significant others can feel as if they have been left out of some pink-tinted national holiday. But I’ve always felt that it’s hardest on people in relationships that can’t be with their loved ones. Which brings us to the subject of this website: opera singers of course!

The opera business is one of constant change and movement. Singers move from company to company, staying for three to six weeks (long enough to rehearse and perform a show) and then traveling to the next contract. ¹ So where does that leave relationships? Well… mostly long distance! My wife, Tanya Roberts, is also a singer. We have had the privilege of working together at times but, more often than not, we are singing with different companies throughout the country and world. ² It certainly has not always been easy but, through trial and error in our seven years of marriage, we have developed ways of dealing with the separation. We have three unbreakable rules ³ :

1. Say goodnight every night.
2. Always know when we will see each other next.
3. Never go more than two months without seeing each other.

When you write them out they seem a little obvious I guess. But no matter how apparent they might be, I believe that those three tenants have greatly contributed to my continued marital bliss!

I wanted to see how other singers at the Met deal with the issue so I asked around the opera house for long-distance strategies, ideas and methods and got a fantastic response. Principal sopranos Janai Brugger, Angela Mannino and Katherine Whyte, bass-baritone Paul Corona, and choristers Maria D’Amato, Belinda Oswald, Richard Pearson and Gregory Warren have all spent time away from their loved ones in varying degrees throughout their careers and were generous with the knowledge they have gained. So, without further ado: The (unofficial) Metropolitan Opera Guide to Long Distance Relationships.

Stay in touch: Embrace the Technology

Bass Edward Hanlon (yours truly) and wife, soprano Tanya Roberts, in The Gondoliers at The Ohio Light Opera. Photo my Matt Dilyard

The world has changed since Elizabeth Bennet was forced to wait weeks for an letter from Mr. Darcy ⁴ ; we now have a constantly expanding toolkit of communication options! Angela Mannino says “thank God for the internet and cellphones! Phone calls, text messages, Facebook messenger, FaceTime, and now, even our apple watches make keeping in touch throughout the day easier.” Katherine Whyte feels the same way: “I think modern technology makes this job so much easier for sure. We have a phone plan that lets us text from anywhere in the world.” But it’s not just what technology you use, it’s how you use it. Angela is married to Paul Corona and he makes sure to include the whole family: “we are in a group text with me and Angela and her parents, so all day we send pics and funny texts.” But sometimes just “the simplest text message of ‘good morning’ or ‘love u’ can make you feel connected in different time zones many miles away.”

Time zones add a degree of difficulty to my Rule #1. When Tanya was singing in Austria her bed-time was my dinner break! ⁵ Maria D’Amato has also had to deal with time-zone troubles: “when it was difficult to talk or see each other in real time, I would send detailed emails outlining my day and asking about his and send little videos over Skype. I remember rushing to check my messages in the morning or sometimes even in the middle of the night!” None of this is to say that technology has made things a walk in the park. Gregory Warren feels it’s hard “not to talk about NEGATIVE things about work or colleagues. It can monopolize a conversation and then you're too tired to talk about one another.” And of course, disagreements still happen and arguments are, to some extent, unavoidable. But Katherine stresses “We have learned that it’s so important to deal with issues, if we have them, over the phone. We don't hang up until we have figured it out... this is pretty essential”

Nothing Beats Seeing Each Other

Janai Brugger as Pamina at the Royal Opera House: Die Zauberflote (2015, Photo Credit: Mark Douet)

All this communication is great, but there is no substitute for the real thing! For Gregory “surprise visits [if possible] are my favorite”. Visits (whether they be surprises or not) are extremely important. Katherine finds it “pretty romantic to meet up in different parts of the world.” For Maria these visits make the absences easier; she enjoys “planning all the fun things you're going to do together when your partner comes to visit… It's almost like a honeymoon period because you value the little time you have together even more.” My third unbreakable rule is to never go more than two months without seeing each other. Other singers are less patient! Belinda Oswald and her husband Mark (a singer and teacher) had a 2 1/2 week rule and Janai tries for a rendezvous every two weeks.

There are, of course, two sides in being apart. Maria feels that “the hardest part is being the one left behind, (made even harder by an active imagination!). [Especially early in a relationship] the ‘little voices’ can take over when you're left alone… ‘is he going to meet someone else?’, ‘why didn't he call me yet today?’, ‘why is he having fun without me?!?’ etc... It took time to adjust to not seeing each other every day.” Both partners need to understand that this is difficult, and if that means flying into Middle-of-Nowhere, USA for a 1 ½ day visit… well… looks like you’re booking a flight to Middle-of-Nowhere, USA!

Variety is the Spice of Life

There are an infinite number of ways to show your partner you are thinking of them! Gregory suggests “putting iCal reminders for yourself to try and do something for them once a week just to keep reminding them that you are thinking of them.” Janai has a 4 year old child: “I try to leave a little note and piece of candy or small toy for each day that I'm gone for my son.” It both makes him happy and reminds him that his mother is thinking of him!

Whether you are together or apart, find excuses to have fun! Katherine and her husband “take the opportunity to celebrate just about anything, anniversary, ‘monthiversary’, two Christmases, two New Years, [her husband is Serbian so has a different calendar] engagement.... yes the list is pretty exhaustive.” Tanya and I are the same way; we sprinkle five different relationship “anniversaries” throughout the year!

You can be creative about how you spend your long-distance time together (whether it be online or on the phone). On one of our most memorable anniversaries Tanya and I turned on Facetime, set up our computers in the kitchen and proceeded to cook identical dinners. We then got dressed up, sat down to eat with the same bottles of wine and enjoyed a truly romantic meal together (despite the fact that I was in Virginia and she was in Chicago)!

No Matter What, Find the Positive!

Soprano Maria D'Amato and husband, baritone Dimitrie Lazich.

No matter what strategies you employ and how thoughtful you are, long-distance is never going to be easy. So it’s important to focus on the positives. Almost everyone I talked to stressed what a wonderful thing traveling actually is! Janai loves visiting a “new and amazing city/country that I've never been to before! I get time to focus on myself and the role that I'm preparing.” For Katherine, the relationship has changed her but she still loves the travel: “It's funny. I used to get so excited about going away on gigs before I met Stefan [her husband]. The first time I went away on a gig after I got married I would cry just thinking about going away a whole month before I left. Going away is still fun as it lets me see the world and I love singing but it aches so much more than it used to.”

It is vital to remember that when your partner is away, they are fulfilling their dreams. This keeps things in perspective for Richard Pearson: “My wife is doing what makes her happy. She deserves to be heard and the world deserves to hear her. Knowing that makes feel very proud and helps the time pass more quickly.” Angela could not agree more: “there is a great deal of admiration and respect that accompanies the anticipation of your wife/husband leaving for a gig. You are proud and excited that his or her career is thriving. This is what we've trained to do and what we are constantly working towards.” I find the joy, pride and happiness I feel for Tanya’s accomplishments equal to that which I feel for my own. They augment and guide the relationship to a better and healthier place.

Above all, it seems best to use the separation to strengthen the relationship. Maria felt it made her and her husband “appreciate each other more”; for Rick “knowing that the heart will grow fonder by the absence is best way to deal with the distance”. Paul and Angela’s relationship has been strengthened by their absences: “Spending time apart makes you really appreciate the time you spend together. You learn a lot about yourself - how to deal with ups and downs of everyday life, anxiety, etc. - it makes me a stronger, wiser person which I think will make me a better partner.” Plus “we never fight and when we are together we have the best time. No time for fighting when you are gone 6 months of the year!” Katherine agrees “We have built a lot of trust”.

So no… following the (unofficial) Metropolitan Opera Guide to Long Distance Relationships is not going to solve all of a couple's problems ⁶ . Being apart is lame… and probably that’s a good thing. There is no opportunity to get complacent; the constant challenge of long-distance forces couples into better communication, deeper understanding and stronger commitment. And you know what? That sounds like the ingredients to a very healthy and long-lasting relationship!

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Edward Hanlon, graduate of McGill University and University of Michigan, is a happy Long Island boy making good with the Metropolitan Opera. Favorite roles include Figaro, Sparafucile, Dick Deadeye, Sarastro and Nick Bottom with companies such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Lincoln Center Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. He dreams of singing another Figaro with his beautiful wife, soprano Tanya Roberts. His first novel is is due to be released this summer ... at the end of the 2017-18 season ... umm... someday? Check out his website and follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

1. This is generally different in Europe but that is a story for another article. ↩

1. Her currently singing with Edmonton Opera in the frozen tundra of Canada is one of my main motivators for writing this article! ↩

1. Not following these is roughly similar to using one of the three unforgivable curses at Hogwarts. ↩

1. But let's be honest... Mr. Darcy is worth the wait! ↩

1. This has the effect, by the way, of making me very sleepy after dinner! ↩

1. This is not, after all, “How to Succeed in Long Distance Relationships Without Really Trying”! ↩

It’s a beautiful day for a Dress Rehearsal; Let’s sing two!

A running diary of the first ever double-final-dress-rehearsal day in Met Opera history (or at least that anyone can remember!)

Scenes from Carmen & Rigoletto. Photos: Ken Howard/Met Opera

by Edward Hanlon

There are two season premieres at the Metropolitan Opera this week: Carmen on Thursday (1/19) and Rigoletto on Friday (1/20). Back-to-back openings? Pretty unusual! But what it took to prepare for them was even more unusual. On Monday (1/16) the Met had no public performance in the evening. However, that doesn't mean all was quiet; in the morning was the final dress rehearsal for Carmen and, in the evening, Rigoletto. Two final dress rehearsals in one day! As far as I could discover that had never happened before! For the occasion I decided to keep a running diary of the day ¹ . So, without further ado:

Part the First: Carmen Final Dress Rehearsal

10:00 a.m. EST - The calm before the storm. Time for a cup of tea ² , breakfast, and a chance to read through final notes from the director.

10:02 - That was enough relaxing! Let’s get this costume on! First up: a bored and somewhat lascivious ³ soldier in Seville.

10:17 - Dressed and ready to go. Wait, what do you mean the rehearsal isn’t started yet? All right! Thirteen more minutes to finish my tea!

10:27 - Called to stage… I’ll check back in after the scene!

11:01 - Back in the dressing room. To recap: the soldiers were very unhelpful to Michaela, the factory girls sang a very beautiful chorus, Carmen did her sexy Habanara thing then met Don José. Somehow I don’t think this relationship is going to end well.

11:02 - No more soldier for me (until Act 4). Costume change to gypsy with a great hat.

11:05 - The female chorus called to stage for the fight at the end of Act 1. I’m still in mid-gypsy costume change. Get it ladies!

Two of the ladies of the chorus, Rebecca Carvin and Marvis Martin, getting into character (The cigarettes are fake don't worry!)

11:12 - Gypsy costume change finished. Ready to go down to stage and watch some amazing flamenco dancing from our ballet corps.

11:15 - Quick recap of what’s happened on stage while we were off: Big fight; Carmen wins but is arrested by Zuniga. However, she sings the Segedilla so well that Don Jose helps her escape. End of Act 1.

11:22 - Called to stage. This morning I’m going for “mysterious gypsy” ⁴ ; let’s see how it goes! I’ll be back in a bit!

11:50 - Back in the dressing room ⁵ . Time for another costume change: going from regular gypsy to smuggler-gypsy.

11:58 - Not a ton of plot during that last scene by the way. But we did get to hear and sing a great “Votre toast” with our resident toreador Escamillo. On stage things are really heating up now between Carmen and José. Looks like he’s going to join in on all the smuggler fun in Act 3 after all!

12:00 - Gypsy smugglers called to stage. Zuniga is going to try to arrest all of us which… umm… is not going to go well for him…

12:15 - Done with Act 2! Intermission! Time for a quick lunch to tank up for Act 3 smuggling in the hills outside Seville.

12:17 - Let’s see what’s in the cafeteria: Penne Bolognese, garbanzo beans and roasted Zucchini… hmm… not the most Carmen-Spanish-infused meal I’ve ever seen. Works well for Rigoletto this evening though!

12:29 - Heading to stage soon. This is going to be a long one (we are onstage or waiting in the wings offstage for the rest of the opera) so I’ll see you at the end of the show. Not a ton of recap necessary for the second half. Things go downhill in the Carmen/José relationship ⁶ , Escamillo plays third wheel, Michaela plays fourth wheel, and eventually José has just had enough and loses it.

12:35 - In the meantime the chorus does a lot of smuggling, I fall asleep on stage ⁷ , wake up, and then do some more smuggling. In act 4 (after a quick change from gypsy into soldiers and townspeople costumes) ⁸ we are very excited about the bullfight ⁹ .

12:44 - On our way to stage for Act 3. No one’s going to catch this smuggler!

2:04 - And we’re back. Great show! Can’t wait for opening night on Thursday!

2:13 - Out of costume and heading home. We have 4 hours between now and our next call. Big afternoon planned running errands and memorizing music for I Puritani (which opens on February 10th) ¹⁰ . Talk to you in a few hours!

Sophie Koch in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen. Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.

Sophie Koch in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen. Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.

Marcelo Álvarez as Don José and Sophie Koch in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen. Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera.

Sophie Koch in the title role and Kyle Ketelsen as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen. Photo by Karen Almond/ Metropolitan Opera.

Part the Second: Rigoletto Final Dress Rehearsal

6:28 - Hi everyone! The chorus has returned to the opera house. Tonight is the second half of our Final Dress Rehearsal double bill: Rigoletto! It’s Michael Mayer’s 60’s Las Vegas production so that means fantastic suits, greased hair, mixed drinks and beautiful showgirls.

6:31 - Time to get into costume. There are no real costume changes in Rigoletto so I better do this one well.

6:39 - Tuxedo on, Purple alligator skin shoes laced, hair slicked, only one thing remains… tying my own bowtie…

6:42 - Still working on that bowtie

6:45 - ^@#^%@$^#@ bowtie...

6:48 - I DID IT!!!!

6:49 - I'm not going to lie... things got a little hairy over the past 10 minutes. But be not afraid; I have triumphed over the forces of... umm... the tyranny of... uhhh... the bow tie. And yes, I could have asked my dresser to tie it and she would have been able to do it in 30 seconds but somehow I feel... more.. I don't know... like James Bond ¹¹ this way I guess.

6:52 - Heading down to stage soon. A lot happens in the first act but the cliff notes is that Rigoletto is the court jester but makes fun of the wrong guy who curses him. Getting cursed early on in a Verdi opera is always a bad thing.

6:55 - Places! Let’s get this thing started!

7:22 - Scene 1 finished; back in the dressing room. All sorts of beautiful music happening onstage right now. Some fantastic duets and then the famously sublime aria “Caro nome” by Gilda. When we go back down the stage we will decide that her aia is so beautiful that we want to sing a chorus of our own (“Zitti, zitti”), and then abduct her. Rigoletto, Gilda’s father, is understandably unhappy about this development!

7:48 - Back down to stage for the abduction scene. No costume changes this time, just adding a mask ¹² . Be back soon though (this is not a terribly long scene) and then intermission. ¹³

8:04 - Act 1 finished. Things are already beginning to go south for Rigoletto... I wonder if they get better in Act 2 ¹⁴ .

8:05 - Time for dinner. Let's see what's hot at the cafeteria.

8:07 - huh... penne bolognese, garbanzo beans and roasted zucchini... how... umm... exciting...

8:14 - Things that get better with age: fine wine, revenge and... penne bolognese?

A few of the beautiful patterns onstage during Rigoletto.

8:18 - So, the second half of Rigoletto is pretty wild. I don’t really want to attempt a synopsis ¹⁵ but suffice it to say things get very dark on the way to a tragic ending ¹⁶ . In the meantime the chorus sleep on stage ¹⁷ , act very hung-over, taunt Rigoletto, murder Monterone, and then, in a very abrupt change of pace, vocally personify a storm from offstage. As I said, things get pretty wild.

8:29 - Called to stage for the Act 2! Here goes!

9:08 - Back in the dressing room for the final intermission. I have to say, I always feel a little sleazy after that last scene. We are pretty unrepentantly cruel to poor Rigoletto who, while maybe not the nicest guy in the world, doesn’t merit the fate he gets in this opera. Still, nothing a nice ginger lemon herbal tea during the set change won’t fix ¹⁸ .

9:10 - Speaking of a set change, I really would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing work the stage crew is doing today. Both Carmen and Rigoletto are huge operas with correspondingly massive sets. Plus, dress rehearsals are always tricky for scenery purposes because of the lack of rehearsal. And yet they’ve been on top of things and as efficient as ever. Bravi!

9:21 - Time to do one last clothing change. This, however, is a welcome one: The chorus sing our role of “personification of the storm” from offstage, meaning we can be in street clothes. So off with the tux and on with my own clothes; we’re in the home stretch!

9:36 - My tea is finished. Places have been called for the Duke. He sings the not-unfamous aria "La donna è mobile" and then we’re next.

9:48 - To the stage!

10:03 - And we are done. Long but very fulfilling day. It looks like we have two very strong shows to open at the end of the week. So, after an unprecedented day at the Metropolitan Opera, I wish you all a very lovely evening!

A scene from Act I of Michael Mayer's production of Verdi's "Rigoletto."
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Željko Lucic as the title character of Verdi's "Rigoletto."
Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

Olga Peretyatko as Gilda in Verdi's Rigoletto. Photo by Richard Termine/ Metropolitan Opera.

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Edward Hanlon, graduate of McGill University and University of Michigan, is a happy Long Island boy making good with the Metropolitan Opera. Favorite roles include Figaro, Sparafucile, Dick Deadeye, Sarastro and Nick Bottom with companies such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Lincoln Center Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. He dreams of singing another Figaro with his beautiful wife, soprano Tanya Roberts. His first novel is is due to be released this summer ... at the end of the 2017-18 season ... umm... someday? Check out his website and follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

1. … à la Bill Simmons NBA Draft Diary style. ↩

1. I don't care what everyone else says. Coffee tastes gross (and no amount of milk and sugar will change that). ↩

1. … I think my motivation for the entire time I’m on stage is “check out the pretty girls” ↩

1. It’s possible that “mysterious gypsy” might end up looking suspiciously like “tired gypsy” though. ↩

1. … and for those wondering, I was very mysterious and not at all tired during that last scene. ↩

1. huh… and I had such a good feeling about those two. ↩

1. I swear I am just acting ↩

1. Shout out to our helpful, hardworking and patient dressers! ↩

1. … and remarkably oblivious to the very loud domestic tragedy occurring between José and Carmen! ↩

1. I’m probably going to sneak a nap in there too! ↩

1. ... or a waiter ↩

1. ... the better to abduct Gilda with ↩

1. .. or, as I like to call it, DINNER TIME! ↩

1. Spoiler alert: they do not. ↩

1. I don’t think intermission is long enough for that. ↩

1. What did I tell you about getting cursed in a Verdi opera? NOT A GOOD THING! ↩

1. Yes. Again. ↩

1. For me that is. All the ginger lemon tea in the world won’t help Rigoletto and Gilda now. ↩

The Met Opera Chorus Recommends: Gifts for the Holidays!

An exhaustive gift guide for the opera lover in your life from the Metropolitan Opera Chorus!

By Edward Hanlon

     It’s that time of year!  The annual season of love, joy and family.  Oh… and gifts… gifts are kind of a thing this time of year too!  With that in mind, the Met Opera Chorus have put their collective heads together to find the perfect gift for your biggest opera loving friend or family member.  So, without further ado, to the list!

For everyone:

Chorus is the new black! Try out these new snazzy Met Chorus Artists shirts and hats. Support your favorite chorus in the world and look sharp while doing it!

For the last-minute Christmas carder:

The world’s opera orchestra not only plays a mean Nabucco, but they also have a fantastic cartoonist who illustrates the trials and tribulations that come with the job; Emmanuelle Ayrton has released a series of Christmas cards, so head over to their website and check them out along with all the other Met Orchestra gear they’ve got for sale!

For the “let’s stay inside and drink hot toddies” opera lover:

Who doesn’t need another mug!?!?! I certainly always do! Celebrate the Met Opera House’s 50th anniversary with your favorite hot beverage ¹ .

The Recording that you need to own.  Dare I say it? The greatest opera recording ever:

What is the greatest opera recording ever? Not an easy question to answer! But I’m going to give it a shot anyway. So here it is: a live recording of Turandot from 1966 with Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni and Bonaldo Giaiotti conducted by Zubin Mehta. There are no arguments against it being the greatest thing ever. End. Of. Story. ²

For that special (though slightly cold) Brünnhilde in your life:

It's happened to the best of us. We're walking along, singing some fantastic Wagnerian high notes and then our ears get cold! Thank goodness they have the answer to that particularly troublesome issue at the Met Opera Shop!

For the slightly spooky, slightly cooky opera lover:

Edward Gorey is the best. I will accept no argument on that front. The pantheon of great artists goes something like this: Monet, El Greco, Matisse, and Edward Gorey ³ . And, to top it off, he loved opera. With that in mind this print is looking kind of like a no-lose situation !

For your tenor friend:

Let’s be clear about this: tenors are, at best, a necessary evil ⁴ . But, even I have to admit there have been some good ones. Check out this fantastic book on the great tenors who sing and have sung at the Met available at the Met Opera Shop.

For the person who likes Mozart… I mean really... really likes Mozart…

The newest, longest, most authoritativest collection of Mozart ever! It’s 225 discs long and apparently was the most-sold CD in the world last year (take that Drake!)

For the opera lover who has everything:

This is the big one. I’ve had a crush on the Sputnik chandeliers since stepping on the Met stage 3 years ago but did you know that you could actually own a piece of the Tiffany original? In the Met Opera Shop it says “price available upon request” ⁵ but still… it’s just kind of nice to know it’s there...

For the us all. For our future: 

The holidays can be a lot of fun and there is so much joy to be found in the act of giving gifts to those you love. However, it's not just a time to think about the people you know, but everyone, and to spread some of that joy a little wider. There are so many organizations doing great work that could use our help this time of year. Arts to Grow and Feed Your Mind Music are two local New York groups so please, go to their websites, learn about them and do what you can to help ⁶ !

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Edward Hanlon, graduate of McGill University and University of Michigan, is a happy Long Island boy making good with the Metropolitan Opera. Favorite roles include Figaro, Sparafucile, Dick Deadeye, Sarastro and Nick Bottom with companies such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Lincoln Center Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. He dreams of singing another Figaro with his beautiful wife, soprano Tanya Roberts. His first novel is is due to be released this summer ... at the end of the 2017-18 season ... umm... someday? Check out his website and follow him on Facebook or Instagram.

1. Your editor’s current favorite recipe is for a port hot toddy found on the New York Times website but goes something like this:

   INGREDIENTS: 3 ounces ruby port, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 cinnamon stick, Water just off the boil and 1 1-inch-wide ribbon of orange peels studded with 3-5 cloves.

   PREPARATION: In a mug or heatproof glass, stir the port, sugar and juices together with the cinnamon stick, leaving the cinnamon in the vessel. Add hot water to fill, and garnish with the clove-studded orange peel. ↩

1. ...except Solti’s Ring cycle is pretty good, de los Angerles’ & Bjorling’s Boheme has some nice moments, Milnes, Sutherland & Pavarotti’s Rigoletto ain’t too shabby, Sill’s Giulio Cesare does pretty nicely and Baltsa & Carreras make some nice sounds in Carmen… hmm… maybe there still is a little debate to be had on this question! ↩

1. Consider this my open letter of complaint to both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art for Gorey's lack of inclusion!. ↩

1. In the interest of full disclosure I should probably admit that I’m a bass. ↩

1. ...which never sounds terribly promising! ↩

1. Shout out to Lucy Dhegrae, the founder of the fantastic Resonant Bodies Festival, for her help in researching these charities! ↩