Doug Tuck's Golden Memory

My first exposure to opera was when I was IN an opera. In the spring of 1960, I was 9 years old and my Grade 4 music teacher, Frances Norman, was in the VO chorus. (Her husband, Karl Norman, was the company's general manager, and he sang comprimario roles too.) Children were needed for La Boheme and Frances prevailed on some of her "pills", as she called us, to sing in the production.

Rehearsals took place at Scottish Hall, on Fir Street. Irving Guttman directed. I don't remember much about the rehearsal process but I vividly recall the gold-coloured velvet pants I wore on stage, and I remember being hoisted on a chorister's shoulders for the final moments of Act II. This was a heroic feat on the part of the chorister; I was not a small kid.

I remember having a wonderful time on that huge Queen Elizabeth Theatre deck. There is something truly exciting about being in a scene, with the orchestra going full tilt and the singers giving everything, and looking out to the audience and seeing glimpses of people through the flare of bright spotlights. One evening I thought it would be nice to improvise some stage business, so without telling anyone I made an entrance, in the middle of the principals' scene, through one of the street-scene doorways. How I managed to get past stage management remains a mystery. It would never happen today. However, the stage manager did have a stern word with me and I curtailed my improvisations from then on.

Years later, in 1993, I returned to the QE stage to star as the innkeeper in the same scene. I was a supernumerary, meaning I did not sing. It was, again, very exciting. This time, I was allowed to improvise during rehearsal. Director Kelly Robinson (who will direct Lillian Alling next season) accepted my idea for a bit of business involving Musetta and of course it made the scene MUCH better. One of the thrills of being in the show was that I could stand in the wings during Act III and listen to the singers, who included Richard Margison as Rodolfo, Stephanie Friede as Mimi, and John Fanning as Marcello. For a matinee performance, Mimi was sung by the young Liping Zhang. Awesome.

- Doug Tuck