Femme fatale's co-star forced to clean up his act

(Right) Stage fright? Trainer Steve Jefferys, Drummer and Kristin Chavez, playing Carmen, take their cue from Maiko Natsukawa cleaning up after the extras.
Photo: Bob Pearce

A MONKEY was sacked because of mischievous behaviour and chickens fell off the stage into the orchestra pit in previous productions at the Opera House, but the newest animal recruits, horses Jameison and Drummer, were true professionals when they met their fellow cast members on stage.

Drummer and Jameison, who will be performing in the production of Bizet's Carmen, prepared for their big day by wearing rubber boots so they did not slip on the polished floor.
They entered the Opera House on Friday through the stage door for a practice run to get them accustomed to the lights and sounds of the stage.
Despite their previous theatrical experience in shows such as The Man From Snowy River arena spectacular and a Military Tattoo, Steve Jefferys, their trainer, said they needed to get used to the new surroundings.
The horses have been training with the opera cast members in preparation for their first performance on January 24.
"The biggest challenge is to get the riders used to the horses and the horses used to the riders," Mr Jefferys said.
The director of technical production, Chris Potter, said that it has been hard work to get the horses to the Opera House but that they had become opera connoisseurs during the process.
"We gave Steve three CDs of Carmen so that the horses had it played to them."
The horses, after being loaded onto a lift to take them to the stage, were reunited with their co-stars Kirstin Chavez, who plays Carmen, and Michael Todd Simpson, who plays Escamillo.
Simpson grew up around horses but neither of the opera singers had ridden horses while performing an aria before.
Drummer seemed comfortable when Simpson practised riding him onto stage while singing the famous Toreador Song. "I sing to him every night. We've been skyping," he said.
The set, which evokes 1830s Spain with rich ochre-coloured walls, took on a new level of reality when Drummer relieved himself on the stage. This production of Carmen was created for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and is directed by Francesca Zambello. It will be conducted by Richard Hickox, Opera Australia's music director.
Carmen will be performed at the Opera Theatre of the Opera House from January 24 until March 28.