As a favor I was in this big opera production (Aida). I can't sing for shit, all I was supposed to do was carry a litter with the star (Beverly Sills) on it, while she sang. They had a bunch of ladies who were responsible for makeup and costumes, I had not been there for the dress rehearsal, so for the first performance, I had this lady explaining to me exactly what I was to do on-stage, while walking me through costume and makeup.
I'm a white guy, and for the part I'm supposed to be an Egyptian, so they have to get me painted in this bronze makeup. I'm still in street clothes, so in front of 3 women I have to strip down to my tighty-whities, the start applying make-up until I'm the right color. I'm supposed to wear this brief under my loin cloth, there is a problem, they can't find one for me. One of the ladies comes back with this brief which is about 6 sizes too big, one of the ladies says "that's alright, we can sew it on him". I'm like 20, I've never been around stage people before, I don't know that the only thing that is forbidden is modesty. I say "where can I change?", they all look at me like I'm an idiot, they strip my tighty-whitys off, I'm standing there naked in front of the women, I step into the leathery brief and they come at me with needles and thread, and soon I'm in my brief and loin cloth.
I got to carry Beverly Sills, with 3 other litter bearers, across the stage while she sang beautifully. Sundays matinee went much smoother. At the cast party I got to talk to Ms. Sills and told her that I was a newbie to the theater, I told her about my introduction the the costume ladies, the told me about her first experience with being stripped by them. She promised me tickets to the Met Opera when I came to NY.
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