The Don Giovanni Cast Guide to Surviving Cold & Flu Season
October 30, 2009, 12:23 PM
By New York City Opera
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With all the changes in the weather lately, it seems like everyone in New York is reaching for tissues and hand sanitizer. But although we all may get a bit fidgety when the person sitting next to us on the subway starts coughing or sneezing, there are few professions that require more health-consciousness than being an opera singer. Since we've been interviewing the cast of Don Giovanni lately for an upcoming behind-the-scenes video, we got their opinions on how to survive cold & flu season singer-style.
- "It is all about sleep. That is number one, really and truly," says Daniel Okulitch, who plays Don Giovanni. If you're well rested, he says, you can handle situations that could leave you prone to sickness, like riding the subway or touching props that may have been coughed on...kissing your costars in rehearsal doesn't help, either. His castmates all put being well-rested near the tops of their lists.
- When Gregory Turay, who's singing Don Ottavio, says to "eat right," he has very specific ideas of what it means. Only fruit in the mornings, sushi, veggies, no dairy, starches, sugars, or carbs. "You want to make your body as alkaline as possible," Turay says, "so the viruses don't have an opportunity to thrive." He also recommends tea with lemon, honey and cayenne pepper when you're feeling under the weather.
- "I've used three things to keep me healthy: sleep, Zicam, and chocolate" says Joélle Harvey, who's playing Zerlina. "Definitely chocolate. I don't know about health benefits, but it makes everything feel better."
- Amanda Pabyan, who's covering the role of Donna Anna, has to be the one left standing when everyone gets sick. What's her secret? "Swish with pineapple extract and water when you feel that scratch on your throat. You can also buy it in pill form. The extract is a homeopathic anti-inflammatory and the juice takes the sting away from a sore throat."
Other popular answers from the whole cast were to exercise regularly and wash your hands frequently. "Basically, take care of yourself and be considerate of your colleagues," says Amanda Pabyan, "if one person is sick, it's really easy to pass it from person to person."
