After last Tuesday's performance of Tamerlano, naturally I went to the Stage Door at the Teatro Real. Not immediately. I had time to check the final scores on my phone (Roma 0 United 2), nip to my hotel room for a cardigan, knock back a large glass of wine in the bar opposite and still wait for Plácido outside the Stage Door!
Of course, I wasn't the only person there but I honestly thought that there would be more. Not that I'm complaining. I was getting just a little bit cold standing outside, waiting. We could see his car and driver were there. And then I knew we wouldn't have to wait long because I saw Marta, so I knew Plácido wouldn't be far behind. (Jimmy later said he was a bit surprised that Plácido was being so blatant leaving the opera house with a woman; I pointed out, 'that's his wife'. Incidentally, we saw Alvaro on Saturday).
Plácido came out of the stage door looking lovely, but in retrospect a little less flirtatious than usual...possibly because Marta was there! Jimmy instructed me that I had to request his autograph in order that Jimmy, my cameraman, could try and get a photo of the two of us together. But I didn't have a pen, because I'm not a habitual autograph seeker. Fortunately, one person did have a pen, so Plácido used that to sign the programmes of several of us. (Jimmy later said I should have brought along Katherine Jenkins' biography and get him to sign the photo in that. As if...).
One person presented him with a hand-held to sign; which he did, but he didn't look comfortable doing so. Maybe it's just the auditor in me but I actually think it's the height of bad manners to present a celebrity with a handheld to sign. I know that electronic signature gathering is commonplace now, but I do see a difference between handing it over to a delivery company for example (or in the USA, signing a credit card slip - they don't seem to use PINs for plastic cards) and handing it to a random stranger, who might use it for forgery. Not that I think Plácido's signature actually has much monetary value, on account of him being so approachable and so amenable to signing so many things.
Anyway, I approached him and as I handed him the programme, and he was signing it, I asked him whether he would be singing that role in London. He confirmed he would, 'but not until 2010'. He sounded almost apologetic. Perhaps because he won't be at Covent Garden next season, which is disappointing, but heck, I have the travel bug:-)
Obviously I didn't get much time with him, but it's always such a pleasure to meet him. I'd hate to be one of these people who go on at great length and in boring detail about...nothing...just to keep his attention, when he'd been in the House 7 and a half hours, and his wife was in the car, and he probably just wanted to get away and get something to eat. And, anyway, I consoled myself that it's not long til Barcelona, and Die Walküre (woot! yay!)
