Verdi Nightmare

At 7:45pm, I was frantically getting ready to go to a Verdi Opera in San Francisco where I was the featured piano accompanist. The problem was: 

• The Opera started at 8:00 and I wasn’t dressed yet or hadn’t eaten dinner.

• I had never played for an Opera in  my life.

• I didn’t know this Opera and had never heard or seen the music. 

• I was concerned that I might be sight-reading a musical interlude as a featured soloist.

• I was worried I’d be accompanying an Opera star trying to follow her fermatas—again, with music I didn’t know in the slightest. 

• I forgot my suit and was frantically looking through my closet for something presentable to wear.

• A bus passed by outside and publicly announced the opera with a  loudspeaker that blasted “featuring Doug Goodkin on piano.” 

• It was now two minutes to 8 and I  had yet to leave. 

And then…

I woke up.