Pulling back the curtains on L.A. Opera's 'Tosca'

Pulling back the curtains on L.A. Opera’s ‘Tosca’

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Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, singing the role of Tosca, coming off stage after a gory scene in the L.A. Opera’s performance of “Tosca.” (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A support crew sets up a soft landing for Sondra Radvanovsky as she falls backward off the stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Michael John, who plays the villianous Scarpia’s henchman, in makeup before going on stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Placido Domingo conducting from the pit. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Assistant conductor Christopher Allen, left, and conducting musician Timm Boatman backstage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Tenor Marco Berti, who sings the lead role of Mario Cavaradossi, warms up in his dressing room. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A scene in Act III as seen from backstage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A cast member takes a break between scenes. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles Children’s Chorus member Logan Galimi, 10, gets his hair and makeup done by Bia Iftikhar. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Musicians and members of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus gather before the start of the Opera. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Members of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus hustle up the stairs to the stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Parents of members of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus wait backstage while their children perform. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky gets two thumbs up from her assistant Mary Lehman just before stepping on stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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For the record: This photo slide earlier called the assembled members of the Los Angeles Master Chorus. They are members of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus.

Members of the Los Angeles Opera Chorus sing backstage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The stage crew in action during a scene change. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A scene in Act III as viewed from backstage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The cast and chorus get help with a quick change between scenes just off the stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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Cast member Michael John gets his picture taken with Placido Domingo. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The costumed cast and chorus await their turn on stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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A dummy corpse awaits it turn on stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

By Laurie Ochoa

June 11, 2013 10:40 AM PT

How do you catch a falling star soprano?

With two strong men and a thick safety mat if you’re backstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The moment Sondra Radvanovsky, as the doomed prima donna in L.A. Opera’s “Tosca,” took her final bloody plunge into the hereafter, it wasn’t just an adoring audience cheering her on. Mostly unseen was a team of nearly 200 — stage managers, set movers, prop masters, makeup artists, wardrobe assistants, orchestra players, chorus singers, and many others all led by general director Plácido Domingo.

REVIEW: With ‘Tosca’ Los Angeles Opera goes for grand

The backstage pros ensured that wigs held tight, guns sounded real (extra shots popped offstage), children were dirt-smeared, blood (zesty-mint flavored) flowed properly, and walls weighing 400 to 1000 pounds rose smoothly. A soldier’s drum march required not only a backstage drummer but an assistant conductor in sync with the “maestro cam,” a live feed of Domingo leading the orchestra.

The Times’ Lawrence K. Ho captured the action.

Pulling back the curtains on L.A. Opera’s ‘Tosca’

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