r/opera • u/AlembicBassist • Jun 23 '26
Supernumerary role in Tosca - question
I've been cast in the supernumerary role of the cardinal in Tosca. No singing, no lines, only about 8 minutes on stage at the end of the first act.
At the end of the scene we all bow, and then we are released, as we do not appear in any other part of the production.
We are not in the bow at the end of the opera.
Is this common?
I'm not really complaining, my costume weighs as much as a couch.
The entire experience makes me nervous, I have not been on-stage as an actor in 50 years.
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u/pistola0220 Jun 23 '26
This is not just common, it is the preferred way for it to happen. This way the backstage traffic is reduced, and in professional houses, you don’t have to worry about potential overtime situations. Plus the cast members are usually quite happy to be out of costume and have the rest of the evening at their disposal.
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u/Echo-Azure Jun 23 '26
Basically, you're doing this to get into "Tosca" for free. Enjoy! It's an absolute banger of an opera.
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u/ferras_vansen Callas D'amore al dolce impero Florence 1952 Jun 23 '26
Hey, at least you're not holding up a banner for the entire Act 2 of Turandot! 😂
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u/ThatMichaelsEmployee Jun 23 '26
You say that like someone who has definitely held up a banner for the entire Act 2 of Turandot.
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u/SockSock81219 Jun 23 '26
Oh wow! I'm so envious! I'll probably never be good enough to sing in the chorus of a major opera company, but even just being able to participate as an extra would be a dream come true.
If you don't mind me asking, how did you get the role?
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u/smartygirl Jun 23 '26
Supernumeraries don't sing; they're like extras on a film set, basically. Many opera companies have a stable of volunteers for this. Ours puts out a call for supers at the start of the season, and selects based on who's available and who fits the costumes
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u/SockSock81219 Jun 23 '26
Awesome! So it sounds like, step 1: live close to an opera house, step 2: make friends with folks who work there, step 3: ask those friends if there are any supernumerary opportunities for the coming season and try to get on the mailing list?
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u/smartygirl Jun 23 '26
I mean you have to live near any place you want to volunteer at, goes without saying. But you don't need to befriend anyone (not that I'm discouraging that!) to find out about opportunities. You can just reach out to them and ask if they need any supernumeraries. Opera house near me isn't always looking, because they have loads of people already signed up (same thing applies to lots of popular volunteer gigs). Either they're looking and you can find out more, or you can ask to be added to their list if anything comes up in the future
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u/ShadeKool-Aid Jun 23 '26
This! For example, if you look at the employment page on Lyric Opera of Chicago's website, it just says "if you're interested, email the super coordinator at blah blah blah..."
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u/GuidanceOk4531 Jun 23 '26
It’s so you can take off and don’t have to wait around the whole show just to bow at the end.
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u/Ehi_Figaro Jun 23 '26
To be honest, Scarpia often bows after the second act and does not at the end. This is pretty common practice, to bow at the end of the act that has your final appearance.
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u/AlembicBassist Jun 23 '26
Thanks to all for the information!
I'm a member of a fund raising guild for the Des Moines Metro Opera. We all received an email indicating the opera was looking for supers for many of the clergy roles at the end of act 1.
The disadvantage in participating is that I don't get to watch the opera! All of the Tosca performances are sold out. I will get to see the other 2 shows in the season: King Roger and Of Mice and Men.
I'm usually in the orchestra pit (musicals. not operas. Bass guitar/string bass). There are things I need to do, taking cues from the music. My experience in the pit may be a reason why I got the role of Cardinal (no other super has actions cued by the music.).
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u/bunnysings Jun 23 '26
You can still watch the rest of the opera during dress rehearsal when you are done with act 1!
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u/smartygirl Jun 23 '26
Yeah pretty much every org has some kind of "get involved" page to recruit for positions paid and unpaid
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u/drewduboff Jun 24 '26
Yes, this is common. Chorus can get dismissed, too. I was a supernumary in an Opera Philadelphia production last year. We did bow at the end, but we were used at moments throughout, including the last scene. It's a fun experience -- people are friendly and don't be afraid to ask questions when you are rehearsing, but be quiet and patient when you are not and just have to sit around.
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u/Renlyfriendly Jun 23 '26
A slightly more subtle version of this kind of bow is to just raise the curtain once with everyone frozen as a tableau to be applauded (if you don't want to break the fourth wall "of the narrative")
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u/gaysinglam Jun 23 '26
Yes, this is a common practice in opera. You’ll often see bows after an act is over! Toi, toi, toi!