“I’m an Angel, First Class – how’ya doin”? I am behind stage at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, touring the set of Jake Heggie’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”, a brave – brave? What am I talking about? – heroically risky remake of the beloved James Stewart Christmas heartwarmer movie of 1946, and – “Just like that!”, – I’ve met my very first Angel.
Well, not really “mine”. I’ve recently got over the old Jesuit trope of having my very own guardian angel, permanently on call. Too many things have gone wrong. They either don’t exist, or they’re useless.