Sondra Kelly's first rehearsal day

I'm Sondra Kelly and I am singing the role of the Principessa in Suor Angelica. This is my first time to Alabama and my first time singing the Principessa. I have, however, sung other roles in Suor. I sang the Monitor at the Met and the Abbess for Hawaii Opera Theater when they did Il Trittico. 

I arrived Wednesday night to Birmingham. Yesterday afternoon I met Inna, our Suor, and the production team for a musical and staging. It's very interesting to have a mezzo-soprano, Kathleen Clawson, staging this opera.We, of course, had an immediate repour, as mezzos always do. The big question would be, exactly how old my portrayal should be. We both agreed that she is older, but not feeble. In a turn of the century production around 60.

Then on to the maestro, Giovanni, who has an interesting take on the articulation of her music. I had been working diligently making the lines as legato as possible. He said, let's think of it in a different way. The beginning and end are all about the text. The aria molto legato. That way she has the "bite" that she is supposed to have. Vocally it has changed my thought process completely for the better.

And lastly, last night was the sitzprobe for Suor. This is always one of my favorite rehearsals. The melding of the orchestra and the voice is a natural high. My voice teacher has always told me how much easier everything is to sing with orchestra and that is always the case.

Now onto day two for me. I rehearsal with the complete cast tonight.

Can someone please tell me how to explain North and South to my  GPS which keeps taking me in the wrong direction?