<p>Eep, I'm in trouble. Our production of Sweeney Todd opens tonight and I have a wicked sore throat. It's not even like sore or scratchy, it's legit really painful. I don't know what to do, I have the worst luck! I have to pop out some high C's tonight!!</p>
<p>Someone, anyone, I would appreciate greatly any advice you can give. I've already put some of my own remedies into high gear, but any other tips would help. </p>
<p>Thanks in advance,
a desperate Jennifer.</p>
<p>If you're in pain, I wouldn't go on. Don't you have an understudy?</p>
<p>Singing that type of show could really destroy your voice, better to miss one show than damage your voice permanently.</p>
<p>This happened to me the morning that I was to sing in Carnegie Hall. I seriously sounded like a frog. I think it might have been due to the AC in the hotel room that I was staying in. Nothing is absolute but try gargling with mild warm salt water, irrigate your sinuses if you can and then go and find some PURE Zinc to suck on. Warm, (not too hot) tea with honey, without milk, no milk products of any kind today (it only creates more mucus). Lightly vocalize but if it is still painful don't push it. You know your voice and what it is capable of but I agree with ActressToBe, you don't want to harm your vocal chords by being silly. Good luck!</p>
<p>You don't indicate whether the show is a community theatre, regional, paid professional or non-profit volunteer production. You also aren't clear whether the sore throat is due to illness or environmental irritations. The above suggestions are good ones. I would add to the list using a personal steamer/vaporizer to vocalize with (NO menthol additives) and absolutely avoid any product designed to "numb" your throat. The bottom line is that your vocal health should come first and you need to evaluate what is really going on with you versus the weight to be given to tonight's performance. Missing one performance, if there is an understudy or some other coverage available, is not nearly as bad as pushing tonight beyond safety and reason resulting in damage that either interferes with subsequent performances or could result in potential long term damage requiring medical intervention. Make your vocal health your first priority and then figure out how to best accommodate that giving due weight and consideration to the nature of the production and other contingency arrangements that are available.</p>
<p>Good advice, all :) (I love that the members of this board are savvy about vocal health!) If you can, have your understudy go on.</p>
<p>If you have to go on, of course, drink a lot of water (as I'm sure you have been). Most importantly, make sure you gently yawn/sigh a lot both while warming up and THROUGHOUT the show to keep your throat muscles relaxed - if you're in pain, you will tend to squeeze or clench those muscles to "protect", but in actuality you will be leading to potential damage if you are squeezing. Think of using a LOT of air: gentle, gentle, GENTLE onset of your phrases. And if you feel ANY sudden voice change while singing, you MUST stop - that is a probable sign you have incurred an acute vocal fold injury (a bleed or hemorrhage) and must be seen by a voice specialist ASAP.</p>
<p>Let us know how it goes!!!</p>
<p>CoachC (just back from attending an amazing medical voice therapy workshop! :) )</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice everyone! I ended being able to manage to sing that night, and I went to the doctor and told me it was just a viral sore throat. I felt ten times better the next day, and I tried everyone's remedies =] thanks for the help!</p>
<p>ps - the show is going great! I'm headed to call right now! =]</p>
<p>Jen</p>