Une femme d’un incertain âge
On this, the anniversary of her natal day, May 15, La Cieca likes to think back to that moment, a number of years ago (but who is counting) when she was “born.” It was in little Dallas, my God, of all unlikely places, and she can remember as if it were only yesterday….
Dallas, Texas
May 15, 1976
IL TRITTICO [26]
IL TABARRO {30}
Giorgetta……………Renata Scotto
Luigi……………….Harry Theyard
Michele……………..Cornell MacNeil
Frugola……………..Lili Chookasian
Talpa……………….Philip Booth
Tinca……………….Charles Anthony
Song Seller………….Abram Morales
Lover……………….Betsy Norden
Lover……………….Douglas Ahlstedt
Conductor……………Sixten Ehrling
SUOR ANGELICA {26}
Angelica…………….Renata Scotto
Princess…………….Lili Chookasian
Genovieffa…………..Betsy Norden
Osmina………………Mary Fercana
Dolcina……………..Ann Florio
Monitor……………..Marcia Baldwin
Abbess………………Jean Kraft
Head Mistress………..Batyah Godfrey Ben-David
Nurse……………….Cynthia Munzer
Lay Sister…………..Maureen Smith
Lay Sister…………..Joyce Olson
Novice………………Linda Mays
Novice………………Shinja Kwak
Alms Collector……….Alma Jean Smith
Alms Collector……….Elena Doria
Conductor……………Sixten Ehrling
GIANNI SCHICCHI {90}
Gianni Schicchi………Ezio Flagello
Lauretta…………….Renata Scotto
Rinuccio…………….Enrico Di Giuseppe
Nella……………….Betsy Norden
Ciesca………………Marcia Baldwin
Zita………………..Lili Chookasian
Gherardo…………….Charles Anthony
Betto……………….Russell Christopher
Marco……………….Gene Boucher
Simone………………Philip Booth
Gherardino…………..Lawrence Klein
Spinelloccio…………Richard Best
Amantio……………..Andrij Dobriansky
Pinellino……………Herman Marcus
Guccio………………Edmond Karlsrud
Buoso Donati…………Terry Allen
Conductor……………Sixten Ehrling
Happy Birthday, Cieca Baby, and many more.
Here’s your present:
My, my, my. Some of those ensembles looked like they were from the Querelle collection. Off to the veranduh with my smelling salts.
And Cieca, here I had always assumed that the Aennchen here was really you operating under an alias:
…………….
Chicago, Illinois
Columbia Theater
March 7, 1885
DER FREISCHUETZ {2}
Max…………………Anton Udvardy
Agathe………………Anna Robinson
Caspar………………Joseph Koegel
Aennchen……………..Miss Poppenberg [Only performance]
Ottokar……………..Adolf Robinson
Hermit………………Josef Staudigl
Kilian………………Otto Kemlitz
Cuno………………..Joseph Miller
Samiel………………unknown
Bridesmaid…………..Anna Stern
Conductor……………John Lund
Happy (late) Bday cieca
may you have many more!!
Belated best wishes … despite our frquent diagreements, I do seriously wish you many happy returns and years of happiness (operatic and otherwise) to co.. uh, to occur in the future.
Happy Birthday La Cieca!
As a relative newcomer to opera, I cherish your site and look to it (and its members!) for insight, inspiration, pleasure and dementia. Thank you for providing such a destination!
A cyber glass of Veuve for you dearest doyenne
(the best for the best)
& thank you for this wonderful site!