WindyCityOperaman
Dan Soda (Windy City Operaman) is a Chicago native whose first visit to opera was at age 17 and Massenet’s Werther with Troyanos and Kraus. Nothing was ever the same. Opera and concert performances, recordings and video are an obsession. He prepares Parterre Box’s daily birthday and anniversary tributes. He also enjoys concerts, live theater and movies.
Born on this day in 1890 gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.
Born on this day in 1922 soprano Florence Quartararo.
Born on this day in 1908 voice actor and radio comedian Mel Blanc.
Happy Memorial Day US Parterrians!
Born on this day in 1943 soprano Elena Souliotis.
Born on this day in 1911 actor Vincent Price.
Born on this day in 1877 dancer and choreographer Isadora Duncan.
Born on this day in 1929 soprano Beverly Sills.
On this day in 1966 the Jerry Herman musical Mame opened at the Winter Garden Theatre.
Born on this day in 1893 soprano Rosa Raisa.
Born on this day in 1907 comic book creator Hergé.
On this day Gypsy opened at the Broadway Theatre, to run 702 performances.
Happy 84th birthday actress Constance Towers.
Born on this day in 1861 soprano Nellie Melba.
Born on this day in 1892 bass Ezio Pinza.
Born on this day in 1918 soprano Birgit Nilsson.
Born on this day in 1925 mother of four and soprano Patrice Munsel.
Born on this day in 1842 composer Arthur Sullivan.
On this day in 1988 Carrie: The Musical opened on Broadway at the Virginia Theatre and closed after five performances.
Born on this day in 1902 soprano Bidu Sayao.
On this day in 1994 Stephen Sondheim‘s Passion opened on Broadway.
Happy 33rd birthday tenor Michael Fabiano.
On this day in 1967 the Metropolitan Opera performed La Gioconda in Memphis, Tennessee.
The cher public are invited to post YouTube clips of Mme. Dimitrova at her most leonine and/or pachydermatous.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
