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 1910 actress Anita Page.
On this day in 1829 Gioachino Rossini‘s Guillaume Tell premiered at Salle Le Peletier in Paris.
On this day in 1947 soprano Maria Callas made her Italian opera debut in La Gioconda at the Arena di Verona.
Born on this day in 1936 designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
Born on this day in 1939 actress France Nuyen.
Happy 67th birthday to actress Delta Burke.
Born on this day in 1905 actress Clara Bow.
On this day in 1920 the musical comedy Poor Little Ritz Girl opened on Broadway with a score shared between Sigmund Romberg and Richard Rodgers.
On this day in 1940 Bugs Bunny made his film debut in A Wild Hare.
Born on this day in 1895 actress and comedienne Gracie Allen.
On this day in 1966 The Supremes released “You Can’t Hurry Love.”
On this day in 1983 Angela Lansbury headlined a Broadway revival of Mame that ran only 41 performances.
On this day in 1961 American singer Grace Bumbry became the first Black artist to perform at the Bayreuth Festival. She earned 42 curtain calls.
On this day in 1959 Ed Wood‘s magnum opus Plan 9 from Outer Space premiered.
Released on this day in 1943, the film musical Stormy Weather.
Born on this day in 1930 actress Sally Ann Howes.
Born on this day in 1908 actress Lupe Vélez.
Born on this day in 1914 soprano Eleanor Steber.
Born on this day in 1911 “triple threat” performer Ginger Rogers.
Happy 44th birthday to Broadway’s Laura Benanti.
On this day in 1989, soprano Jessye Norman sang “La Marseillaise” at the Place de la Concorde, Paris, to celebrate 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
Born on this day in 1895 soprano Kirsten Flagstad.
Happy 54th birthday tenor Jonas Kaufmann.
Born on this day in 1889 writer, filmmaker and designer Jean Cocteau.
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.
