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.
On this day in 1944 the film noir Double Indemnity directed by Billy Wilder was released in Baltimore, Maryland
On this day in 1941 Noel Coward‘s play Blithe Spirit premiered in London.
Born on this day in 1916 actress Olivia de Havilland.
On this day in 1956 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Pipe Dream closed at Shubert Theater, NYC, after 245 performances.
Born on this day in 1901 baritone and film star Nelson Eddy.
On this day in 1846 Adolphe Sax received a patent for what would become his greatest invention.
Born on this day in 1932 soprano Anna Moffo.
On this day, The Ziegfeld Follies of 1924 opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre with a cast including Billie Burke, W. C. Fields, Will Rogers, Vivienne Segal, Ethel Shutta and Louise Brooks.
Happy Pride! On this day in 1978 the rainbow flag representing gay pride was presented for the first time during the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade.
Born on this day in 1763 Joséphine de Beauharnais.
On this day in 2006 The Devil Wears Prada premiered in Los Angeles.
On this day in 1966 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, film directorial debut of Mike Nichols, is released.
On this day in 1974 the ultimate film noir, Chinatown, was released.
On this day in 1967 Barbra Streisand played her “Happening in Central Park” for an audience of 135,000.
On this day in 1989 “actress and socialite” Zsa Zsa Gabor was arrested for slapping a Beverly Hills motorcycle patrolman.
Born on this day in 1913 comedian and actor Paul Lynde.
On this day in 1963 the fabulously expensive but less than satisfying film epic Cleopatra premiered in New York City.
According to the MGM press office, today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Judy Garland.
On this day in 1995 Wigstock The Movie premiered in the United States.
On this day in 452 AD, Attila the Hun invaded Italy.
On this day in 1981 42nd Street won the Tony Awards for “Best Musical” and “Best Choreography.”
On this day in 1975 Joan Sutherland sang La traviata during the Metropolitan Opera’s tour in Tokyo.
On this day in 1971 Grace Bumbry made her role debut as Tosca as part of the Metropolitan Opera Summer Festival.
On this day in 1967 Barbara Bain won the Emmy Award for “Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series” for Mission: Impossible.
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.
