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 1943 actress, singer and dancer Anita Morris.
Happy 73rd birthday soprano Julia Migenes.
Happy 76th birthday to the one and only Miss Liza Minnelli.
Born on this day in 1903 author, politician, U.S. ambassador and public conservative figure Clare Boothe Luce.
Born on this day in 1918 “hard-boiled” crime novelist Mickey Spillane.
Born on this say in 1922 actress and dancer Cyd Charisse.
Born on this day in 1959 Broadway diva Donna Murphy.
Happy 78th birthday soprano Kiri Te Kanawa.
Born on this day in 1922 actor, director, and screenwriter Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Born on this day in 1934 singer and actress Barbara McNair.
Born on this day in 1911 actress Jean Harlow.
On this day in 1933 the film King Kong premiered simultaneously at Radio City Music Hall and the RKO Roxy.
On this day in 1979 Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler‘s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opened at the Uris Theatre.
Born on this day in 1948 actress and singer Bernadette Peters.
Born on this day in 1932 actress and humanitarian Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
Born on this day in 1921 actress, comedian, dancer, and singer Betty Hutton.
On this day in 1953, Wonderful Town, a collaboration between Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Leonard Bernstein, opened at the Winter Garden Theater. Rosalind Russell starred as aspiring writer Ruth Sherwood.
Happy 88th Birthday soprano, director and teacher Renata Scotto.
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
Born on this day in 1921 actress Giulietta Masina.
Born on this day in 1934 actress Rue McClanahan.
Born on this day in 1937 singer and actress Nancy Wilson.
Born on this day in 1911 actress Merle Oberon.
Born on this day in 1926 mezzo-soprano Rita Gorr.
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.
