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 1959 mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Azucena.
Born on this day in 1927 Broadway and cabaret legend Barbara Cook.
Happy 41st birthday to visionary Yuval Sharon.
Born on this day in 1931 actress Diana Dors.
Born on this day in 1844 actress supreme Sarah Bernhardt.
On this day in 1943 Paul Robeson opened in the title role of Othello at the Shubert Theatre opposite Uta Hagen and José Ferrer. The revival ran 296 performances.
Born on this day in 1902 actress Miriam Hopkins.
On this day in 1951 I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz debuted on CBS.
Born on this day in 1893 actress Lillian Gish.
On this day in 1962 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opened at the Billy Rose Theatre, to run 664 performances.
Born on this day in 1935 tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
On this day in 1958 Don Ameche and Elaine Stritch opened on Broadway in the musical Goldilocks.
Born on this day in 1813 composer Giuseppe Verdi. Born on this day in 1924 soprano Leyla Gencer.
On this day in 1979, the musical revue Sugar Babies opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, to run 1,208 performances.
Born on this day in 1917 actress and dancer June Allyson.
On this day in 1963 Barbra Streisand guest starred on The Judy Garland Show.
On this day in 1961 the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s opened at Radio City Music Hall.
On this day in 1968 the Metropolitan Opera presented Tosca, the first new production of this work since 1917.
On this day in 1941, The Maltese Falcon premiered in New York City.
Happy 85th birthday Dame Julie Andrews.
On this day in 1933, the revue As Thousands Cheer (book by Moss Hart, music and lyrics by Irving Berlin) opened at the Music Box Theatre, to run 400 performances.
Born on this day in 1942 singer and actress Madeline Kahn.
On this day in 1988, the fire effects in the Judgment Scene from Aida at the Met got a little out of control.
Born on this day in 1923 actress and singer Mary McCarty.
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.
