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 1830 Donizetti’s Anna Bolena premiered in Milan.
Merry Christmas Parterrians!
On this day in 1903, the Metropolitan Opera presented the first staged performance of Parsifal outside Bayreuth.
Happy 73rd birthday soprano Edita Gruberova.
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
Happy 82nd birthday to activist and actor Jane Fonda.
On this day in 1968, the musical spoof Dames at Sea opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre, starring Bernadette Peters.
Born on this day in 1953 baritone and teacher Sanford Sylvan.
Sixty years ago today soprano Birgit Nilssson made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Isolde.
On this day in 1937 soprano Zinka Milanov made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Il trovatore.
Born on this day in 1899 composer, playwright and actor Noel Coward.
Miss Bette Davis starred in the musical revue Two’s Company, which opened on this day in 1952 at the Alvin Theatre to run only 90 performances.
On this day in 1918 Puccini’s Il Trittico premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.
Happy 89th birthday soprano Rosanna Carteri!
Fifty years ago on this day, Jessye Norman made her professional debut as Wagner’s Elisabeth at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin.
Happy 88th birthday actress and singer Rita Moreno.
On this day in 1910 Puccini’s La fanciulla del West had its world premiere at the Met.
On this day in 1905 Richard Strauss’s Salome premiered in Dresden.
On this day in 1949 the Jule Styne musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre, making a star of Carol Channing and running 740 performances.
Born on this day in 1900 actress Agnes Moorehead.
On this day in 1890 the first complete performance of Les Troyens was given in Karlsruhe.
On this day in 1893 soprano Nellie Melba made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Lucia.
On this day in 1983 soprano Aprile Millo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia Boccanegra.
Born 96 years ago today.
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.
