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 1948 tenor Giuseppe di Stefano made his Metropolitan Opera debut at the Duke of Mantua.
A joyous 85th birthday to the tutelary goddess of parterre box, Renata Scotto.
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
On this day in 1980 baritone Leo Nucci made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Renato.
Happy 66th birthday actress and songstress Christine Ebersole.
On this day in 1934 the Gertrude Stein / Virgil Thomson opera Four Saints in Three Acts opened on Broadway.
Born on this day in 1843 soprano Adelina Patti.
Happy Presidents Day!
On this day in 1904, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly had its “disastrous” premiere at La Scala.
On this day in 1966 the Metropolitan Opera debut of tenor Alfredo Kraus as the Duke of Mantua.
On this day in 1938, Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes opened at the National Theatre to run 410 performances.
Happy 60th birthday to soprano, actress, media personality, creative consultant and parterre box muse Renée Fleming.
Happy 50th birthday mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
Happy 95th birthday director and designer Franco Zeffirelli.
On this day in 1966 soprano Pilar Lorengar made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Donna Elvira.
A joyous 92nd birthday to Miss Mary Violet Leontyne Price.
On this day in 1974 soprano Kiri Te Kanawa made an “emergency” Met debut as Desdemona.
On this day in 1996 mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli made her Metropolitan Opera stage debut as Despina.
On this day in 1928 soprano Grace Moore made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.
On this day in 1968 mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris.
On this day in 1959 soprano Leonie Rysanek made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Lady Macbeth.
On this day in 2006 tenor Jonas Kaufmann made his Metropolitan Opera debut in La traviata.
Born on this day in 1887 poet and librettist Gertrude Stein.
Happy 82nd birthday soprano Martina Arroyo.
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.
