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 1926 soprano Evelyn Lear.
On this day in 1955 contralto Marian Anderson made her historic Metropolitan Opera debut.
Born on this day in 1412 heroine of France, martyr and saint Jeanne d’Arc.
On this day in 1977 soprano Edita Gruberova made her Met debut as the Queen of the Night.
Happy 82nd birthday soprano/mezzo-soprano Grace Bumbry.
On this day in 1956 the Metropolitan Opera celebrated the 25th anniversary of the debut of soprano Lily Pons with a special gala performance.
On this day in 1969 opened one of the most notorious flops of the 1960s, The Fig Leaves Are Falling, which opened at the Broadhurst Theatre to run only four performances.
On this day in 1908 composer Gustav Mahler made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera conducting Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.
On this day in 2009 Yannick Nézet-Séguin made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Carmen.
On this day in 1954 the Harold Arlen–Truman Capote musical House of Flowers opened at the Alvine Theatre to run 165 performances.
On this day in 1962, the Met offered its premiere of Ariadne auf Naxos.
Happy 52nd birthday tenor Piotr Beczala!
Born on this day in 1901 actress and diseuse Marlene Dietrich.
On this day in 1830 Donizetti’s Anna Bolena premiered at the Teatro Carcano in Milan.
Merry Christmas, parterrians!
On this night in 1951 Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors premiered on television.
Happy 72nd birthday soprano Edita Gruberova.
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
On this day in 1920 Jerome Kern‘s Sally, produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre to run 561 performances.
On this day in 1999 John Harbison‘s The Great Gatsby premiered at the Met.
Happy 65th birthday to baritone and teacher Sanford Sylvan!
On this day in 1959 soprano Birgit Nilsson made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Isolde.
On this day in 1937 soprano Zinka Milanov made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Leonora in Il trovatore.
Born on this day in 1770 composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
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.
