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 1952 Bette Davis returned to Broadway in Two’s Company.
On this day in 1918 Puccini’s Il trittico premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.
Happy 88th birthday soprano Rosanna Carteri!
On this day in 1921, Geraldine Farrar performed the title role in Leoncavallo’s Zazà at the Met.
Happy 87th birthday actress and singer Rita Moreno.
On this day in 1910 the Metropolitan Opera presented the world premiere of Puccini’s La fanciulla del West.
On this day in 1905 Salome premiered in Dresden.
On this day in 1849 Verdi’s Luisa Miller premiered in Naples.
On this day in 1940 soprano Eleanor Steber made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier.
Born on this day in 1900 actress Agnes Moorehead.
Born on this day in 1898 soprano and film diva soprano Grace Moore.
Born on this day in 1921 singer and actress Deanna Durbin.
On this day in 1983 soprano Aprile Millo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra.
Born on this day in 1923.
On this day no skies are gray on that great white way.
On this day in 1962 conductor Ernest Ansermet made his in-house Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Pelléas et Mélisande.
On this day in 1948 Verdi’s Otello was the first opera to be telecast from the Met.
Born on this day in 1904 soprano Helen Jepson.
On this day in 1843 Michael Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl premiered in London.
On this day in 1961 soprano Joan Sutherland made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor.
On this day in 1959, the musical Once Upon a Mattress transferred uptown to Broadway.
On this day in 1938, two Met debuts in La bohème: tenor Jussi Bjoerling and soprano Mafalda Favero.
On this day in 1903 tenor Enrico Caruso made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Duke of Mantua.
Happy Thanksgiving USA Parterrians!
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.
