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 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her historical, belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca.
On this day in 1977 tenor Guy Chauvet made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Samson.
On this day in 1891 Mme. Vera Galupe-Borszkh sang the role of “Violetta” in Verdi’s La traviata for the very first time in her career.
On this day in 1999 the Metropolitan Opera offered its first production of Carlisle Floyd‘s Susannah.
Good Friday 2018.
On this day in 1982 conductor Bernard Haitink made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Fidelio.
Happy 76th birthday Samuel Ramey!
Happy 68th birthday mezzo-soprano/soprano Maria Ewing.
On this day in 1964 the Jule Styne-Bob Merrill musical Funny Girl opened at the Winter Garden Theatre, to run 1348 performances.
Born today, two colossi of the lyric theater: in 1867 conductor Arturo Toscanini and in 1910 soprano Magda Olivero.
On this day in 1920, the Metropolitan Opera presented its first performance of Eugene Onegin.
On this day in 1977 soprano Ileana Cotrubas made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.
Birthday greetings to two musical theatre giants: Stephen Sondheim, 88, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, 70.
On this day in 2008 soprano Angela Meade made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Elvira in Ernani.
Happy vernal equinox, today at 12:15 PM EDT.
Three Metropolitan Opera premieres on this date!
On this day in 1977 Alban Berg‘s Lulu premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in the as-yet incomplete two act version.
On this day in 1951 soprano Victoria de los Angeles made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marguerite in Faust.
Happy birthday to a brace of perennial divas: Christa Ludwig (pictured), age 90, and Teresa Berganza, age 83!
Two very different Broadway musical dramas opened on this date: Menotti’s The Consul in 1950 and Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady in 1956.
On this day in 1847 Verdi’s Macbeth premiered at the Teatro della Pergola in Firenze.
On this day in 1997 Robert Carsen made his Met debut with a new production of Eugene Onegin.
On this day in 1979 soprano Marisa Galvany made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Norma, replacing Shirley Verrett with only four hours notice.
On this day in 1985 Giuseppe Sinopoli made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tosca.
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.
