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 night in 1951 Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors premiered on television.
Happy 71st birthday soprano Edita Gruberova.
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
On this day in 1921 Jerome Kern‘s Sally opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre, to run 561 performances.
Born on this day in 1907 soprano Marion Talley.
Born on this day in 1915 singer Edith Piaf.
Born on this day in 1920 soprano Rita Streich with music for the holidays.
On this day in 1398 the Turkic conqueror Tamerlane captured and sacked Delhi.
Born on this day in 1899 composer, playwright and actor Noel Coward.
Happy 100th birthday soprano Hilde Zadek!
On this day in 1918 Puccini’s Il Trittico premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.
Happy 90th birthday actress Genevieve Page.
>Happy 60th birthday playwright, actor, film director and (sort of) opera director Robert Lepage.
On this day in 1960 the Cy Coleman musical Wildcat (Lucille Ball‘s only Broadway show) opened at the Alvin Theatre, to run 141 performances.
Born on this day in 1914 actress and singer Dorothy Lamour.
Born on this day in 1897 actress Hermione Gingold.
On this day in 1949 the Jule Styne musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened on Broadway.
Born on this day in 1863 composer Pietro Mascagni.
On this day in 1966 the Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones two-character musical I Do! I Do! opened at the 46th Street Theatre, to run 560 performances
Born on this day in 1921 actress and singer Deanna Durbin.
On this day in 1953 the Wright-Forrest-Borodin musical Kismet opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre, to run 583 performances.
Born on this day in 1923.
On this day in 1968 the Burt Bacharach / Hal David / Neil Simon musical Promises Promises opened on at the Shubert Theatre, to run 1,281 performances.
On this day in 1990 Lella Cuberli made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Semiramide.
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.
