On This Day
Born on this day in 1931 soprano Anita Cerquetti.
Born on this day in 1898 soprano Lily Pons.
A Baroque Valentine’s with Opera Lafayette | Feb | DC & NYC
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
On this day in 1914, George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion opened at His Majesty’s Theatre in London, starring Mrs. Patrick Campbell.
On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo.
On this day in 1928 Mae West played triple threat as playwright, director and star of Diamond Lil, which ran for 323 performances at the Royale Theatre.
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli.
On this day in 1975 Rossini’s Siege of Corinth had its American stage premiere at the Metropolitan Opera. Soprano Beverly Sills made her official Met debut as Pamira.
On this day in 1989 soprano Sumi Jo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda.
Happy 90th birthday soprano Mary Costa.
On this day in 1859 Meyerbeer’s Le pardon de Ploërmel premiered in Paris.
On this day in 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her legendary Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca.
On this day in 1963, Liza Minnelli, age 17, made her off-Broadway debut in a revival of Best Foot Forward.
This afternoon’s “Opera in Exile” features a live recording of Fedora with Franco Corelli and Maria Callas.
Happy 68th birthday soprano Nelly Miricioiu.
On this day in 1892, Adelina Patti sang her first and only performance of La traviata at the Metropolitan Opera House.
On this day in 1966 the musical It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman opened at the Alvin Theatre.
Happy 78th birthday bass Samuel Ramey.
Born on this day in 1899 film diva Gloria Swanson.
On this day in 1964 the Jule Styne–Bob Merrill musical Funny Girl opened at the Winter Garden Theatre, to run 1,348 performances.
Born on this day in 1910 soprano Magda Olivero.
Born on this day in 1808 soprano Maria Malibran.
On this day in 1977 soprano Ileana Cotrubas made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimì.
Born on this day in 1912 soprano Martha Mödl.
On this day in 2003 the legendary Chita Rivera celebrated 50 years as a Broadway performer playing the role of Liliane LeFleur in a Broadway revival of the musical Nine.
STEMdiva status
Ahead of a special boozy, bawdy Valentine’s Day concert, artistic director of Opera Lafayette Patrick Quigley speaks with soprano Maya Kherani about her journey from MIT to rising American Baroque star.
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.