Old wine in old bottles
On this day in 1961, The Happiest Girl in the World opened at Martin Beck Theater to run 97 performances.
Questo e Quello
Birdsong
In Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, an opera based on the famed jazz musician’s life, the title character asks, “So if there is a God, why does the negro suffer? Is my prayer, my music lesser, smaller in God’s eyes?”
Chat: Madama Butterfly
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this afternoon’s Met broadcast and HD of Madama Butterfly, starting at 1:00 PM.
Absolutely fabulist
Born on this day in 1805 writer and librettist Hans Christian Andersen.
Chat: Simon Boccanegra
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this evening’s Met broadcast of Simon Boccanegra, starting at 7:25 PM.
Me Jonas, you Jane
Jonas Kaufmann and the mysterious “Jane G.” sparked the most reader interest on parterre box during the month of March.
Our sponsors are fresh as paint
La Cieca and the entire gang down at parterre.com salute our advertisers for the month of April.
Revelry
Born on this day in 1883 American actor, director, and screenwriter Lon Chaney.
The chopping block?
After five flops in a row, Mr. McVicar continues to win new assignments from the Met.
Key, largo
In January the New York Philharmonic announced the appointment of Jaap van Zweden as its next music director commencing the 2018-19 season.
Stream of consciousness
On this day in 1901 Antonin Dvorak‘s opera Rusalka premiered in Prague.
Patronizing went the strings of my heart
Meet the charming and personable “Jane G.,” erstwhile patroness of the the Met.
The best night of her life
On this day in 1970 the musical Applause opened on Broadway.
Death upon with wicked stage
On this day in 1792 King Gustav III of Sweden died after being shot in the back at a midnight masquerade ball at Stockholm’s Royal Opera 13 days earlier.
Keenly missed
Simon, Simon, Simon: how we do love you (and miss you)!
Kaufmann has not canceled, managers say
An article on the Argentine news site La Nacion states that Jonas Kaufmann will withdraw from his singing engagements for this year and the next.
Light from shadow
Javier Camarena offered a performance carefully calibrated to a more intimate venue that nonetheless offered emotionally potent results.
“Life is 95% anticipation”
Born on this day in 1899 actress and author Gloria Swanson.
Chat: Le nozze di Figaro
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this afternoon’s Met broadcast of Le nozze di Figaro, starting at 1:00 PM.
To live and die (with honor) in L.A.
Los Angeles first saw Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly presented at the Mason Opera House downtown in 1908 by the English Grand Opera Company. Rumors that LA Opera Artistic Director Placido Domingo portrayed Cio-Cio San’s little boy in that production remain unsubstantiated.
The hero with a thousand books
Born on this day in 1904 American mythologist and author Joseph Campbell.
I want your Essex
During its first-ever Roberto Devereux Thursday evening one felt transported back to the Volpe years: four of the Met’s biggest stars shining in an opulent (if occasionally perverse) but reassuringly non-challenging production paid for by Sybil B. Harrington.
If looks could kill
What is an Orphic moment? A song so sweet that even Hades must release the dead back to the living?
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).