Immortal longings Immortal longings

From three centuries, three Cleopatras (not to mention Claudette!) grace today’s Trove Thursday podcast.

“Acting is not rocket science” “Acting is not rocket science”

Happy 57th birthday to actress Viola Davis.

Queen of MGM Queen of MGM

Born on this day in 1902 actress Norma Shearer.

Unrelenting determination Unrelenting determination

On this day in 1975, Liza Minnelli jumped into the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago, the start of a five-week stint filling in for Gwen Verdon, who was recovering from throat surgery.

“Prima donnas in anything are bad” “Prima donnas in anything are bad”

Born on this day in 1910 actress Sylvia Sidney.

Who can I get at this hour? Who can I get at this hour?

Born on this day in 1886 actress and producer Billie Burke.

Give him the ooh-la-la! Give him the ooh-la-la!

Born on this day in 1911 actress Lucille Ball.

Götterdämmerung Götterdämmerung

FInal day of the opening Ring of the 2022 Bayreuth season.

“The easiest job in the world” “The easiest job in the world”

Born on this day in 1911 actor Robert Taylor.

‘Cesare,’ condensed ‘Cesare,’ condensed

I felt that the whole performance at West Edge Opera on Sunday was greater the sum of its parts, particularly due to the dedication of the whole cast and crew amidst all adversities.

Sweet home Ithaca Sweet home Ithaca

Monteverdi’s late Homeric masterpiece Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria isn’t often performed in the United States.

The Queens gambit The Queens gambit

Born on this day in 1910 actress Anita Page.

Festal joy triumphant Festal joy triumphant

The July-August timeframe in the San Francisco Bay Area is always exciting time in terms of opera.

Siegfried Siegfried

Live broadcast from the Bayreuth Festival.

“A woman must be soignée” “A woman must be soignée”

Born on this day in 1904 actress Dolores del Rio.

My dinner with Aeschylus My dinner with Aeschylus

Having had many memorable encounters with these characters before, I had been looking forward to encountering them again in an ambitious contemporary Oresteia, but I left the Armory feeling that writer-director Robert Icke just didn’t get it.

Women and children first! Women and children first!

Born on this day in 1905 actress Myrna Loy.

Die Walküre Die Walküre

The second say of Der Ring des Nibelungen, live from the Bayreuth Festival.

Creative differences Creative differences

Beverly Sills and Renée Fleming (not pictured) rightly crown the list of most-read parterre box articles for August 2022.

“I tried to show that fashion is an art” “I tried to show that fashion is an art”

Born on this day in 1936 fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

Das Rheingold Das Rheingold

A live broadcast as the Bayreuth Festival launches a new Ring cycle.

“I am a stone” “I am a stone”

Happy 83rd birthday to actress France Nuyen.

Moïse et Pharaon Moïse et Pharaon

Recorded July 14 at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Slumber party Slumber party

Happy 66th birthday actress Delta Burke.