Happy 79th birthday to protean diva Grace Bumbry!
Born on this day in 1905 actress Anna May Wong.
On this day in 1843 Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer premiered in Dresden.
On this joyous date in 1818 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was published anonymously.
On this day in 535 Belisarius completed the conquest of Sicily.
On this day in 1927 Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari‘s opera Sly premiered at La Scala.
Born on this day in 1938 actress and producer Mary Tyler Moore.
On this day in 1910 Engelbert Humperdinck’s “other” opera Königskinder premiered at the Met.
On this day in 1927 the Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat premiered.
On this day premiered three masterpieces of the primo ottocento: Anna Bolena in 1830, Norma in 1831 and Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835.
On this day we at parterre box are always reminded of the heartwarming words of the immortal Hedda Hopper.
On this day in 1928 the first broadcast of “The Voice of Firestone” was heard.
On this day in 1958 A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green opened at the John Golden Theater, to run 38 performances.
Happy 157th birthday Giacomo Puccini!
On this day in 1920 the Jerome Kern musical Sally premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre.
Born on this day in 1865 American socialite and interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe.
On this day in 1881 Hérodiade premiered at the Théâtre de la Monnaie.
Born on this day in 1888 actress Gladys Cooper.
On this day in 1989 The Simpsons premiered on Fox.
On this day in 1809 Napoleon Bonaparte was divorced from the Empress Josephine by an act of the French Senate.
On this day in 1939 Gone with the Wind received its premiere at Loew’s Grand Theatre in Atlanta.
On this day in 1918 Giacomo Puccini’s Il Trittico premiered at the Met.
On this day in 1930 actress Bette Davis arrived in Hollywood, under contract to Universal Studios.
Today is the centennial of the birth of pop stylist supreme Frank Sinatra.
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.
