Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)

Subject: Obit: Beverly Sills
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Jul 07 - 10:38 PM

NEW YORK (AP) - Beverly Sills, the Brooklyn-born opera diva who was a global icon of can-do American culture with her dazzling voice, bubbly personality and management moxie in the arts world, died Monday of cancer, her manager said. She was 78. It had been revealed just last month that Sills was gravely ill with inoperable lung cancer. Sills, who never smoked, died about 9 p.m. Monday at her Manhattan home with her family and doctor at her side, said her manager, Edgar Vincent.

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Jul 07 - 10:42 PM

How sad. Nice lady, great talent, and FUN.

Bye, Bubbles! See ya later!

~S~

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 12:39 AM

I'd enjoyed her for years on various televised performances, but she took it over the top when she did that Carol Burnett special. The whole thing was great, but I really loved that sequence with the pianos.

Here's a photo from her earlier days.

NPR's story

SRS

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills
From: Ebbie
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 01:42 PM

Here is another person who really enjoyed this woman.

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: sapper82
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 03:14 PM

Here's a clip on You Tube with links to several others

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 09:58 PM

She was so incomparable. My very favourite character she sang was the title role of Baby Doe. Exquisite and she was such a wonderful, full of life person. I am sorry to see her go. The angels will have some REAL competition now.

Thanks, Bubbles!

kat

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: Fred Maslan
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 10:04 PM

As a young man I got season tickets to the Opera. After one disappointing Opera after another I was almost convinced that I didn't like opera, and then Beverly Sills came to town, and I realized that it was the local opera company that I didn't care for.She was a phenominal singer and actress and also an all around good person. She will be missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 10:09 PM

A great lady. RIP Bubbles.

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: Genie
Date: 04 Jul 07 - 09:00 PM

Ah, yes,
Bye-bye, Bubbles.

You blessed us all with your music, style, and spirit.

Hasta la vista.

Genie (and the Muppets)

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:11 PM

Two stories about Beverly Sills, one well-known, another not so well-known.

During an interview pending her retirement from singing, she was asked why she was retiring when her voice sounded as great as it ever did. She responded that, singing, while still a joy to her, was not as easy as it once was. Even though the audiences hadn't seemed to notice it yet, she had, and that her voice wasn't as manageable as it used to be. She felt that this was the best time to retire, while she was still on top and before she started to lose it. She said, "I'd rather have people ask, 'Why did she retire?' than have them say 'Why doesn't she retire!??'"

The story most people don't know is this:

After she retired, she became the general manager of the New York City Opera Company. They were mounting a production of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, and they were on the lookout for a young, new, American tenor to sing the role of Hoffmann (that was one of New York City Opera's specialties:   discovering and featuring new American singers).

This was told to me by Lillian Hall, a friend and a wonderful old lady who is no longer with us. She was a patroness of Seattle Opera, knew many of the Seattle Opera singers, and also knew a lot about what was going on behind the scenes.

My wife and I had seen Dennis Bailey, a young tenor, in several Seattle Opera productions, and although I wouldn't say he was the greatest tenor I've ever heard, he was certainly very good. Seattle Opera was also mounting a production of The Tales of Hoffmann some months before the New York company, and Dennis Bailey was slated to sing the role. Knowing about the New York production, Bailey hoped that after doing the Seattle production (five performances), he might be considered for the New York production as well. If so, it would be a major step upward in his singing career. He flew to New York and auditioned for New York City Opera. Beverly Sills was not present for the audition. Whoever did listen to Bailey's audition was nasty and rude, and treated him very shabbily. Bailey, not just disappointed with his reception, but disgusted as well, said to himself, "Okay, if that's the way they are, I wouldn't want to sing there anyway!" and flew back to Seattle.

During the Seattle performances of Hoffmann, Bailey received a telephone call from no less a person than Beverly Sills herself. Unaware that he had already been there, she asked him if he would be interested in coming to New York to audition for their new production. Bailey told her that he already had, and told her what had happened, how he had been treated, and concluded the conversation by saying, "No, thank you, Ms. Sills, I don't think I care to."

The following Wednesday night, after the final curtain of the evening's performance of Hoffmann, Bailey was stunned to see Beverly Sills walking toward him backstage at the Seattle Opera House. She said that she had investigated what he told her on the phone and apologized profusely for the shabby treatment he had received. Then she said, "Would you please forgive us? I would really like you to be our Hoffmann. "   He said, "You mean you would like me to audition?" She said, "That won't be necessary. I was in the audience tonight, I saw your performance, and as far as I'm concerned, you've more than passed any audition." She had flown out to Seattle especially to hear Bailey, to apologize for the rudeness of her staff, and to set things right.

Bailey agreed. Seattle Opera's loss was New York City Opera's gain, but it was a major step up for Dennis Bailey.

What a gracious lady!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Obit: Beverly Sills (2 July 2007)
From: pattyClink
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 09:18 PM

Great story. What great empathy she had for that young man. I understand she was turned down flat in her first 13 professional auditions before somebody would give her a break. Something to remember when one feels rejected and talentless...