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1-13 of 13
- Actress
- Soundtrack
This vibrant, fine-humored coloratura was able to accomplish what most others of her ilk could or would not do -- she humanized opera and made it approachable to the masses. There were no diva-like traits in this star and the public absolutely adored her for it. Dubbed "America's Queen of Opera" in 1971 by Time magazine, Beverly Sills, the lovely blonde with the toothy smile and fireplace-warm personality, also gained notice for her rise to stardom without benefit of European training, eventually paving the way for other American-trained singers to succeed without the accustomed "Met certification". During her career she recorded 18 full-length operas as well as numerous recital discs. A Victor Herbert album she recorded won a Grammy Award in 1978. If not one of its most distinctive and charismatic voices, she certainly became opera's most accessible figurehead and with it enticed a surprisingly wide audience who would have typically turned away from the long-haired art form.
Brooklyn-born Belle Miriam Silverman arrived on May 25, 1929, to Russian-Jewish émigrés and the good humor already started at birth when she was nicknamed "Bubbles" due to bubbles emanating from her mouth as she arrived. At age 3 she made her debut on a kiddie show and won a Brooklyn "beautiful baby" contest as well. Her singing gifts were detected early on and she began to study at age 7. Performing increasingly on various radio shows well into her teen years, she made her operatic debut at age 18 singing the role of Frasquita in "Carmen" with the Philadelphia Civic Opera.
In the early 1950s Beverly toured with the Charles L. Wagner Opera Company and established herself in the roles of Violetta in "La Traviata" and Micaela in "Carmen". The highlight during this time came with her role as Helen of Troy in "Mephistopheles" with the San Francisco Opera in 1953. She met future husband Peter Greenough, an associate editor, while touring with the New York City Opera in 1955 (she had auditioned unsuccessfully for the company for nearly 4 years). The couple married a year later and went on to have two children: Meredith and Peter Jr. Despite her sunny, optimistic demeanor, Beverly had her fair share of misfortune. Her daughter was born deaf and son born autistic. For the remainder of her life she became an avid spokesperson for children with particular needs.
Her buildup on the opera scene was surprisingly gradual. Over the years she developed a strong repertoire of leading roles in the works of Mozart, Handel, Offenbach, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi. Stardom came with the role of Cleopatra in Handel's "Julius Caesar" in 1966 at Lincoln Center, and she confirmed it with subsequent roles in "Le Coq d'Or, "Mamon", "Lucia di Lammermoor" "The Siege of Corinth" and "Il Trittico".
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s she made herself available to the public in lighter forums at such open venues as the Hollywood Bowl. She willingly shared both the stage and small screen with such unlikely co-stars as Carol Burnett ("Sills and Burnett at the Met"), Danny Kaye, John Denver, Tony Bennett, Johnny Carson and even the Muppets. She won four Emmys for her interview show "Lifestyles with Beverly Sills" in the late 70s. On the operatic side, some of her televised performances included that of "The Barber of Seville", "La Traviata" and "Manon".
Beverly's lyric soprano began to falter at around age 50 in the late 1970s. She bid her audiences adieu in a 1980 performance of "Die Fledermaus" with Joan Sutherland for the San Diego Opera. Later that decade she was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980 and was paid tribute at the 1985 Kennedy Center Honors for her lifetime of contribution to the arts.
In later years Beverly worked behind the scenes after taking over the mismanaged City Opera Company and turning things around as its general director. She retired successfully from that leadership post in 1989 and five years later became chairman of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Retiring in 2002, she took over the chair for the Metropoliatan Opera itself until 2005 due to family obligations and health issues. Her husband Peter died in September of 2006; ten months later Beverly would follow.
(Obviously) a non-smoker all her life, Beverly nevertheless developed lung cancer. Her father had died of the same disease back in 1947. She died on July 2, 2007 at her Manhattan residence. Her two children and one grandchild survive.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Git Gay was born on 13 July 1921 in Karlshamn, Blekinge län, Sweden. She was an actress, known for Det var en gång en sjöman (1951), Skrattbomben (1954) and Spöke på semester (1951). She was married to Lennart Carp. She died on 2 July 2007 in Malmö, Sweden.- José María Guillén was born on 26 March 1949 in Madrid, Spain. He was an actor, known for Estudio 1 (1965), El teatro (1970) and Le coeur à l'envers (1980). He died on 2 July 2007 in Madrid, Spain.
- Production Designer
- Art Director
- Set Decorator
Max Douy was born on 20 June 1914 in Issy-les-Moulineaux, Hauts-de-Seine, France. He was a production designer and art director, known for Moonraker (1979), The Rules of the Game (1939) and Malevil (1981). He died on 2 July 2007 in Nogent-sur-Marne, Val-de-Marne, France.- Additional Crew
- Actor
Moe Di Sesso was born on 20 April 1924 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988), The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and Annie (1982). He died on 2 July 2007 in Newhall, California, USA.- Composer
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Academy Award-nominated songwriter and lyricist ("Unchained Melody", 1955, with composer Alex North for the film "Unchained") and attorney, educated at West Virginia University and the Brooklyn Law School (LL.B). He practised law for several years, then joined the United States Army in World War II, serving in the Special Services where he wrote special material for the album "Strictly G.I.".
Hy Zaret was presented with numerous honors and awards for his works, including a George Foster Peabody Award, Ohio State University Institute for Education Award (twice), National Conference of Christians and Jews Award, American Heritage Foundation Award: Freedom House.
His commissions and citations include those from the United States Public Health Service, the American Medical Association, the National Foundation on Infantile Paralysis, the National Safety Council, and the United States Treasury Department.
He joined ASCAP in 1942, and his chief musical collaborators included Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer and Louis Singer.- Gottfried von Bismarck was born on 19 September 1962 in Uccle, Belgium. He was an actor, known for Rabe, Pilz & dreizehn Stühle (1972), Die Eisprinzessin (1996) and Hitler's Generals (1996). He died on 2 July 2007 in London, England, UK.
- Aleksandar Sisic was born on 17 August 1937 in Obrenovac, Serbia, Yugoslavia. He was an actor, known for Majstori (1972) and A Star is Born (2010). He died on 2 July 2007 in Belgrade, Serbia.
- Nelson Embleton was born on 31 August 1928 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Laramie Project (2002). He died on 2 July 2007 in Denver, Colorado, USA.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Fossard was born on 15 August 1912 in Rivery, Somme, France. He was a cinematographer and assistant director, known for Children of Paradise (1945), Port of Shadows (1938) and Yamilé sous les cèdres (1939). He died on 2 July 2007 in Vierzon, Cher, France.- Cinematographer
- Writer
- Director
Mario Grut, born 1930 in Gothenburg, was a Swedish writer, translator and photographer. Brought up in Thailand, studied in Sweden, France and USA, recruited to the Stockholm newspaper Aftonbladet in the late 50's by the editor/author Karl Vennberg. There he wrote culture chronicles, film and theater reviews, and he remained faithful to the newspaper throughout his life. In 1958 he married Birgitta Sundén and together they toured Europe on a vespa, making friends with Ezra Pound and other nobilities. Besides working as a culture journalist he was involved in filmmaking, directing and cinematography. "Tre städer/Three Cities" (1968) was filmed in Dublin, Alger and Dimitrovgrad, together with director/writer Berndt Klyvare. Mario Grut was a brilliant language equilibrists known for his interpretations of Jean-Paul Sartre, Brendan Beehan, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Shelagh Delaney and Isaac Deutscher. Mario Grut died outside his summer house on Gotland, with his head facing the sea, in July 2007.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Luigi Scarabello was born on 17 June 1916 in Aulla, Tuscany, Italy. He was an assistant director and actor, known for Il diavolo va in collegio (1944), La bisbetica domata (1942) and Giorni felici (1942). He was married to Lilia Silvi. He died on 2 July 2007 in Nettuno, Lazio, Italy.- Jimmy Walker was born on 8 April 1944 in Amherst, Virginia, USA. He died on 2 July 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA.