I was raised on opera AND G&S ! My parents did G&S semi-professionally and from the womb,onwards, I attended rehearsals and shows. My parents' troop did the FIRST complete G&S operetta ( The Mikado ), on American T.V., on NBC, in the summer of '49.
When the D'Oyly Carte Savoyards came to America, after WW II ended, I was taken to see ALL of their performances and we had a box. Martin Green asked one of the American caste ( who was a fill in and someone from our troop ) who that child was, in the box, mouthing every word. My "Uncle" Buddy told him it was ME and I got to go back stage and meet the late GREAT, best KoKo EVER, Martin Green! :-)
I have ALWAYS been a somewhat obsessed G&S fanatic, know all of the operettas by heart...including every single hand movement and bit. :-)
Anytime you care to talk about this, let me know/drop me some FRmail! :-)
In '85, during one of our trips to England, we went to visit Gilbert's home, Grim's Dyke and I stood by the wee river where he drowned and cried. Schwenck is my favorite and always has been; I adore the man.
Ummmmmmmmmmmm....Caruso was somewhat before your parents' time. My great Aunt was his special private secretary ( she was in charge of picking out and sending Christmas and birthday cards and other such bumff for him ) in the teens. Caruso DIED in 1921.
Tibaldi lived a floor or two up from my parents' apartment, in the '60s and if she was practicing, one could hear her as though she was right next to you, in the powder room. It was VERY disconcerting; to say the least. :-(
Absolutely LOVE 1776 and the movie is also very good. Yes, it should be revived; with an ALL WHITE cast, of course! :-)
As to the resat of your post, I concur and have done my part, raising the kiddo and now the grand, to know and appreciate our culture. :-)
You’re right about Caruso. My mother was born in 1992 but I know she saw Richard Tucker and Robert Merrill, among many other greats.
Rosa Ponselle was one of her acquaintances (my mother was a key member of the citizens support group for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Theater (our second home away from home - Heard Andre Watts, Arthur Rubenstein and Van Clyburn there).
My mother was also a semi-professional opera singer (studied under Frank Bibb) and sang in choirs in Baltimore for over 40 years (church and synagogues - under Hugo Weiskall). She was also on the Mayor’s Advisory Council for the Arts and Culture.
Her borther, my uncle, was an internationally known art collector and critic (Picasso, Klee, Kandinsky, Arp, Still, etc, and State Department host for international cultural figures who came to DC and Baltimore). Jackson Pollack was one of his friends.
We hosted the fist public reception for BSO newly appointed conductor Commissioni in our house. I got to walk him in.
Those were the good old days when you got one education in school and another in your home.
Being Jewish we had books, hundreds, if not thousands of them, plus records. We were truly the “people of the books”.
Education is a terrible thing to waste!
“Enjoy! Enjoy!” - Leo Rosten or Harry Golden