Opera&Baseball?

Opera & Baseball?

New York Times, June 30, 1910

Opera-company baseball teams were reported on in newspapers from coast to coast by the 1870s. The NY-Boston baseball rivalry began in 1909 with two opera teams (one was the original Mets).

Wed. Oct. 29 6-9 pm (talk at 7 pm) Atrium at Citigroup Center

Ballplayers Stan Musial and Joe Torre each got a baseball autographed by tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

Chicago Tribune, June 1, 1916

The Metropolitan Opera took Siegfried on a 1916 ballpark tour. The largest opera audience was in Expos Stadium in 1988.

Pittsburgh Press, January 22, 1911

Atlanta Constitution, April 15, 1886

Many ballplayers became opera singers. Signor Brocolini was the first to sing the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance; called John Clark, he played first base for Detroit.

New York Times, August 15, 1888

Casey at the Bat was introduced in an opera performance, Take Me Out to the Ball Game at a Brooklyn opera house. baseball’s Don Mattingly performing on an opera stage

For half a century before television, fans in the U.S. & Canada went to opera houses to watch live, away baseball games.

short stop Brandon Crawford & mezzo-soprano Zanda Švēde photo for San Francisco Opera by Scott Wall

view from the Coors Light Sky Deck at the Detroit Opera House In 1888, the first opera about baseball was performed. Baseball operas continue to be written and performed.

Public event amid historic baseball art & artifacts; special illustrated talk by Emmy-award-winning opera engineer & historian Mark Schubin Atrium at Citigroup Center, 153 E. 53rd Street RSVP: Neil Scherer 646-285-1497 [email protected] Babe Ruth sang in opera houses? Really. Come and be amazed.

a free event for

a portion of gallery sales during the event will go to Opera America Special thanks to Boston Properties & WorldStage