2007年VOA标准英语-Opera Legend Beverly Sills Considered the Peopl
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By Liz GiegerichNew York
06 July 2007
American opera legend Beverly Sills, who died July 2 at 78, was viewed by much of the American public as the girl next door who happened to sing brilliant high D's in the world's most famed opera houses. Sills' stardom stretched from the highbrow world of the Metropolitan1 Opera to the playful world of the Muppets on television. From VOA's New York Bureau correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has an appreciation2 written by Liz Giegerich.
Sills began her career early in Brooklyn, New York, performing on local radio stations and in laundry soap commercials. By seven years of age she was singing at ladies luncheons3 and at community parties, on the radio and in a short film.
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| Beverly Sills (1969 file photo) |
As her operatic success mounted, Beverly Sills accomplished5 the seemingly impossible: demystifying the world of opera for average Americans. She became a familiar face on popular television shows like the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and the international television puppet show, The Muppets.
Sill's sense of humor fit into prime time television as easily as her vibrato fit on the stage. Brian Kellow is a reporter with Opera News, a monthly, New York-based opera magazine. He explains why Beverly Sills became America's beloved diva.
"She gave the appearance of being an average, warm, funny, gregarious6 lady from Brooklyn," he said. "I think it helped the general public see that opera singers weren't necessarily completely a breed apart."
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| Beverly Sills (2006 file photo) |
"She was a champion fundraiser," said Kellow. "She was such an impassioned advocate for her own company. And of course, she had a great performing background to back it up and people wanted to help her. People wanted to give her money that she asked for"
Sills donated generous amounts of time, money and compassion9 to charitable causes outside of the arts as well. As the mother of two children afflicted10 with serious birth defects, she became a public voice for children's charities. Few artists have bridged opera and the Muppets with elegance11 and charm.
Beverly Sills is remembered as a woman who brightened the faces of children in their living rooms, music lovers in majestic12 opera houses and millions of ordinary Americans.
