Beverly Sills Gravely Ill with Lung Cancer

[Anne]

Former Met coloratura soprano, 78, reportedly in New York hospital


Beverly Sills retired from the stage in 1980 at 51 and began a career leading New York's performing arts community as general director of the New York City Opera. She became chairwoman of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1994 and the Met's chairwoman in 2002.
 
Updated: 2 hours, 18 minutes ago
NEW YORK - Beverly Sills, the opera diva who won over fans worldwide with her sparkling voice and charming personality and later became a powerhouse in the New York arts world, is gravely ill with cancer, The Associated Press has learned.

Sills, 78, was chairwoman of the Metropolitan Opera until she resigned two years ago, citing health and family reasons. She remains the Met's chairwoman emerita.

The Met would neither confirm nor deny news of her illness, but people close to the situation said Sills was at a Manhattan hospital, with her daughter at her side.

In an e-mail this week to members of its board, the Met said Sills was "gravely ill." One person said she was suffering from lung cancer. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to announce news of her health.

Sills, a nonsmoker, underwent successful cancer surgery in 1974.

Born Belle Miriam Silverman in Brooklyn, the coloratura soprano made her opera debut in 1947 in Philadelphia in a bit role in "Carmen." She became a star with the smaller New York City Opera, where she first performed in 1955 in Johann Strauss Jr.'s "Die Fledermaus." She was acclaimed for performances in such operas as Douglas Moore's "The Ballad of Baby Doe," Massenet's "Manon" and Handel's "Giulio Cesare."

She didn't appear at the Met until 1975, shortly before her retirement from singing — which made it surprising when the Met asked her to sit on its board in 2002.

Beyond the music world, Sills gained fans worldwide with a personality that matched her childhood nickname — Bubbles. The relaxed, red-haired diva appeared frequently on "The Tonight Show," "The Muppet Show" and singing with her friend Carol Burnett. As recently as last season, she hosted some of the Met's new high definition theater broadcasts.

[Anne]

I am sorry to hear she is so ill.

Earlier I had posted regarding a magnificent performance of Roberto Devereux she had made.  Here it is -


There is a DVD (made from a VHS tape) of Beverly Sills Singing Queen Elizabeth I in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux at Wolftrap.

Sills is so good in that role!  She makes one's spine tingle and arms get goosebumps. This was the best-acted opera of any I have ever seen.  It taught me that opera was not only singing but also drama  The other singers were John Alexander, Susanne Marsee, and Richard Fredericks.  The melodies in this opera are rather numerous.

Someone once said that Sills, by her performance, took a 2nd class opera and forged it into a first class.  Everyone should see this DVD.

[Montpellier]

This is very sad indeed.  I love her voice and stage presence.   First heard her in a performance of Lucia at a time when wailers and screamers were at the height of popularity, and her voice, light, accurate, expressive, came over as just beautiful.  But I know the Roberto Devereux DVD well.  I can listen endlessly to her.

A great shame.  Very saddening. 

[zamyrabyrd]

I don't like her at all as a singer but can feel sorry for anyone with lung cancer.
She's not the first non-smoker I've heard of who got it.
Maybe instead of prohibiting smoking all over the world, other types of more lethal pollution shold be banned.

ZB

[MishaK]

I don't like her at all as a singer but can feel sorry for anyone with lung cancer.
She's not the first non-smoker I've heard of who got it.
Maybe instead of prohibiting smoking all over the world, other types of more lethal pollution shold be banned.

...such as finally electrifying all the railroads in this country. It's like 1950 here in the US with giant diesel engines spewing unfiltered exhaust.

[CaroNome]

I heard this news yesterday and was so upset that I couldn't bare to go to any forum and see people talking about it. Sills is one of my top sopranos and my thoughts and prayers are with her, I hope that she is not suffering and when (or if) she passes on, that she rests in peace. I hate to be writing her obituary so quickly, but I heard from some one at the Met that when she sent the story out, it was to prepare people for her death.

Viva La Sills!