# Aside from Callas, which opera singer would make the best movie subject?



## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

In answer to the title question I'm expecting everyone to say "Maria Callas," which is why I'm deliberately leaving her out. (I think it goes without saying that there should be a biopic about Callas.) So which other opera singers do you feel had/have lives interesting enough to be made into movies? And what ideas do you have as far as scripts or casting are concerned? 

It may not be the most obvious choice, but the singer I'd pick to base a movie around is Robert Merrill. From his Brooklyn, New York origins as the son of Polish Jewish immigrants to his stutter which singing helped cure (shades of THE KING'S SPEECH!), to his early radio career and his subsequent success at the Met (starting with his debut in LA TRAVIATA with Licia Albanse), and then his having to deal with unfavorable comparisons between himself and more "dramatic" baritones (e.g. Tito Gobbi), Robert Merrill had the kind of life that would make a pretty fascinating movie, I believe.

Any other suggestions for opera singer biopic subjects? Incidentally, my idea was that an actor/actress would play the singer, and lip-sync to the singer's actual recordings.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Norman Treigle of NY City Opera fame. What a sad and unfulfilled career of a magnificent and multi-talented bass.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Maria Malibran. There are already a few.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

*Lillian Nordica.*

I mentioned her before:

http://www.talkclassical.com/38249-florence-foster-jenkins-bio-3.html

The story of her life is quite operatic and cinematic. Born native American, she then became the first American at Bayreuth. Her first husband was her cousin, who disappeared in a mysterious balloon accident (from England to France). Her second husband was the Hungarian singer Zoltan Dome, who instilled in her the love for Hungarian music (her finest recording is definitely La Grange Aria from Hunyadi Laszlo by the famous Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel). They divorced due to his infidelity. Her third marriage was with a wealthy business man, and again it was unhappy for her. On her very last tour, her ship wrecked into a coral reef; she remained there for days, suffered from pneumonia. She failed to recover and died shortly after. And now? *It was rumored that her spirit haunts a Auditorium , dedicated to her, at University of Maine in Farmington.*

Myths and legends aside, she is wonderful singer. As some early Wagnerian sopranos, she sung his music with the Italian bel canto style. The voice is huge but has agility.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

A horror film about Pavarotti's eyebrows would be unnerving.










Just look at those things!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Corelli for the eye candy with the right guy in sprayed on tights


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

The extraordinary life of Dame Joan Sutherland, from down under to world fame.
No scandals, just a live devoted to singing, son and husband.


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

Tito Gobbi (which would include a majority of Callas, so is he STILL able to get on the list?)

Sherrill Milnes (chronicling his debut in '59-'60 to his vocal troubles of the mid 80's to his eventual firing from the Met, in 1996. Then, they show the actual Sherril Milnes and have him in a masterclass or something.)

Titta Ruffo (His "training" to when he lost his Golden lion voice)

Shirley Verrett (Her rise to stardom, her racial problems with society over dating and marrying a white-American, her battles with Bumbry, and a tribute to her legacy at the end.)

Grace Bumbry (Her breakout moment singing Venus, in Tannhauser (being the first black performer in Bayreuth, Germany), her ascension to Soprano Falcon/Lower Assoluta Soprano roles and they show so much.)

Jerome Hines ( His Voice from age 14 to when it fully matured, his conversion from Scientific Atheist to Bible-believing Christian, his Inspirational transformation of American Opera (I am the Way), his most "infamous" student, Joseph Shore, his official last Metropolitan Opera performance in 2001, at the age of 89-91.)

Malibran (obvious)
Colbran (Obvious)
Ewa Podles (One of the greatest pure contralto voices of our time but no one remembers her original debut as a Mezzo-Soprano. Chronicle her debut up to her first pregnancy, which combined with her menstrual cycle, lowered her glorious instrument and made her a pure "earthy" singer.)

It'd be nice if we could get one for Leontyne Price (not a big fan but her history is fascinating,) and Placido Domingo.


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

In all honesty, this would be boring. I'd rather focus on Marilyn Horne. At least with her and her personality, she's more "prima donna" (despite, playing second fiddle to Sutherland and the likes.) You can build a GREAT story off of her Soprano days and why she decided to switch from Soprano to Mezzo.

Elena Obratsova would also be another good pick.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Pugg said:


> The extraordinary life of Dame Joan Sutherland, from down under to world fame.
> No scandals, just a live devoted to singing, son and husband.


A lot of the movie's drama could come from the fact that Dame Joan was very awkward as a child/young adult, and uncomfortable with the idea of acting. And also from the fact that she believed she was a Wagnerian or a mezzo before Richard Bonynge convinced her she was actually a coloratura soprano. And then, of course, there was her famous Covent Garden debut as Lucia, which took place on a day when she wasn't feeling well. Despite being ill she triumphed and became an overnight sensation. Yes, I think I see the makings of a good movie here!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

The problem with Joan is that the only people who could resemble her in the role would be a male actor, with her big frame and very masculine facial features. I like the way she looks, but no woman in Hollywood even closely resembles her. Hollywood likes movies about beautiful people and Joan's unconventional looks were a big part of her public persona. Angelica Houston is the right size but is too old and her face is wrong.


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## Lensky (May 8, 2016)

*Galina Vishnevskaya*

Read her autobiography : " Galina, a Russian story". This is/ was a fantastic life!


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> The problem with Joan is that the only people who could resemble her in the role would be a male actor, with her big frame and very masculine facial features. I like the way she looks, but no woman in Hollywood even closely resembles her. Hollywood likes movies about beautiful people and Joan's unconventional looks were a big part of her public persona. Angelica Houston is the right size but is too old and her face is wrong.


Miranda Hart could give it a go..










Or go a bit more Hollywood with Gwendoline Christie










Is John Snow a Hobbit?


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Seattleoperafan said:


> The problem with Joan is that the only people who could resemble her in the role would be a male actor, with her big frame and very masculine facial features. I like the way she looks, but no woman in Hollywood even closely resembles her. Hollywood likes movies about beautiful people and Joan's unconventional looks were a big part of her public persona. Angelica Houston is the right size but is too old and her face is wrong.


Well, I think as long as they cast a woman 5'9" or taller and with red hair, most people would "buy" her in the role. After all, Colin Firth played King George in THE KING'S SPEECH without looking anything like the real King George. With Sutherland I think the most important thing is that the actress be sort of "plain" but capable of looking glamorous in an evening gown and with her hair and makeup done. Sort of like Streisand in FUNNY GIRL, I guess.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bellinilover said:


> Well, I think as long as they cast a woman 5'9" or taller and with red hair, most people would "buy" her in the role. After all, Colin Firth played King George in THE KING'S SPEECH without looking anything like the real King George. With Sutherland I think the most important thing is that the actress be sort of "plain" but capable of looking glamorous in an evening gown and with her hair and makeup done. Sort of like Streisand in FUNNY GIRL, I guess.


I bet if they ask Richard nicely he leant them those gowns with pleasure .


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

A movie about *Kathleen Ferrier* would be justified but might be too heartbreaking.


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

If they can make a film about talentless, self deluded Florence Foster Jenkins, then they can make a sequel about.....ME!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Belowpar said:


> If they can make a film about talentless, self deluded Florence Foster Jenkins, then they can make a sequel about.....ME!


May I be your accompanist?


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Anya Netrebka for the janitress to diva story and because she's eye-candy.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Tuoksu said:


> Anya Netrebka for the janitress to diva story and because she's eye-candy.


Got to say, it makes me like her all the more that she dates/marries fellow opera singers instead of going with some hedge fund or dot.com billionaire guy. But of course that makes her less of a 'story'. I like she's still fully one of ours.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> Anya Netrebka for the janitress to diva story and because she's eye-candy.


Are we talking about Netrebko ?


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Are we talking about Netrebko ?


No one else.

Now who would play Gergiev ? :devil:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Tuoksu said:


> No one else.
> 
> Now who would play Gergiev ? :devil:


Not me, yourself perhaps?


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Caruso - pity they never made a film about him - I always though Mario Lanza would have played him well.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

stomanek said:


> Caruso - pity they never made a film about him - I always though Mario Lanza would have played him well.


Didn't Mario Lanza play him in THE GREAT CARUSO?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> Johanna Maria Lind (6 October 1820 - 2 November 1887), better known as Jenny Lind, was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and undertook an extraordinarily popular concert tour of America beginning in 1850. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music from 1840.
> 
> Lind became famous after her performance in Der Freischütz in Sweden in 1838. Within a few years, she had suffered vocal damage, but the singing teacher Manuel García saved her voice. She was in great demand in opera roles throughout Sweden and northern Europe during the 1840s, and was closely associated with Felix Mendelssohn. After two acclaimed seasons in London, she announced her retirement from opera at the age of 29.
> 
> In 1850, Lind went to America at the invitation of the showman P. T. Barnum. She gave 93 large-scale concerts for him and then continued to tour under her own management. She earned more than $350,000 from these concerts, donating the proceeds to charities, principally the endowment of free schools in Sweden. With her new husband, Otto Goldschmidt, she returned to Europe in 1852 where she had three children and gave occasional concerts over the next two decades, settling in England in 1855. From 1882, for some years, she was a professor of singing at the Royal College of Music in London.


Movie worthy , retiring at only 29 years of age .


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Bellinilover said:


> Didn't Mario Lanza play him in THE GREAT CARUSO?


I think Stomanek was having a little fun!


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Pugg said:


> Movie worthy , retiring at only 29 years of age .


Jenny Lind is actually a character in the musical BARNUM. It was never made into a movie, though there is a video of the original London production.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bellinilover said:


> Jenny Lind is actually a character in the musical BARNUM. It was never made into a movie, though there is a video of the original London production.


The more reason to make one .


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Adolphe Nourrit! Fame, success and tragedy. And they could perform scenes from the operas he performed in, directed and co-wrote.


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