Nancy Shade

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Nancy Shade (born on May 31, 1949, in Rockford, Illinois) is a celebrated spinto soprano, best known as a singing-actress. She made her formal debut as Leonora in Il trovatore, in Louisville, in 1967. In 1971, she made her first of many appearances at the New York City Opera, as Musetta in La bohème. She also sang there in Mefistofele (directed by Tito Capobianco), Madama Butterfly (opposite José Carreras), Pagliacci, Susannah, and Die tote Stadt (in Frank Corsaro's production).

In 1973, Shade sang the title role of Manon Lescaut (opposite Harry Theyard) at the Spoleto Festival, under the direction of Luchino Visconti. The following year, she sang in a Concert Version of Mefistofele at London's Royal Festival Hall, opposite Norman Treigle in the name part. In 1976, she made her Covent Garden debut as Giorgetta in Il tabarro, and in 1979, performed the eponymous role of Lulu at the Santa Fe Opera, which was the American premiere of the completed, three-act version of the masterpiece.

One of Shade's greatest successes was as Marie in Zimmermann's fiercely difficult Die Soldaten, which was recorded (with Bernhard Kontarsky conducting, 1988-89) and filmed (in Harry Kupfer's production, 1989). In a different vein, she was in the first complete recording of the musical comedy The Most Happy Fella (as Marie), alongside Louis Quilico, which was published in 2000. In the same year, the soprano was also acclaimed for her performance as the Woman in Erwartung, at the Prague State Opera.

[edit] References

• The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia, edited by David Hamilton, Simon and Schuster, 1987. ISBN 0-671-61732-X