Beverly Sills, Kitty Carlisle, Carol Burnett--Die Fledermaus, 1981 Gala

Beverly Sills recreates her role of Rosalinda in this 1981 comic version of the second act of "Die Fledermaus," with Kitty Carlisle as Prince Orlovsky, Gianna Rolandi as Adele, Alan Titus as Eisenstein, and a surprise appearance by Carol Burnett, singing Jerry Herman's "It's Today".

[@Spiderman7Bob7]

This is wonderful. And it goes to prove that Carol Burnett could show-up anywhere, anytime and in any show and be welcomed. She was and is one of a kind.

[@flenif2247]

What a treat! I love Carol.....and Beverly. ❤️

[@daisymay9203]

I love carol Burnett she always steals the stage !! That Tarzan yell is legendary !!

[@TheVerbalVolley]

I really enjoyed this. Thanks. P.S. It is hard to believe that Kitty Carlisle is 70 years old in this.

[@BethDiane]

Well, she had been a soprano once upon a time--in the 30s! See "A Night at the Opera."

[@TheVerbalVolley]

And she sang beautifully, didn't she! God, how I miss her. She and I were friends from 1996-2007, and I saw many of her sold out concerts throughout the US when she was 90+ years of age. Gone was the confident soprano voice (it was just a bit tattered at the top range, but otherwise surprisingly strong), but in its place was this beautiful, low voice that I can't describe. It was beautiful that a woman her age could move an entire audience with just her singing voice. She even told me once that her late husband (Moss Hart, who passed on in 1961) preferred it when she sang in her low voice, rather than her operatic voice. She was an incredible lady...and I mean lady...a broad who was one of us! There was no snobbery about her at all. That is one of the reasons for her much admired charm. She treated everyone as her equal.

[@BrianStarksgoogleprofile]

@@TheVerbalVolley How was it you and Kitty Carlisle became friends, how wonderful!

[@TheVerbalVolley]

@@BrianStarksgoogleprofile Hi Brian. I was so lucky to have had her as a friend. I had always been a fan, and only watched "To Tell The Truth" to see her. My Uncle had an extensive record collection, and after he passed I found one with her singing on it. I wrote to the NYS Council on the Arts, where Kitty was Chairman Emeritus, and asked if she would sign the record album for me if I sent it to her. I also wrote of my great admiration for her. I received a handwritten note back from her stating that she would be delighted to sign it for me, and included her home address on East 64th Street in Manhattan. Our friendship grew from there. I would send her vintage costume jewelry (she loved "bling") and other gifts in the mail, and include my telephone #. We eventually started talking every week or two on the telephone. I think we got along so well because I made her laugh, which she loved to do more than anything else. Eventually, I started visiting her at her penthouse apartment. We would sit and talk and laugh and play cards. She loved gin rummy, so we played that quite often...and she insisted that we play for money! She was a bit eccentric, and I loved that side of her..

[@SWSimpson]

Kitty Carlisle as the Prince? I wasn't expecting that. I'm amazed. I just remember her from game shows when I was growing up, and I knew she had a career besides that, and that she was married to a famous musician/producer; but this is a pleasant surprise. Always love Carol Burnett, and Beverly Sills certainly was a Queen.

[@Sybil-RoxanneClemons]

Kitty Carlisle was an opera singer before she was on game shows

[@kerryincolumbus]

I wonder if Carol Burnett ever watches this video, if she does, she should be very proud and happy to have put this all together and brought such happiness to millions and millions of people! Well done Carol!

[@randysills4418]

Carl Burnett did not put this all together! It was because Beverly Sills was retiring from opera. Sills and Burnett were very close friends. They had done a television special called "Sills And Burnett At The Met" in 1976. It is on U-tube...

[@TedinNY]

It's very sad to learn that the great Gianna Rolandi (playing Adele, here) died, much too young, last week.

[@Tzippy323]

This was Beverly Sills farewell performance. She did not know that Carol Burnett was going to appear. This was her final performance at the nyc opera, in the same opera, die fledermaus, that she made her debut in.

[@lanilindsey7693]

Thank you for saying so. I wasn't sure why it was "a sad night".

[@BellaFirenze]

It was rehearsed. Carol didn't just "show up" at the performance. Are you insane?

[@Perrosiutico]

As a member of New York City Opera for over 30 years, I can assure you that this farewell gala was very well rehearsed, including all the "surprise" guests, including Beverly's long-time friend Carol Burnett.

[@BellaFirenze]

@@Perrosiutico I was a member of the chorus there and at the Met!

[@SWSimpson]

Thank you. I did not know that so I was reading everything on this page to verify that is what was happening. You're the informative one, and I appreciate that.

[@yellowrose45]

Gianna was a friend of mine, since 1979. So incredibly talented.

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

LOVE Gianna!!!! She was SO amazing in Cenerentola with Rocky Blake at City Op (and Alan Titus was Dandini in the same production 😊) 😎😎😎

[@GildaWabbit]

Goodness, this is SO fun!

[@clairehenderson9710]

Kitty Carlisle ❤

[@MP-lq3xx]

Wow!

[@Sunshine-zm1fx]

Television use to be so much better than it is now. With all the different channels available, and the amount of content being made, you'd think there would be better things now, but I don't see it. I have to look all over the place for something worth watching, and most of the time it's not as good. Weird phenomenon.

[@daniellereed4022]

Baxter

[@mmjhcb]

Baxter More is rarely better; in today's case, more is just cheap and watered down. Nor can we ever fill the shoes of the greats that were and are no more.

[@hswinehart]

Sunshine Cartoons were better too. Bugs Bunny singing Carmen was my first introduction to opera. The best!

[@glummdelclitch451]

Since about the time of this program, mankind has entered a phase of devolution. One can see the clear evidence of it, if one is not ideologically blinded, in all things. Which is why everything is now worse than it was, and will continue to get worse. That is the source of the weird phenomenon you have observed.

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

Carol, wonderful, as a;ways. ~ Beverly & Kitty, "I may vomit," as Sheridan Whiteside would say.

[@stevendaniel5649]

FABULOUS!!!!!! Thank you..........

[@alwaysnew189]

this is hilarious, what names, tutti grandi!!!!

[@Leanrosso]

Que maravilloso

[@angusmcrandy]

Is that Richard Fredericks as Falke?

[@angusmcrandy]

And Spiro Malas as Frank?

[@Perrosiutico]

@@angusmcrandy And Alan Titus as Eisenstein and Jim Billings as the Major Domo.

[@angusmcrandy]

@@Perrosiutico Thanks. And since I recognize you as old school NYCO, is that Maddie Mines on the ottoman at curtain?

[@Shamsithaca]

Wasnt Julie Andrews supposed to have been singing the laughing song? What a loss that we didnt hear her sing that song here! sniffle.

[@franziskakre8309]

It needs a real opera singer for that aria!

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

No....she wasnt

[@Shamsithaca]

@@franziskakre8309 Julie Andrews is a classically trained coloratura she sang Polonaise from Mignon, materials from Rigelletto all over England, she was a hugely famous child prodigy even before stepping into the US. She also sang operetta pieces with MET bass Tozzi serveral time. hahahaha how little you know!

[@Shamsithaca]

@@rugby8-Philadelphia Julie Andrews and Domingo were to do a live televised version followed by San Francisco opera. It was all over the news at that time as a huge undertaking and people were on their toes waiting for it. Alas, it wasnt passed due to a difficult director and conflicting schedules. Domingo and Julie did a variation and cut version few bars of it as a duet for a concert and then an even shorter version for a TV show which won multiple emmys.

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

@@Shamsithaca Yes, I know 😊

[@vino140]

Freaky. What was the gala occasion?

[@aeichler]

Beverly's retirement from singing.

[@vino140]

+Alan Eichler >>Thank you.

[@maxreger100]

It's GIANNA Rolandi, not Gianni...thank you.

[@aeichler]

Thanks.

[@deanbellais3649]

Actually it's Carol...hah.

[@BellaFirenze]

Kitty Carlisle was 71 at the time and she was terrible. A long, long way from A Night at the Opera (1935). Rolandi was exquisite. Sills and Burnett... it doesn't get better than that. They were fantastic.

[@Perrosiutico]

Kitty Carlisle Hart was a trained soprano but she never had a stellar voice for opera. She did manage the not too demanding mezzo role of Orlofsky on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera (her only role there). She was much better suited to cabarets and nightclubs where her personality and style could make up for what her instrument lacked.

[@BellaFirenze]

@@Perrosiutico I know that and more. At this performance she was terrible.

[@Jasper7182009]

@@BellaFirenze … then I have a tin ear. I think Kitty Carlisle is wonderful. If you approach these types of productions with a critical eye- and ear - then you miss out on very nice and surprising performances.

[@verak66]

I was suffering for her during this aria. May seem simple to sing but it needs a light, flexible touch and the comedy cannot be too broad. I always liked her but the 9I die ⁰0i995sprech stimme shouts at the end were painful. There are two verses bu⁸that which t we only heard one. A shame this is somri kill 8th gw2u tut ⁹

[@MP-lq3xx]

@@Jasper7182009 agreed!

[@tklogan111809]

Whose idea was it to cast Kitty in a pants role? She's pretty bad.

[@TheJTMcDaniel]

Presumably Rudolph Bing, since she first sang it at the Met in 1966.

[@aeichler]

Prince Orlovsky is traditionally played by a woman.

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

Do you have a clue? Do you know anything about performance practices of this opera? What Ms Carlisle's connection is? ......sigh.....lol

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

@Astroboy ......shhhhhh....the grown ups are talking now

[@coloraturaElise]

It's a cameo role, and traditionally is cast with a famous person, often someone who's retired. Kitty had been an opera soprano who also sang in movies and was a panelist on a famous, long-running tv show. If you research her, you can see just who she was and what a good choice she was for this part. I think she sings a part much too low for her remarkably well for someone her age.