Virginia Copeland Gordoni query

[sklain]

I have been trying to find out what became of the opera singer
Virginia Copeland. She was the lead on Broadway in 1954 and on the
NBC Opera Theatre production of "The Saint of Bleecker Street" and
starred as Baby Doe in the 1957 Omnibus presentation of "The Ballad of
Baby Doe" (when it was slated to head to Broadway that fall and not to
the NYC Opera).
After Baby Doe she changed her name and sang under the name of
Virginia Gordoni (I've checked with the head of the Bel Canto Society
which released a 1967 recording of her Tosca, and also with Chester
Ludgin and Kenward Elmslie. I also spoke with her Baby Doe costar
Martha Lipton -- and no one knows where she is or if she's alive.)
The Lincoln Center library files indicate she's still alive. In the
mid-1950s she married Gary Gordon (nee Gordoni) who was in "The Golden
Apple" and appeared in "Saint of Bleecker Street" with her.

Any leads or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Jane Klain

[Jim Dunphy]

skl...@interport.net (sklain) wrote in message news:<46e0877e.02072...@posting.google.com>...

Sorry I can't help you too much, but I'm sure this is the same singer
that I saw in 2 performances of Elektra at the tent in Ellenville, NY.
There was an attempt to start a music festival there back in the 50s.
I'm sure that it was in the summer of '57 that I attended these
performances. I was bowled over by the first performance and decided
to go back a couple of days later for the repeat. I think this
festival was a venture of the NY City Opera; perhaps you should make
inquiry there. They should have an archivist.

Aside from Copeland and the conductor (Tibor Kozma?) I can't recall
much about the supporting cast.

Jim Dunphy

[Leonard Tillman]

She also performed as Santuzza in a filmed Cavalleria Rusticana in the
'60s or so, with either MDM or David Poleri, and a good baritone whose
name I don't recall.

LT

[Christopher Purdy]

Virgina Copeland Gordoni was living in the Stamford, CT area about 20
years ago. The Connecticut Grand Opera in Stamford might know her
whereabouts.

skl...@interport.net (sklain) wrote in message news:<46e0877e.02072...@posting.google.com>...

[Pineiro Boccanegra]

purd...@osu.edu (Christopher Purdy) wrote in message news:<5d49024d.02072...@posting.google.com>...

she is no studer

[Skip]

of course not, she sings on pitch.
"Pineiro Boccanegra" <pinei...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:90045769.02072...@posting.google.com...

[Pineiro Boccanegra]

"Skip" <sk...@nyc.rr.com> wrote in message news:<bZG09.144082$QD2.34...@twister.nyc.rr.com>...

> of course not, she sings on pitch.

dickless shit

[Skip]

Oh how the truth hurts............

"Pineiro Boccanegra" <pinei...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:90045769.02072...@posting.google.com...

[Pineiro Boccanegra]

"Skip" <sk...@nyc.rr.com> wrote in message news:<GQY09.122922$Wi.30...@twister.nyc.rr.com>...

dog fucker

[Skip]

*YAWN* Go listen to flat over the hill strudel...........

[kati...@gmail.com]

yes she is still alive I met her when I was 18 going to forman school in Litchfield, ct she was a voice teacher. with her as a student of hers starting when I was 18 for a year before returning to audition for a apprentiship under her and was granted the apprentiship and studied under her through intensive trainning may- july 2009 when I was 20-21 years old I cumuted from Thomastown, ct to the town that she live and had her studio close by. it was a honor to work with her she is avery talented lady as I am sure you all know.

[jennife...@gmail.com]

She teaches voice in independent schools in Northwest Connecticut. She lives in Litchfield, CT. Sge foes by the last name "Gordoni". I studied with her--a wonderful teacher. She's alive and kicking!

On Thursday, July 25, 2002 2:38:48 AM UTC-4, sklain wrote:

[att...@aol.com]

I'm from the Copeland family in Connecticut. She has one sister and two brothers still alive and many many nieces and nephew's as well as me but I am not going to explain my relationship with her I have not spoken to her in many years because I live in California and because of other personal reasons. I too have wondered if she is still alive as she's about 84 years old now Lesleigh Kent Copeland.

[sangha...@gmail.com]

In the mid seventies I was a little kid riding my bike around our block in Milan Italy. I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe and saw two people getting out of a Bentley and I heard them speaking English so I said hi, being an American kid. They eventually came over to our house and became family friends. It was Gary and Virginia Gordoni. They've been friends of my parents on and off for forty years but they have not seen them in awhile. And they were indeed living in Connecticut. I remember as a kid going to see Virginia at the ampitheatre in Verona and going first to her dressing room with my brother to say hi. She couldn't talk to us of course because she was saving her voice. Great memories. Knowing them I have pretty good idea what lesleighs issues might be, but that's private stuff....

[rbn...@aol.com]

Mrs. Gordoni was my daughter's voice teacher for many years. It's been about 10 years since her lessons, but Mrs. Gordoni is married to a man, who in his retirement, taught Italian at a prestgious bording school in Connecticut. On Fridays, Mrs. Gordoni gave private vocal lessons to some students there. My sister in law was employed at the school, and bought my daughter lessons for Christmas once. These turned into six years of lessons. She is a sweet woman, beautiful voice, and very vibrant. She was about 70 when I last saw her !
Rbn...@aol.com

[smack...@yahoo.com]

On Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 2:38:47 AM UTC-4, sklain wrote:

I lived in Washington, Connecticut in 1987 and met Virginia Gordoni there, where she was living in retirement with her husband. She told me she had sung in Italy and I did hear a pirated Tosca quite a few years later and was favorably impressed. I also worked in Connecticut with an accompanist who played for Gordoni as well and said she had a first class voice.

Mack Perry

[charlene...@formanschool.org]

On Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 2:38:47 AM UTC-4, sklain wrote:

[an...@nextstopny.com]

We also lived in Milano through the 70’s and i met them on Via Monti at the then esselunga Supermarket. We became great friends and through the years after moving back to the States would see them from time to time when we lived in Western Mass. A few years ago i tried like crazy to find them. Virginia deserved a huge career she was beyond talented. Today we were listening to Montserrat Caballe and my husband said Virginia was even better. I started to cry for her. He played the piano for her whenever she so requested. They were interesting and i would just love to see them again. No ione is perfect

[jmill...@gmail.com]

well, i dont want to infringe on their privacy, i know they are still in CT. i'm not saying where, because once again, respect the privacy but its a relatively quiet area.

[jro...@record-journal.com]

On Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 2:38:47 AM UTC-4, sklain wrote:

http://www.myrecordjournal.com/News/Meriden/Meriden-News/Opera-singer-student-of-Rosa-Ponselle-to-make-home-in-Meriden.html

[David Shengold]

On Thursday, July 25, 2002 at 2:37:28 PM UTC-4,

The CAV film is indeed with David Poleri. Alfio was NYCO/San Francisco Opera baritone Chester Ludgin.

DLS