#Pennsylvanya

[heystephen]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOUT ILY you’re a wonderful piece of this community that I love to see on my dash every day 🥹💝

thank you for saying this!! 🥹💛

[whileiamdying]

Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, the Diva of ‘Diva,’ Dies at 75

A soprano who rose from South Philadelphia to the opera houses of Europe, she was memorably seen and heard in a 1981 film considered a paragon of cinematic style.

The soprano Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez in the 1981 movie “Diva.” An art-house hit that became a cult favorite, it would be her only film.Credit...Rialto Pictures

By Alex Williams Published Feb. 14, 2024 Updated Feb. 16, 2024

Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, a South Philadelphia-bred soprano who sang in the opera houses of Europe and gained even more fame for playing the title role in the style-soaked 1981 French thriller “Diva,” died on Feb. 2 at her home in Lexington, Ky. She was 75.

Her daughter and only immediate survivor, Sheena M. Fernandez, said the cause was cancer.

Trained at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and later at the Juilliard School in New York City, Ms. Fernandez made her mark in the 1970s as Bess in the Houston Grand Opera’s international traveling production of George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” The tour took her to Europe, where she caught the eye of Rolf Liebermann, the impresario known for reviving the Paris Opera. He offered her a two-year contract.

It was in a 1980 performance as Musetta in “La Bohème” alongside Plácido Domingo and Kiri Te Kanawa that she caught the attention of the French director Jean-Jacques Beineix, who was looking for a figure radiant enough to serve as the diva at the heart of his forthcoming film.

“Diva” was considered a high-water mark in the movement known as the cinéma du look, a high-sheen school of French film often centered on stylish, disaffected youth in the France of the 1980s and ’90s. A film with all the saturated color and gloss of a 1980s music video, it was an art-house hit that became a cult favorite for the initiated.

The story revolves around a young opera fan named Jules (played by Frédéric Andréi) who grows so infatuated with an American opera star named Cynthia Hawkins that he surreptitiously tapes one of her performances — despite her well-known decree that none of her work be recorded, since it would capture only a part of the power and immediacy of her grandeur.

That grandeur is on full display in Ms. Fernandez’s opening scene, as she takes the stage in a hauntingly weathered old theater wearing a shimmering white gown and metallic eye shadow. She proceeds to mesmerize the house — and Jules — with a soaring rendition of the aria “Ebben? Ne andrò lontana” (“Well, then? I’ll go far away”) from Alfredo Catalani’s opera “La Wally.”

Jules’s tape of the performance becomes a device that leads him into a swirl of underworld hit men, Taiwanese music pirates and whirring engines in a moped-focused chase scene that reaches into the Paris Metro.

Not all the critics were charmed. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called the film “an anthology of affectations.” But Pauline Kael of The New Yorker praised it as a “glittering toy of a movie” that “dashes along with pell-mell gracefulness.” While extolling Ms. Fernandez as “awesomely beautiful,” Ms. Kael even made the allowance that her “American-accented French and her amateurishness as an actress are ingratiating.”

“Diva,” in fact, would be Ms. Fernandez’s only film role. In interviews, she said that she had never any desire to be an actress, believing that the static environment of a film set was no substitute for the electricity of the stage.

Still, in a 1987 interview with the radio host Bruce Duffie, she expressed satisfaction that her role had brought exposure to opera “to a completely different audience who are probably not accustomed to going to the opera or hearing classical music.”

“More and more, I find in doing recitals and concerts that the audience is younger and younger, and it’s because they have seen the film,” she added. “Not only are they coming to see me, but they say they’re going to see some other people, and that’s great.”

Wilhelmenia Wiggins was born on Jan. 5, 1949, in Philadelphia, the elder of two children of Ernest and Vinelee (Clayton) Wiggins.

Her vocal talents were on display as early as age 5, when she sang with the choir of her family’s Baptist church. By her teens, her celestial soprano was taking flight in the choir at the William Penn High School for Girls. She honed her voice with formal training under the soprano Tillie Barmach at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia.

After graduating from the Academy of Vocal Arts, also in Philadelphia, in 1969, she earned a scholarship to Juilliard in New York. She married Ormond Fernandez, a mail carrier, in 1971 and ultimately left Juilliard in 1973 without a degree to raise her infant daughter.

Ms. Fernandez later recalled the challenges she faced as a Black performer trying to carve out a career in the Eurocentric world of opera.

“For a long time I was afraid I couldn’t sing because I was worried how color was affecting my chances,” The Washington Post quoted her as saying in a 1982 profile. “I wished I could sing behind a screen and just be judged on my voice.”

In auditions, she said, she often noticed “the little falling of the face” when she arrived, which she interpreted to mean “We would like you to do the role, but you’re Black.” Then, she added, “they’d talk amongst themselves while you sang.”

While “Diva” was Ms. Fernandez’s last appearance on celluloid, it was merely a prelude to a long career that included her New York City Opera debut in 1982, once again as Musetta in “La Bohème,” as well as performances throughout Europe.

In addition to making Musetta her own, she also made the title role in Verdi’s “Aida,” an Ethiopian princess held captive in ancient Egypt, a signature. At one point she even performed the role amid the temples of Luxor in Egypt itself.

In 1992, Ms. Fernandez won a Laurence Olivier Award, the British equivalent of a Tony, for best actress in a musical for her rendition of Carmen in “Carmen Jones.”

She married Andrew W. Smith, a baritone with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, in 2001 and moved to Lexington, where he was directing the voice program at Kentucky State University. He died in 2018. Her first marriage ended in divorce in the early 1980s.

Motivated to complete her education, Ms. Fernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in voice from the University of Kentucky in 2007 and later a master’s degree in education from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Ky. The master’s program prepared her for her eventual work as a special-education teacher in a Lexington elementary school.

Although she carved out a lasting place in cinema lore with her role as a big-screen diva, Ms. Fernandez never tried to inhabit such a persona away from the stage, even when her movie fame was fresh.

She told The Washington Post in 1982 that the film “Diva” “opened up a different kind of world for me.”

“I’m being recognized on the street,” she said, “and I just finished a recording session. It seems I’m getting a little more attention.”

Even so, on that hot summer day when she was being interviewed in her South Philadelphia home, with children outside splashing in water gushing from open fire hydrants, she said: “This is my identity. I don’t want to pretend to be what I’m not.”

A correction was made on Feb. 16, 2024. An earlier version of a picture caption with this obituary, using information from Getty Images, misstated the name of the singer pictured with Ms. Fernandez in a production of “Porgy and Bess.” He is Donnie Ray Albert, not Ray Albert. When we learn of a mistake, we acknowledge it with a correction. If you spot an error, please let us know at nytnews@nytimes.com. Learn more. Alex Williams is a reporter in the Obituaries department. More about Alex Williams

[raviposting]

do you think the Hargreeves would survive an escape room without cheating be honest

I am. SCREECHING. 

Okay. Okay. I’m going to say: 

Five, Diego, and Luther try really, really hard to solve the escape room. Unfortunately for all three of them, they’re all very convinced that they have the right answer and they’re both completely different things. 

Five: “You idiots, the clue is obviously in the telephone book, the numbers are a hint, if I just unscramble them-”

Diego: “Um, no, dumbass, it’s the safe, and I’m going to unlock it and then y’all are going to-” 

Luther: “No, no, no, it’s the TV, okay, there’s a TV guide here and that wouldn’t be here if it didn’t mean something-” 

Klaus is sprawled out on the couch and when one of them goes, “Klaus? Want to contribute anything?” he just shrugs and goes, “I don’t know, why don’t you check the clock because-” [waves hands] “-time? That’s a consistent theme in our lives.” He then takes a nap. 

Luther gets very insistent that it’s the TV and proceeds to break it believing that the key is hidden inside. Five: “Not everyone has SUPER STRENGTH, why did you think that was the answer?” The helper who’s there to give hints and NO one has utilized, doesn’t even look up from her phone when she says: “You’re going to have to pay for that.” 

Allison tries rumoring the assistant into giving them the answer early on but Five stops her because it’s too easy. 40 minutes later he asks her and she goes, “Oh, NOW you want my help? No thanks.” 

Vanya and Allison have split up into their own little group and are working together trying to figure out the main set of clues that they have. They’re very slowly working at it and probably would solve it if not for their brothers running around and constantly picking up every bit of evidence Vanya and  Allison have gathered and dragging it away to their respective corners of the escape room claiming that this specific thing is going to help them. 

Eventually Vanya and Allison’s table of evidence is left to one random lock and when the assistant says that no, she does not have alcohol on hand, they instead go to the couch and sprawl on it with Klaus. 

Ben figured out one of the hints like 30 minutes ago and is running around the room trying to tell one of his brothers but Klaus is sleeping and Ben is uh, you know, dead. So. 

Five tries teleporting out of the room except that he still doesn’t have a key to open the opposite end so he only succeeds in surprising a few employees. 

Also when he phases back into the room the assistant takes off 10 minutes from their time because Five zipped out and everyone starts yelling at Five asdfjkl 

They only have a minute left and they’re trying to figure out what to do so they grab all their evidence and figure out where this final key is and then they get the realization right as their time is up. 

It is in the clock after all, by the way. They have to pay for all the damages done to the room and they probably traumatized a few employees (except for the assistant, who was surprisingly chill the entire time). 

tl;dr: No, they definitely can’t 

[dailybehbeh]

Behbeh

[23icefire]

The Mewnited States:

Alabamnya (Alabama) Nyalaska (Alaska) Hairizona (Arizona) Arkanspaw (Arkansas) Calicornya (California) Pawlorado (Colorado) Pawnnecticat (Connecticut) Delahair (Delaware) Floripaw (Florida) Georgnya (Georgia) Pōpoki (Hawaii) Idameow (Idaho) Billinois (Illinois) Indinyana (Indiana) Ionya (Iowa) Katsas (Kansas) Kentabby (Kentucky) Mewisianya (Louisiana) Maine-Coone (Maine) Hairyland (Maryland) Maussamewsetts (Massachusetts) Munchikin (Michigan) Minyasota (Minnesota) Hississippi (Mississippi) Meowssouri (Missouri) Mauntanya (Montana) Nebrasknya (Nebraska) Nyavada (Nevada) Mew Hampshpurr (New Hampshire) Mew Purrsey (New Jersey) Mew Mexneko (New Mexico) Mew Nyork (New York) Nyorth Carolion (North Carolina) Nyorth Gatota (North Dakota) Meowhio (Ohio) Oklahomnya (Oklahoma) Oregyan (Oregon) Pennsylvanya (Pennsylvania) Rhode Biteland (Rhode Island) Meowth Carolinya (South Carolina) Meowth Gatota (South Dakota) Tennesphynx (Tennessee) Rexas (Texas) Mewpaw (Utah) Purrmont (Vermont) Virginya (Virginia) Nyashington (Washington) Rest Virginya (West Virginia) Hissconsin (Wisconsin) Wymeowming (Wyoming)

(The Cardinal Directions are Nyorth, Meowth, Feast and Rest, for anyone asking.)

Catgirl world where all the cities are puns

- Californya

- Katwijk (that's a town in the Netherlands, it literally translates to "Cat District" so I didn't even need to change anything)

That's all I got but you can really see the potential here

[alles7ist7vorbei]

[ensava-hoyra378]

List of things that’s happening on tumblr right now (you are welcomed to reblog this if you have updates, but keep it in one long reblog using a 1 2 3 pattern on comments)

Destiel panic Nevada processing being slow Russian Jeff Bezos 4chan users going apesmack about the election Trump probably making plans to live out his love life with putin (as to why putin is resigning, and why trump is leaving the country) Putin resigning Trump saying he’s gonna leave if Biden wins new Hetalia thing new Caramelldansen thing Super hell being injected into our bloodstreams white house chief of staff has covid Some politician searching up omegaverse Whatever the fonk is happening on twitter Dashcon 2020 post with a link to donate to the democratic socialists Destiel Destiel did I mention Destiel??? 2020′s redemption arc, or more or less a mayhem arc 2021 is in less than two months homophobic gay confession (Destiel) Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada The election America literally going batsmit as the rest of the world watches with a margarita in one hand the election results in the other

[girlof-photography]

Trains at Strasburg rail road

[royalpane]

TOP REDEMPTION ARCS OF ALL TIME:

1. Zuko A:TLA

2. PENNSYLVANIA

[animatronicblizzard]

the hero we didn't even know we needed

[randombubblegum]

gonna bring back 2014 for a second but awsten and otto are drift compatible

oh MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HARM ME IN THIS WAY!!!!

[bcphotographyinc]

The abandoned state hospital that was once known as Norristown State hospital. 

[joyofthemomentphotography]

Major snowfall perks - a clean dog

[raviposting]

TELL ME ALL YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT GRAVITY FALLS pleeeeeease I miss that show SO MUCH tbh might binge it this weekend after seeing the gifset you just reblogged

asdfjkl gosh honestly there’s so much I feel like I’ve forgotten about this beautiful show but!!! 

The characters. They are all just SO amazing and I feel like the main gang managed to both make me laugh and give me so, so many emotions??? Like even with Soos who I thought would probably stay comedic had some absolute bangers of emotional tugs on my heart in the last season. <3

So many shows do the whole “oh we’re just gonna. LIE about the things we’ve planted in the show” where they like....hm. It’s like how GRRM said - if you put everything saying “it’s the butler” and fans pick up on that and you change it to be “it’s the maid” it’s a shocking twist but ultimately not satisfying. Gravity Falls didn’t do that, their hints were intentional and if you got them, GREAT! That’s awesome!! They didn’t change thing out of a plot twist need and I love that. 

The storyline in general. It was a tight cohesive, good storyline and the way they carried it out was just *chef’s kiss*. Honestly the Grunkle Stan storyline....I just loved it so much so so much

I really gotta rewatch too ugh I miss this show

[cluelessrebel1988]

[pynk-hibiscus]

Pennsylvania sunset, November 2020