#valerie hahn

[rhithefella]

🎯 A disaster of human nature. ☔️

No pattern overlay ver:

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Angry Neighbors 2022

[cleanforgot]

Easy Does It on Soho Radio: 11/27/2022

blue gene tyranny - leading a double life angel bat dawid - destination (dr. yusef lateef) diane denoir - mirate los ojos bohannon - it's time for peace bohannon- happiness maxine nightingale - life has just begun tamiko jones - let it flow suzanne menzel - i feel it starts again gb and the tracks - my kind of woman carol hahn - do your best treo- demands decrease desire akabu - watch yourself scritti politti - wood beez pas de deux + big band - rendez-vous stephanie wells - watcha gonna do edith bliss - heart of stone luke - multi-synth belle epoque - bamalama manuel gomes - jelivra bo situacon marisa rossi - cinturao de fogo fifty foot hose - rose emahoy tsege mariam gebru - homesickness brigitte fontaine - comme a la radio medico doktor vibes - diska limba man this mortal coil - mr. somewhere dip in the pool - on retinae (west version) the invisible girls - yeah yeah yeah lena platonos - eμιγκρέδες tης pουμανίας valerie dore - get closer ray vista - don't let it go pigbag - hit the 'o' deck catherine muturi - reggae jam boogie arthur verocai - sylvia

[blogdimitrikov]

July 21, 2024 on radios around the world!She Walks in Beauty!

[damirosse-a]

muse update

removing:

leah safra ( inbar lavi fc ) 

adding:

valerie mercer ( kathryn hahn fc )

[isdiaz]

The second half of my sketchbook pages from Canada. Again the subjects are pretty scattered--there’s some Monster Prom fanart of Valerie Oberlin and Zoe, some random fashion doodles I referenced, and some original characters.

[multifandomfix]

Who I Write For

Abbott Elementary: Barbara Howard, Melissa Schemmenti

Absolutely Fabulous: Claudia Bing, Edina Monsoon, Lulu, Patsy Stone // Eddy x Patsy x Reader

Alice In Wonderland (2010): Iracebeth, Tarrant Hightopp

American Horror Story (Seasons 1-5 & 8): Constance Langdon, Countess Elizabeth, Dandy Mott, Elsa Mars, Fiona Goode, James Patrick March, Jude Martin, Stevie Nicks, Wilhemina Venable

A Series Of Unfortunate Events: Count Olaf, Esmé Squalor, Georgina Orwell, Justice Strauss

Beetlejuice: Barbara Maitland, Delia Deetz, Delores LaFerve

Big Sky: Alicia Corrigan, Beau Arlen, Ren Bhuller, Sunny Barnes

Bosom Buddies: Henry Desmond, Kip Wilson, Ruth Dunbar // Henry x Kip x Reader

Bridgerton: Agatha Danbury, Anthony Bridgerton, Portia Featherington, Queen Charlotte, Simon Basset, Violet Bridgerton

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Anya Jenkins, Drusilla, Joyce Summers, Rupert Giles, Spike

Call The Midwife: Chummy Noakes, Jane Sutton, Patrick Turner, Patsy Mount, Shelagh Turner, Sister Hilda, Trixie Franklin, Valerie Dyer, Violet Buckle

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina: Ambrose Spellman, Hilda Spellman, Lilith, Mary Wardwell, Zelda Spellman // Hilda x Zelda x Reader, Lilith x Zelda x Reader, Lilith x Mary x Reader

Cinderella (2015): Fairy Godmother, Lady Tremaine

Clue: Blanche White, Jocelyn Scarlet, Wadsworth // Blanche x Jocelyn x Reader

CSI: Catherine Willows, David Hodges, Gil Grissom, Heather Kessler, Sara Sidle // Catherine x Sara x Reader

Dark Shadows: Angelique Bouchard, Elizabeth Collins, Julia Hoffman // Elizabeth x Julia x Reader

Dead To Me: Jen Harding, Judy Hale // Jen x Judy x Reader

Death Becomes Her: Helen Sharp, Lisle Von Rhuman, Madeline Ashton // Helen x Madeline x Reader

Doctor Who: Donna Noble, Eleventh Doctor, Jack Harkness, Jackie Tyler, Jacobi!Master, Kate Stewart, Missy, Ninth Doctor, River Song, Simm!Master, Tenth Doctor, The Maestro, Thirteenth Doctor, Twelfth Doctor // Missy x Simm!Master x Reader

Downton Abbey: Cora Crawley, Edith Crawley, Elsie Hughes, Isobel Crawley, Joseph Molesley, Mary Crawley, Thomas Barrow, Violet Crawley

Enola Holmes: Eudoria Holmes, Miss Harrison, Sherlock Holmes

Evil: Bishop Thomas Marx, Kristen Bouchard, Leland Townsend, Sheryl Luria

Frasier: Daphne Moon, Frasier Crane, Niles Crane, Roz Doyle // Daphne x Roz x Reader, Frasier x Niles x Reader

Friends: Janice Litman, Joey Tribbiani, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Rachel Green, Richard Burke

Game Of Thrones: Brienne Of Tarth, Bronn, Catelyn Stark, Cersei Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, Davos Seaworth, Jaime Lannister, Jorah Mormont, Melisandre, Petyr Baelish, Tyrion Lannister, Tywin Lannister

Ghosts (BBC): Fanny Button, Julian Fawcett, Kitty, Mary, Pat Butcher, Thomas Thorne

Glass Onion: Benoit Blanc, Birdie Jay, Claire Debella

Good Omens: Aziraphale, Crowley, Madame Tracy, Shax // Aziraphale x Crowley x Reader

Grace And Frankie: Brianna Hanson, Frankie Bergstein, Grace Hanson // Grace x Frankie x Reader

Green Wing: Caroline Todd, Guy Secretan, Harriet Schulenburg, Joanna Clore, Mac Macartney, Sue White // Joanna x Sue x Reader

Grey's Anatomy: Addison Montgomery, Amelia Shepherd, Arizona Robbins, Catherine Fox, Cristina Yang, Derek Shepherd, Erica Hahn, Mark Sloan, Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey, Teddy Altman, Tom Koracick // Cristina x Teddy x Reader, Derek x Mark x Reader

Halloween: Laurie Strode, Lindsey Wallace

Hannibal: Bedelia Du Maurier, Frederick Chilton, Hannibal Lecter

Harlots: Lady Repton, Lydia Quigley, Margaret Wells, Nancy Birch // Lady Repton x Nancy Birch x Reader

Harry Potter: Barty Crouch Jr, Bellatrix LeStrange, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Molly Weasley, Narcissa Malfoy, Rita Skeeter, Severus Snape, Sybill Trelawney // Bellatrix x Narcissa x Reader

His Dark Materials: Lee Scoresby, Maggie Costa, Marisa Coulter, Mary Malone

Holes: Kate Barlow, Louise Walker

House MD: Gregory House, James Wilson, Lisa Cuddy

House Of The Dragon: Daemon Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen

I Dream Of Jeannie: Amanda Bellows, Evil!Jeannie, Jeannie, Roger Healey

Insatiable: Bob Armstrong, Coralee Armstrong, Regina Sinclair // Bob x Coralee x Reader

Just Shoot Me: Dennis Finch, Nina Van Horn

Killing Eve: Carolyn Martens, Eve Polastri, Villanelle // Villanelle x Eve x Reader

Last Tango In Halifax: Caroline Dawson, Gillian Greenwood, Judith Tyzack // Caroline x Gillian x Judith x Reader

Legends Of Tomorrow: Damien Darhk, Gideon, John Constantine, Leonard Snart, Martin Stein, Mick Rory, Rip Hunter, Sara Lance, Zari Tarazi // Leonard x Mick x Reader

Mamma Mia: Donna Sheridan, Ruby Sheridan, Tanya Chesham-Leigh // Ruby x Tanya x Reader

Marvel: Agatha Harkness, Ayesha, Bruce Banner, Clint Barton, Eleanor Bishop, Everett Ross, Hela, Helmut Zemo, Jeri Hogarth, Kilgrave, Loki Laufeyson, May Parker, Natasha Romanoff, Pepper Potts, Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers, Thena, Thor Odinson, Tony Stark, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wanda Maximoff // Everett x Stephen x Reader

M*A*S*H: BJ Hunnicutt, Charles Emerson Winchester III, Francis Mulcahy, Hawkeye Pierce, Henry Blake, Margaret Houlihan, Maxwell Klinger, Radar O'Reilly // Henry x Radar x Reader

Merlin: Arthur Pendragon, Gwaine, Merlin, Mithian, Morgana Pendragon, Morgause, Uther Pendragon

Mom: Bonnie Plunkett, Jill Kendall, Natalie Stevens

Mrs. America: Gloria Steinem, Phyllis Schlafly

Mrs. Brown’s Boys: Buster Brady, Cathy Brown

Nanny McPhee: Cedric Brown, Mrs. Blatherwick, Nanny McPhee, Selma Quickly

NCIS: Abby Sciuto, Ducky Mallard, Jenny Shepard, Jethro Gibbs, Tony DiNozzo

New Amsterdam: Elizabeth Wilder, Iggy Frome, Lauren Bloom, Max Goodwin

Nine Perfect Strangers: Frances Welty, Masha Dmitrichenko

Ocean's 8: Debbie Ocean, Lou Miller, Rose Weil, Tammy

Once Upon A Time: Archie Hopper, Cora Mills, Cruella DeVil, Killian Jones, Maleficent, Regina Mills, Rumplestiltskin, Victoria Belfrey, Zelena Mills // Regina x Maleficent x Reader, Regina x Evil Queen x Reader, Regina x Zelena x Reader

Only Murders In The Building: Charles Haden-Savage, Cinda Canning, Loretta Durkin, Oliver Putnam // Charles x Oliver x Reader

Orange Is The New Black: Aleida Diaz, Alex Vause, Carol Denning, Gloria Mendoza, Judy King, Linda Ferguson, Lorna Morello, Natalie Figueroa, Nicky Nichols, Red Reznikov

Peaky Blinders: Aberama Gold, Alfie Solomons, Arthur Shelby, Luca Changretta, Polly Gray, Tommy Shelby

Penny Dreadful: Evelyn Poole, Vanessa Ives

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Hector Barbossa, Jack Sparrow

Prodigal Son: Edrisa Tanaka, Jessica Whitly, Malcolm Bright, Martin Whitly, Vivian Capshaw

Ratched: Betsy Bucket, Edmund Tolleson, Gwendolyn Briggs, Lenore Osgood, Mildred Ratched // Gwendolyn x Mildred x Reader

Rizzoli & Isles: Angela Rizzoli, Jane Rizzoli, Maura Isles // Jane x Maura x Reader

Sanditon: Alexander Colbourne, Arthur Parker, Charles Lockhart, Sidney Parker

Scandal: Mellie Grant, Olivia Pope, Sally Langston

Schitt’s Creek: Alexis Rose, David Rose, Moira Rose, Ted Mullens

Scream Queens: Cathy Munsch, Gigi Caldwell

Sex Education: Colin Hendricks, Erin Wiley, Hope Haddon, Jean Milburn, Maureen Groff

Shameless (US): Claudia Nicolo, Frank Gallagher, Helene Runyon, Lip Gallagher, Monica Gallagher, Sheila Jackson, Svetlana Yevgenivna

Sherlock: Irene Adler, John Watson, Martha Hudson, Mary Morstan, Sherlock Holmes // Sherlock x John x Reader

Suicide Squad: Amanda Waller, Harley Quinn

Supergirl: Alex Danvers, Brainy, Cat Grant, Kara Danvers, Lena Luthor, Lex Luthor, Nyxly, Winn Schott

Supernatural: Abaddon, Amara, Bela Talbot, Bobby Singer, Castiel, Crowley, Dean Winchester, Ellen Harvelle, Jody Mills, Lucifer, Mary Winchester, Pamela Barnes, Rowena MacLeod

Sweeney Todd: Judge Turpin, Nellie Lovett

Ted Lasso: Jamie Tartt, Keeley Jones, Rebecca Welton, Roy Kent, Ted Lasso, Trent Crimm

The Addams Family: Debbie Jellinsky, Morticia Addams // Debbie x Morticia x Reader

The First Lady: Betty Ford, Eleanor Roosevelt

The Good Doctor: Audrey Lim, Shaun Murphy

The Good Place: Janet, Michael, Tahani Al Jamil

The Magicians: Eleanor Lipson, Eliot Waugh, Fen, Margo Hanson, Zelda Schiff // Eliot x Margo x Fen x Reader

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Midge Maisel, Rose Weissman, Sophie Lennon, Susie Myerson

The Nanny: CC Babcock, Fran Fine, Maxwell Sheffield // CC x Fran x Reader

The Parent Trap: Chessy, Elizabeth James, Meredith Blake

The Politician: Dede Standish, Dusty Jackson, Georgina Hobart, Hadassah Gold // Dede x Hadassah x Reader

The Prom: Angie Dickinson, Dee Dee Allen, Karen Greene

The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills: Adrienne Maloof, Camille Grammer, Eileen Davidson, Erika Jayne, Kim Richards, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Lisa Vanderpump, Sutton Stracke

The School For Good And Evil: Clarissa Dovey, Leonora Lesso

The Tudors: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Catherine Of Aragon, Margaret Tudor

The Umbrella Academy: Five Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves, The Handler

The Witcher: Calanthe Of Cintra, Geralt Of Rivia, Jaskier, Tissaia de Vries, Yennefer Of Vengerberg

Three's Company: Helen Roper, Jack Tripper, Lana Shields

True Blood: Arlene Fowler, Bill Compton, Eric Northman, Ginger, Jessica Hamby, Maryann Forrester, Pam Swynford de Beaufort, Rosalyn Harris, Russell Edgington, Sarah Newlin

Two And A Half Men: Alan Harper, Charlie Harper, Evelyn Harper, Judith Harper

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Andrea Baydon, Jacqueline White, Lillian Kaushtupper // Jacqueline x Lillian x Reader

Wednesday: Larissa Weems, Marilyn Thornhill, Morticia Addams

What We Do In The Shadows: Lilith, Nadja, Nandor // Lilith x Nadja x Reader

Will & Grace: Beverly Leslie, Jack McFarland, Karen Walker

Xena: Warrior Princess: Alti, Aphrodite, Ares, Autolycus, Callisto, Gabrielle, Joxer, Xena // Xena x Gabrielle x Reader

Yonderland: Debbie Maddox, Imperatrix, Negatus // Debbie x Imperatrix x Reader

3rd Rock From The Sun: Dick Solomon, Mary Albright, Sally Solomon, Sonja Umdahl, Vicki Dubcek // Mary x Sally x Reader

30 Rock: Diana Jessup, Jenna Maroney, Kenneth Parcell, Liz Lemon, Lynn Onkman, Nancy Donovan // Jenna x Liz x Reader

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Other Miscellaneous Characters

[lunarcovehq]

Please give a warm welcome to our newest Lunar Cove resident!

Arthur Collymore || @judge-collymore

Beatriz Ramos || @crescentcrowd

David Farhi-Marks || @farhifromhome

Finnick Hahn || @finnh

Jasmine St. Claire, Meena Raja-Moore || @swearonstars

Poppy Reed || @cursedxmoonlight

Marina Hampton || @marinahamptonthesiren​

Valerie Ximenes || @valerieximeneswerewolf

[valiantgentle]

journey to the past —

MISCELLANEOUS LINKS —

↳ about me. navigation. character page. wattpad. quotev. main.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA —

briar marseille — pre the last battle. ↳ fc: emmy rossum. character tag. briar and susan tag. insp tag. wattpad. quotev.

violet — alternate universe. ↳ fc: samantha barks. character tag. violet and caspian tag. wattpad. quotev.

supporting characters in wandering child — ➳ sylvie — fc: caitriona balfe. character tag. ➳ raoul — fc: pedro pascal. character tag.

genevieve chen — post the last battle. ↳ fc: phillipa soo. character tag. genevieve and peter tag. wattpad. quotev.

lydia nowack — prince caspian, voyage of the dawn treader, the last battle. ↳ fc: ariane rinehart. character tag. lydia and edmund tag. wattpad. quotev.

FILMS —

mara el-masri — the mummy. ↳ fc: aiysha hart. character tag. mara and jonathan tag. insp tag. wattpad. quotev.

supporting characters in the breezes whisper — ➳ jamil el-masri — fc: alexander siddig. character tag. ➳ talib el-masri — fc: mena massoud. character tag.

nina kovac— marvel cinematic universe. ↳ fc: stana katic. character tag. wattpad. quotev.

supporting characters in veritas — ➳ vera kovac — fc: sasha alexander. character tag.

tatiana zhao — marvel cinematic universe. ↳ fc: lucy liu. character tag. tatiana and melina tag.

scarlett barnes — rent. ↳ fc: tatiana maslany. character tag. scarlett and mark tag. scarlett and april tag. wattpad. quotev.

april ericson — rent. ↳ fc: caterina scorsone. character tag. april and scarlett tag. wattpad. quotev.

christine olivier — les miserables. ↳ fc: jessica parker kennedy. character tag. christine and eponine tag.

TELEVISION —

daisy mercer — a discovery of witches. ↳ fc: evelyne brochu. character tag. daisy and miriam tag. wattpad. quotev.

supporting characters in for death — ➳ william hahn — fc: ben barnes. character tag. ➳ alice mercer — fc: helena bonham-carter. character tag.

juliet reyes — private practice. ↳ fc: monica raymund. character tag. juliet and amelia tag. wattpad. quotev.

supporting characters in let the rain — ➳ abigail booth — fc: emily wickersham. character tag.

meresankh — bbc atlantis. ↳ fc: sibylla deen. character tag.

kate renaldi — elementary. ↳ fc: maria bello. character tag. kate and joan tag.

valerie rosenbaum — elementary. ↳ fc: rachel weisz. character tag. valerie and sherlock tag.

ashley adams — house of anubis. ↳ fc: indiana evans. character tag. ashley and jerome tag. sibuna tag. wiki. wattpad. quotev.

eleanor aquino — warehouse 13/doctor who crossover au. ↳ fc: ana de armas. character tag. old tag. eleanor and the doctor tag.

mary warren — stranger things. ↳ fc: georgie henley. character tag.

[film-book]

#Donnybrook (2018) Movie Trailer: #JamieBell fights in a Bare-knuckle Brawl to Win $100K Donnybrook Trailer Tim Sutton's Donnybrook (2018) movie trailer stars Jamie Bell, Frank Gillo…

[supermodelsims]

Valerie Hahn.

“I don’t need a crown to rule my life!”

—

Earrings - @elfdor

Necklace/ring - @mssims

Dress - @redheadsims-cc

Bracelet - @kikovanitysimmer

Poses - @katverse

[rhithefella]

Some CT character designs!!

Don't let the lady talk to the other two. Just don't.

[blackkudos]

Florence Cole Talbert

Florence Cole Talbert-McCleave (born Florence Cole, June 17, 1890 – April 3, 1961), also known as Madame Florence Cole-Talbert, was an American operatic soprano, music educator, and musician. Called "The First Lady in Grand Opera" by the National Negro Opera Guild, she was one of the first African American women and black opera artists performing abroad who received success and critical acclaim in classical and operatic music in the 20th Century. Through her career as a singer, a music educator, and an active member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, she became a legendary figure within the African American music community, also earning the titles of "Queen of the Concert Stage" and "Our Divine Florence."

Most notably, she is credited with being the first African American woman to play the titular role of Verdi's Aida in a European staging of the opera. Talbert was also one of the first African-American classical artists to record commercially.

After retirement, Talbert became a music educator. She taught in historically black colleges and universities such as Fisk University, Tuskegee University, and Rust College. Notably, she is credited with encouraging Marion Anderson, one of the most celebrated opera singers of the 20th Century, to pursue a career in classical music. During this time, she also composed the words to Delta Sigma Theta's official hymn.

Talbert died in Memphis at the age of 70. Although she did not receive the same fame as black female artists who came after her, such as Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price, her work in the 1910s and 1920s was instrumental in paving a path for black musicians in the classical world.

Early life and training

Florence Cole was born on June 17, 1890 in Detroit, Michigan to a family with deep roots in music and the performing arts. Her mother, Sadie Chandler Cole, was a mezzo soprano and civil rights activist, who had gained considerable recognition as a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Her father was a basso and was well known as a dramatic reader. In an interview in 1930, Talbert further revealed that her maternal grandmother, Mrs. Hatfield Chandler, was a patron of music who had founded the first "colored" Baptist choir in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Florence began her musical training as a pianist when she was six years old. This training continued even when her family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1898, when she was eight years old. By the time she was twelve, she had already started accompanying for her mother's concerts. When she was a teenager, she started attending the Los Angeles High School as the first black student to do so. There, she studied music theory with ancient and modern languages and participated in the school's music program, gaining accolades for her performances as a pianist.

She decided to become a singer, however, when she first watched a production of Aida at age fifteen. "I was impressed by the opera as nothing had ever moved me before. I sat breathlessly watching the artists, and as the opera progressed, a desire (an impossible desire, so it seemed at the time) took possession of me. I wanted to sing the title role in Aida," she said in an interview with Ruby Goodwin. Consequently, she joined her school's glee club, becoming the first black soloist to join it. By this time, she had already begun her voice training under Gloria Mayne Windsor, a soprano who performed globally. Notably, she accompanied Madam Emma Azalia Hackley, a renowned black soprano and founder of the Colored Women's League, at a concert in Los Angeles at age sixteen. Seeing her talent, Hackley encouraged her to continue her voice training. As a result, she continued her voice training under mentors like Oscar Saenger, John B. Miller, and Herman Devries. Attesting to her talent, Saenger was quoted saying, "her voice [was] a beautiful soprano, which she [used] with consummate skill," in Negro Musicians and Their Music by Maud Cuney Hare, an African American musician and musicologist. She also performed with Eusebio Concialdi, an Italian baritone, who encouraged her to specifically pursue studying Italian operatic roles. Due to her talent, she was selected as the soloist for commencement exercises at her school, becoming the first black student to partake in a high school commencement program in LA.

She began her college education at the University of Southern California College of Music, where she specialized in oratorio.

Career

In 1915, Florence left college during her senior year and started touring with Hahn's Jubilee Singers all over the U.S. and Canada. Here she also met her first husband, Wendall P. Talbert, a Hann's pianist at the time. Through her work with Hahn's Jubilee Singers, she also had the opportunity to interact with eminent musicians like Noble Sissle. By the end of 1915, she had separated from her husband, but she kept his last name for professional purposes.

In 1916, she left the Jubilee Singers and started making solo performances. Simultaneously, she moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend the Chicago Musical College. From early on, she started appearing in student programs, becoming the first black student to appear in the school's programs. In June 1916, she graduated, having completed her music education in one year instead of the typical four. At the graduation ceremony, she received the highest honor, the Diamond Medal, for outstanding achievement in vocal studies and for the highest average in her graduating class. That same year, she was featured on the cover of Half Century Magazine, which began publication in August 1916 in Chicago, in recognition of her work.

Debut and early days

After graduation, she started appearing in concerts in Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. In 1916, she was a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Within that same year on April 16, she made her New York recital debut at Aeolian Hall. Then from 1918 to 1925, she toured across the U.S., receiving critical acclaim in local newspapers and contemporary publications such as The Chicago Defender and the Competitor. In fact, the Competitor called her "An Idol of the Concert Stage."

While touring, she continued training under Oscar Saenger and shared recital programs with renowned artists such Daisey Tapley, a contralto from New York who also sponsored Cole Talbert's New York debut and represented the soprano for a while. One noteworthy collaboration was when she performed Handel's Messiah with the Howard University Choral Society under the direction of Lulu Vere Childers in 1919. Reviewing her performance, a critic from The Washington Times wrote that Talbert's "voice was pure and high and held appealing expression that was exquisite at times, then full of the sunlight of spring, or again told this gripping tale with pathos and sympathy."

Repertoire and recordings

Talbert made recordings very early in her career, starting in 1919. In fact she was one of the first few black classical artists to be recorded, unlike many of her peers whose work was not recorded due to record companies' hesitance to record black classical artists. Her repertoire was extensive and versatile—covering styles from opera arias, songs of contemporary composers like William Grant Still, to spirituals arranged by composers such as Hall Johnson. She recorded with the following labels and recording companies:

Broome Special Phonograph Label

In 1919, George W. Broome of the Broome Special Phonograph label approached her to record with them. She recorded three songs for them, including "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Villanelle."

Black Swan Records

She also recorded with Black Swan Records—the first widely distributed label to be owned and operated by and marketed to African Americans—thus becoming the first classical musician to record with them. In 1921, she recorded at least four titles for them, and in 1923, she recorded three titles with them, including "Bell Song" from Lakmé, "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi, and "The Last Rose of Summer" from Martha by Friedrich von Flotow.

Paramount Records

In 1924, she recorded two additional titles for Paramount Records. These included "Homing" by Teresa del Riego and "Swing Echo Song" by Henry Bishop.

Aida and Europe

From 1925 to 1927, Talbert studied music in Europe—specifically, Italy and France—like many artists of the times. Before she left, The Cosmopolitan Arts Society of Los Angeles organized a farewell reception on June 22, 1925. In Rome, she studied with Delia Valeri and Vito Carnevale at the Summer School for Americans at the Villa d'Este and in Milan, she studied with Julian Quezada. During her two years in Europe, some of her other teachers included Sylvo Puccetti, Mario Bellini, and Marcel Picheran of Opera Comique.

One of the breakthrough moments in Talbert's career came in March 1927. It was her debut at the Teatro Communale in Cosenza, Italy in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. She is credited with being the first black woman to play Aida with an all white, European professional company to receive critical acclaim and success, that too, in Europe. In fact, she received critical acclaim in Paris, London, and Rome. Due to this performance, she was invited to be a member of the Facista Group of Lyric Artists. Furthermore, she was even offered a five-year contract to sing as Aida in the opera, however, she had to refuse the offer since she needed to return to the U.S. with her mother. After three performances of Aida, Talbert continued doing concerts in Rome, Southern Italy, and Paris, which were also received with critical acclaim.

Career in the U.S.

When Talbert returned to the U.S. in 1927, she continued her recitals by touring extensively across the U.S. Although she received recognition for her performances in the African American music community, she had difficulty finding opportunities in opera in the U.S. As she toured, she also started taking on voice students to mentor.

When she was on a tour in Tennessee, she met her second husband, Benjamin F. McCleave, eventually marrying him in 1930.

Retirement and mentoring

In 1930, Talbert decided to focus on teaching. She accepted her first teaching position at Bishop College in Marshall, Texas, where she was the first black director of music. In the future, she headed the voice department at the Tuskegee Institute and the Fisk University. Simultaneously, she also opened her own studio to teach students privately in Memphis, Tennessee, where she eventually settled.

During her career as a music educator, she mentored several voice artists, who went on to become renowned classical musicians in their own right. These students included:

Vera Little: she was a mezzo soprano, who debuted as Carmen at the State Opera House in Berlin in 1957.

Marian Anderson: she was a world renowned contralto, who became the first black artist to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Talbert is credited with encouraging a young Anderson to pursue a career in singing. She even hosted a benefit concert to raise money for a scholarship for Anderson's training.

La Julia Rhea: she was an operatic soprano, who is known to be the first black artist to have been granted an audition by the Metropolitan Opera. Rhea was Talbert's protege, who like Talbert, became one of the early black musicians to play Aida.

During this period of her career, she was also instrumental in bringing world-famous artists such as Leontyne Price to sing at LeMoyne–Owen College, so that young black musicians in Memphis could have the opportunity to learn about and from top class artists.

Community involvement

Throughout her career, Talbert was an active member of the African American community in addition to her contributions as a performer, musician, and music educator. In 1919, she became an active member of the National Association of Negro Musicians. As a member, she sang at annual conferences as well as served as chairperson of the Conference of Artists and the Voice Conference. She also co-founded the Memphis Music Association with Mrs. T.H. Watkins. Additionally, she was an active member and co-founder of the Christian Science Society Church in Memphis.

As the honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, a historically black sorority, Talbert composed its national hymn.

Critical acclaim and accolades

Talbert was widely celebrated within the African American musical community for her talent, receiving titles such as "Queen of the Concert Stage." An example of the critical acclaim she received in the U.S. was when she performed in Houston in 1930 with well known local pianist, Ernestine Covington. Critics in the Informer wrote the following about her performance, "[it was] the greatest operatic soprano the race has ever produced" and called her "among the greatest singers the world has ever known." So loved was she in the Los Angeles community, she also gained the title of "Our Divine Florence."

In June 25, 1953, the National Negro Opera Guild, founded by Mary Cardwell Dawson,—another celebrated opera singer—awarded Talbert with a Certificate of Merit, naming her "The First Lady of Grand Opera."

Legacy

Opera Memphis recently announced the McCleave Project. It includes the McCleave Fellowship for singers, directors, and coaches of color as a way to continue the legacy of Talbert. Further, through conversations, free showings of The Telephone, and other initiatives, it aims to start dialogues about how Opera Memphis can better engage with communities of color in Memphis and the mid-South to diversify their audience.

[michael-radi-the-glamorous-life]

Hold Your Breath. Make A Wish. Count To Three.

You know how you sometimes have this dream - it could be a nighttime thing, or a daydream, or some lofty ethereal goal - but it’s something you just can’t quite imagine. It’s there and you can almost picture it, but only ever just almost.

I’ve had so many of these dreams that I lost count long ago. But I think it’s something that’s just in the DNA of artists and creative types.

Right?

Well, beginning sometime around the fall of 2016 I had this dream (the goal kind) of what it would be like, feel like, look like, sound like, etc to see The King’s Legacy - which had finally found the correct structure - come to life in a full production.

It simultaneously felt easily attainable and yet a thousand years off. I truly could almost see it happening. But it wasn’t happening - not yet anyway. So all I could do was just keep imagining and letting various scenarios pass through my head.

But I will tell you that, when it came down to the reality, it was nothing like I had imagined.

It was so much better.

Come With Me And You’ll Be In A World Of Pure Imagination

Writers are often asked:

“Do you see the show in your head as you write? Are you staging it? Directing it?”

And I am absolutely certain that some writers can and do.

But not me.

That’s not to say that I’m not imagining how it could possibly go and making sure that it seems workable, both as someone who has directed and continues to perform as an actor. But I either do not have the ability or the synapse wiring to fully direct the show in my brain as I write/create the entire world of a possible production. For me, it’s more a conglomeration of possibilities than it is a concrete idea.

And that’s where Chris J. Handley comes into the story.

I’ve known Chris as an actor since 2014 and one of the first things that struck me about him is that he is - plainly and simply - extremely good at what he does: as an actor, singer, emcee, and overall professional. He is an artistic force to be reckoned with.

Last year I had the pleasure of finally encountering Chris as a director as well (in The Spider’s Web at BVT). I had a small role, but I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in on the rehearsals - even when I was not needed - just to watch Chris work and direct. His intelligence and grasp of overall picture, while never letting the details slip away, is really a special experience.

So when I was told Chris would be the director for The King’s Legacy this summer, I was thrilled.

There is much I could say about the process of working with Chris on the script prior to the actual production, but the biggest takeaway for me from our early conversations was that he had a complete and utter grasp on what the piece was, wanted to be, its flow, its importance, and all of the layers that were on the page. It was like being fully seen for the first time - our conversations were deep and productive and wonderful.

And - if you would indulge me another moment - when we got to the summer and I finally got see the production elements that he had put together with the designers, I knew he truly understood the piece.

There was no doubt: this musical was going to truly come to life.

We’ll Begin With A Spin

There is a flow to the script of The King’s Legacy that is, potentially, a little difficult to find.

With the framing device of having the show performed by a troupe of Elizabethan Players, there are elements of narration and driving storyline that move the piece quickly between scenes and songs. And there’s a great deal of storytelling that must be done very quickly.

What Chris and the entire design team put together was a show that could move as quickly, freely, and easily as the words and performers have to move.

There is space. There is freedom. There is an element of play built directly into the production from the top down. And it’s awesome.

In a show where there is a great deal of information, 20 characters, and countless scene shifts, the whole experience can be somewhat dizzying at times. And when that is appropriate to the piece, they’ve allowed it to continue to exist in that way. And at times when we’d rather not give that experience to the audience, they figured out a way to create a more grounded experience, without losing the sense of movement.

Running through the show for the very first time in the rehearsal room was, as an actor, an exhausting and delightfully rewarding experience. The show is a runaway train that can never slow down or stop until it absolutely must, and it is this movement that Chris has infused throughout the entire show so masterfully.

The core, the heart, of this show has been lain bare for the audience, and it’s a beautiful experience.

Traveling In The World Of My Creation

Now, as the writer, walking into the theater is an awe-inspiring experience. Every time.

They built a world. There is literally a different world built in our space. And it’s the world of the show that I wrote…

I mean, whoa. That’s the coolest thing - like - period. Holy wow.

It’s beautiful. It’s magical. It’s period. Yet it’s not. It’s theatrical. It’s musical. And it’s our world - our home - for the next 9 days.

There have been a number of incredible experiences for me working in theater - as an actor, musical director, educator, and so on - but the experience of walking into this world fully realized for the first time is not something I am going to forget any time soon.

There it is. It’s right there.

Is it what I imagined? Nope. No way.

It’s so much better.

If You Want To View Paradise, Simply Look Around And View It

So, as we walk into our opening night tonight, what do I want to say?

I’m really not sure.

All I know that I can say is that I am so thankful and grateful for having been given the opportunity to bring this show to life for the first time, and with this insanely talented group of people. This team has been nothing short of incredible, and I could not be happier with the work they have done and the world they have built.

This world - this dream - exists because of these amazing individuals, who I must give credit to:

Executive Artistic Director - Karin Bowersock

Associate Artistic Director - Katelyn Cantu

Director - Chris J. Handley

Assistant Director - Kate Reynolds

Set Design - Christopher and Justin Swader

Lighting Design - Mary Ellen Stebbins

Costume Design - Sammi Miller

Costumes/Wardrobe - Valerie Frizzell

Costume Assistants - Joan Luther, Joan York

Sound Design - Rich Miller

Musical Director - Annabelle Revak

Stage Manager - Morgan Montgomery

Assistant Stage Manager - Andrea Armer

Choreographer - Adam Corcoran

Assistant Choreographer (+) - Meaghan Finlay

Dramaturg - Liz Porter Woods

Technical Director - Sam Santoianni

Assistant Technical Director - Mary Atchley

Props Mistress - Ammy Roth

Props/Paints - Mary Claunch

Carpentry - Mars Peterson, Ace Evans

Electrics - Amber Hahn, Amanda Ryan

Marketing/Administration - Emily Haan

Administration - Angela Einwachter

House Manager - Mary Peaty

Box Office/Front of House - Caity Peaty, Angela, Kyle Rook

Player 1 - Mike Kinzer

Player 3 - Mark Poppleton

Player 4 - Jennifer Arfsten

Player 5 - Hannah Karpenko

Player 6 - Alex Loucks

Player 7 - Tess Marshall

Player 8 - Leigh Martha Klinger

Player 9 - Bunny Baldwin (care of Joyce Baldwin)

As you can see, it really does take a village.

And now, all that is left to do is to soak in this paradise together - as artists, as creatives, as audience, and as lovers of theatre.

Yeah. Let’s do this thing.

[blogdimitrikov]

Feat. the musician who took part in Dimitri K.'s album "She walks in beauty":          Lyia Meta, Paul Messina, Jay Rusty Crutcher, Alvin L.Giles, John Valeri, Van Galen, Alex Hahn, Joel Klein, Konstantin Dimitrov, Jamie Strefeler, Lannie Battistini, Gabe Carson, Ferenc Németh!

[sharingamerica]

The news in November

Hard to believe all the news that happened in November! Here is a look at some of our work. - Holly Edgell, Editor

The month started off with mid-term elections, of course. Erica Morrison looked at a group of women of color who worked to get out the vote in Oregon, where there was an historic race for Portland City Council between two black women. 

Photo by Erica Morrison, OPB

Across the country in Connecticut, Vanessa de la Torre reported on the rise of Jahana Hayes, also a black woman. The former school teacher would go on to win the race for the state’s 5th Congressional District. Vanessa also looked at just what it would take to galvanize people of color to go to the polls.

Photo by Vanessa de la Torre, Connecticut Public Radio

Immediately after election day, Sharing America turned to other matters. Ashley Lisenby reported on how the library in one southern Illinois town serves as an empowering resource for a community with one of the region’s fastest growing Latino populations. 

Photo by Carolina Hidalgo, St. Louis Public Radio

Next, Michelle Tyrene Johnson introduced us to a group of Latino artists making a creative space for themselves and tackling cultural appropriation in Kansas City.

Around the middle of the month Ashley reported on a Ferguson, Missouri apartment complex that was about to evict Section 8 tenants. It turns out St. Louis County had stopped making its share of rental payments. 

We went back to Kansas City toward the end of the month where Michelle reported on the first historical marker dedicated a Missouri lynching victim, Levi Harrington.

Photo by Michelle Tyrene Johnson, KCUR

If you’d like to see what other stories we’ve covered in 2018, check out this interactive map!

In St. Louis, we were very excited to host a two-day training “boot camp” to expose non-radio reporters to radio storytelling. On Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, we hosted 12 journalists from the ranks of television, blogs and newspapers in sessions led by the great Kerry Donahue of PRX. Kerry led our training session in Hartford in May, and I just knew she’d kill it again in St. Louis. 

The participants:

Joseph Bustos, Belleville News-Democrat

Kelsey Landis, Belleville News-Democrat

Chester Lampkin, 5 On Your Side

Erin Richey, 5 On Your Side

Sandra Jordan, The St. Louis American

Kenya Vaughn, The St. Louis American

Tammy Merrett, SIUE

Mariah Stewart, Independent journalist

Valerie Hahn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Andrew Nguyen, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Cristina Fletes, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Michelle Jokisch Polo, Grand Valley State University

A major shout out to four St. Louis Public Radio employees who sacrificed their Saturday to help with some of the hands-on work:

Ryan Delaney

Sarah Fentem

Marissanne Lewis-Thompson

Rachel Lippman

Getting to know the equipment.

It was great to have folks from the St. Louis American since the weekly paper and St. Louis Public Radio are content partners.

Obligatory station tour! 

We even did some breathing exercises.

More photos on our Facebook Page 

Here’s to December!