The Gilded Gentleman Lillian Nordica, Part 1: The Making of a Gilded Age Soprano Superstar
XXVII. The glamour of the Gilded Age was found not only at dinner parties and balls but in theatres and opera houses as well. Lillian Nordica, originally from the small town of Farmington, Maine, rose to the heights of operatic stardom both in Europe and here in America in the last years of the Gilded Age and the early years of the 20th century.
Her unlikely story, little known today, combines a hardworking background of near poverty with the audiences and applause, the diamonds and gowns of an international superstar. Unlike some divas, Lillian used her fame to support human rights and became an outspoken advocate for women's right to vote and equality in the workplace - whether a factory or opera stage. Her fame had even entered popular culture - she was one of the first models in ads for Coca Cola .
Join Carl on this week's episode for Lilian's story which takes us to Paris, St. Petersburg, Milan and around the world. We'll take a look onstage and offstage at just how a star in the Gilded Age was really made.
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