I went through the New York City Opera annals last night to see if I had missed anything for Jim Billings. I couldn't find anything from Love for Three Oranges , or Rigoletto (Marullo). He may have been masked, or Fanciulla, (Castro), but I did find a couple of goodies. The hunchback bass fiddle player in VILLAGE ROMEO, Oct. 6, 1973. Sandy (Irwin) Densen is to his left, a fruit man.
From MERRY WIDOW, Njegus April 2, 1978
This last group is the funniest. Fred Plotkin commented that Jim had been the Old Badger in CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN in 1981. Lots of animals in this opera, children and adults. I've never gone on a Badger hunt before. The Vixen was Gianna Rolandi. Lots of pictures of her, easy to spot, because her face was visible. But find a badger amid the animal mob? This as a first.
There he is, a Badger, face partially hidden. No question it's Jim.
I may find more James Billing pictures in the future when I plow through odd-lot contact sheets, but for now this a fun way to pause. My first badger hunt.
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