A Timely Screening

Of Sills Performance

SOUTHBURY — Southbury Senior Center’s “Afternoon at the Opera” series will feature Jules Massenet’s Manon at 1 pm on Wednesday, July 18, in the Pomperaug Woods auditorium, 80 Heritage Road.

The performance, filmed in October 1977 at Lincoln Center, featured Beverly Sills in her last filmed performance which one critic described as “sensational.” Henry Price and a young Samuel Ramey are in the cast supported by Julius Rudel conducting the New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Massenet’s Manon, like Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, was based on a story by Prevost.

The screening will be especially poignant considering the recent death of Ms Sills on July 2.

The showing is open to the public and admission is free, with refreshments provided by Pomperaug Woods. Additional information is available by calling Carole Damon at Southbury Senior Center, 262-0651 or Becky Butler at Pomperaug Woods, 262-6557.