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Beverly Sills Remembered
by GINIE SAYLES July 3,
2007
Copyright
2007 Ginie Sayles All Rights Reserved
I never knew what the word
‘AURA’ meant until the day I met Beverly Sills.
At the time, I was working as Public
Relations for Houston Grand Opera and as Editor of the in-house Opera Magazine. As always, I was under pressure to get a press release out to the media,
or to set up a television interview for one of our performers, or to soothe the
feathers of a socialite on the Opera Guild, or to meet a zillion other demands
on my time.
My daughter, Audrei (pronounced
Audrey), was playing next to my desk in my office (where she sometimes slept when
I worked late at night) when suddenly, the whole outer office was buzzing with
excited whispers of “Oh, it’s Beverly Sills!”
Before that day, I had met many
high-powered individuals - Richard and Pat Nixon, the movie star Joan Crawford,
Leonard Bernstein, and a whole A-List of Who’s Who personalities - and since
then, I have met many of today’s celebrities and in fact, I have had a number
of celebrities as clients of mine. I have enjoyed meeting and/or knowing each
of them; and I have always been comfortable with them as individuals and they
with me. As talented, charming, or great their achievements; none of them has
ever made an impression on me merely with their presence. Never.
Beverly Sills is the only person
that the minute I walked into the room where she was, I could literally “feel”
her presence from 15 feet away - and I repeat “literally ‘feel’” her presence - something
palpable - something I could almost touch.
At the time I met her, I knew
nothing of the word aura beyond its use in poetry or literature. But that is
the word that came to me as I struggled to understand the tangible presence
that emanated from her.
She was introduced to me and
followed me into my office so that I could give her an itenerary for publicity
I had lined up for her. People gathered, talking to her when suddenly, my
little girl, Audrei, looked up at her and exclaimed, “You gots on gold earrings
- just like mine!”
Six-year-old Audrei had looked
for what she had in common with this world-renowned star. And, in fact, Beverly
Sills was wearing small gold pierced loops like Audrei’s.
She burst out laughing and sank
to the floor to embrace my daughter, saying, “You’re right! I do! We have
exactly matching earrings!”
A few days later, I was
backstage getting publicity pictures during dress rehearsal. Beverly Sills was
in costume for the starring role of Violetta in Verde’s Opera, La Traviata, and
when she saw Audrei behind me, she called Audrei over to her.
She went to her dressing table
and removed her costume earrings and put on her earrings that matched Audrei’s.
Then she asked to have a picture of her taken with Audrei; and as they posed
for the picture, she said, “We are members of the Golden Earrings Club - Audrei
is President and I am Vice-President.”
Thinking back on that moment, I
believe it reveals a key to her personality that created the enormous presence
of this talented woman to the point that I would call it a true ‘aura.’ She gave herself to people, not just to an
audience - and she gave herself to people beyond what was necessary and with
joy, real joy. It may well be that the aura I witnessed was the ‘joyous gift of
herself’ to people that projected beyond her physical body in her great soprano
voice, in her bountiful spirit, her easy humor, and in her generous, giving
heart.
Today I heard the news that
Beverly Sills died last night. I am glad I saw her grace the stage of humanity,
the world of opera, and a thoughtful moment in a child’s life.
- Ginie Sayles
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