Music: Boldly Back in Business

Backstage at the New York City Opera last week, Head Costumer J. Edgar Joseph had a problem. Would the off-white silk nightgown take to the rose dye? If not, Diva Beverly Sills would have to portray the heroine of Donizetti's Anna Bolena 30 hours later in a hand-me-down from Massenet's Manon. The dilemma was only one of several dozen facing Joseph at the time. Suddenly he rose from his chair, walked to a big dressing mirror and began screaming at himself. "What's the use of yelling at someone else?" he said. "It's nobody's fault....

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