Today is the 100th birthday of Julia Child. She almost made it-dying in 2004 at 92. Most of us remember the Julia Child featured in the video above. Speaking of Bon Appetit: DID YOU KNOW THERE'S A JULIA CHILD OPERA? I love you Meryl Streep. But composer Lee Hoiby got there first, with his one woman Bon Appetit in which Julia, singing a range between mezzo- soprano and death, prepares a chocolate cake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0WGSqu1lds Bon Appetit wasn't exactly written for the opera house. It was written for Jean Stapleton, fresh from her Edith Bunker days. As for Julia Child (herself)--I saw her once, browsing turntables at AR in Harvard Square. She was tall. She was REALLY tall. Many degrees of separation, my Aunt Mary was Paul Child's private nurse at the rest home (we didn't say assisted living then) where he spent his final years, across the street from where I grew up. Aunt Mary said Mrs. Child was lovely. I doubt whether my mother or my aunts ever ran from the TV to the kitchen to try for Julia's foie gras or chicken. There's only so much you can do with hot dogs and frozen turkey pot pie. Still, it's nice to think of Julia Child on her 100th birthday, laughing, cooking and even singing in heaven.
Christopher Purdy is Classical 101's early morning host, 7-10 a.m. weekdays. He is host and producer of Front Row Center – Classical 101’s weekly celebration of Opera and more – as well as Music in Mid-Ohio, Concerts at Ohio State, and the Columbus Symphony broadcast series. He is the regular pre-concert speaker for Columbus Symphony performances in the Ohio Theater.