Opera

Black and white photograph of (l to r) Virginia MacWatters as Susanna, James Pease as Figaro and Frances Bible as Cherubino in Act 1 of the the 1952 Central City Opera performance of 'The Marriage of Figaro.'

Black and white photograph of (from l to r) Virginia MacWatters as Susanna, Frank valentino as the Count, Charles Post as Don Curzio, Elinor Warren as Marcellina, James Pease as Figaro and Chester watson as Bartolo in Act III of 'The Marriage of Figaro' in the 1952 Central City Opera House production of 'The Marriage of Figaro.'

Genevieve Warner (second from right), a soprano singer from the Metropolitan Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1952 production of "La Boheme" as Mimi, rehearses for an unidentified production with Michael Bondon (left), Hans Busch (second from left) and James Pease (right).

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year.

Portrait of James Pease, a baritone singer from the New York City Opera who performed with the Central City Opera in the 1947 production of ''Martha'' as Plunkett, as Colline in the 1952 production of 'La Boheme and as Figaro in 'The Marriage of Figaro' that same year, appears in an unidentified production.