Editing Metropolitan Opera (section)

==Deaths at the Met==
Over the years, a number of deaths have occurred at the Metropolitan Opera House. On February 10, 1897, French bass [[Armand Castelmary]] suffered a heart attack onstage in the finale of act one of [[Friedrich von Flotow|Flotow's]] ''[[Martha (opera)|Martha]]''. He died in the arms of his friend, tenor [[Jean de Reszke]], after the curtain was brought down. The performance resumed with Giuseppe Cernusco substituting in the role of Sir Tristram.<ref>"Death on Opera Stage", ''The New York Times'', February 11, 1897.</ref> On May 10, 1935, [[Herbert Witherspoon]], the incoming General Manager suffered a heart attack and died at his desk.<ref name=HWCT /><ref name=HWNYT /><ref name=HWT /> On March 4, 1960, leading baritone [[Leonard Warren]] died of a heart attack onstage after completing the aria "Urna fatale" in act two of Verdi's ''[[La forza del destino]]''.<ref>"Leonard Warren Collapses And Dies on Stage at 'Met'", ''The New York Times'', March 5, 1960.</ref> On April 30, 1977, Betty Stone, a member of the Met chorus, was killed in an accident offstage during a tour performance of ''[[Il trovatore]]'' in Cleveland.<ref>"Met Singer Killed in Backstage Elevator in Cleveland", ''The New York Times'', May 2, 1977.</ref> On July 23, 1980, Helen Hagnes Mintiks, a 30-year-old Canadian-born violinist,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/26/death-of-a-violinist/4b994824-5132-4700-8b51-0dc40151664e/ |title=Death Of a Violinist |newspaper=Washington Post |date=July 26, 1980 |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828152301/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/26/death-of-a-violinist/4b994824-5132-4700-8b51-0dc40151664e/ |url-status=live }}</ref> was murdered by Met stagehand Craig Crimmins during the [[intermission]] of a performance of the Berlin Ballet. The event was cited by numerous publications as "The Phantom of the Opera" murder.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/28/nyregion/confession-details-given-as-opera-murder-trial-starts.html| title=Confession Details Given As Opera Murder Trial Starts| author=E. R. Shipp| date=April 28, 1981| work=The New York Times| access-date=February 11, 2017| archive-date=September 14, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914065405/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/28/nyregion/confession-details-given-as-opera-murder-trial-starts.html| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/arts/music/johanna-fiedler-writer-of-music-tell-alls-dies-at-65.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries| title=Johanna Fiedler Dies at 65; Wrote of the Met Opera| date=June 4, 2011| work=The New York Times| first=Daniel E.| last=Slotnik| access-date=February 11, 2017| archive-date=February 15, 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215215638/https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/04/arts/music/johanna-fiedler-writer-of-music-tell-alls-dies-at-65.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,920910,00.html "Dance of Death"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330003725/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,920910,00.html |date=March 30, 2008 }}, ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]'' August 4, 1980</ref><ref name="Murderat">{{cite news| url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v36/ai_3574211 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050121121348/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_v36/ai_3574211 | url-status=dead | archive-date=January 21, 2005 | title=Murder at the Met. – book reviews &#124; National Review &#124; Find Articles at BNET.com}}</ref> On January 5, 1996, tenor [[Richard Versalle]] died while playing the role of Vitek during the production of [[Leoš Janáček]]'s ''[[The Makropulos Affair (opera)|The Makropulos Case]]''. Versalle was climbing a {{convert|20|ft|m |adj=on}} ladder in the opening scene when he suffered a heart attack and fell to the stage.<ref>Lynette Holloway, [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0DE1DE1339F934A35752C0A960958260&scp=1&sq=richard%20versalle&st=cse "Richard Versalle, 63, Met Tenor, Dies After Fall in a Performance"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719175614/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/07/nyregion/richard-versalle-63-met-tenor-dies-after-fall-in-a-performance.html |date=July 19, 2021 }}, ''The New York Times'', January 7, 1996.</ref>

In addition, several audience members have died at the Met. The most widely known incident was the suicide of operagoer [[Bantcho Bantchevsky]] on January 23, 1988, during an intermission in a live broadcast of Verdi's ''[[Macbeth (Verdi)|Macbeth]]''.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/24/nyregion/opera-patron-dies-in-plunge-from-a-balcony-at-the-met.html | title=Opera Patron Dies in Plunge From a Balcony at the Met| first=Robert| last=McFadden| newspaper=The New York Times| date=1988-01-24 | access-date=2025-02-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/25/nyregion/metro-datelines-man-s-death-at-opera-is-called-a-suicide.html | title=Metro Datelines; Man's Death at Opera Is Called a Suicide | work=The New York Times | author= | date=1988-01-25 | access-date=2025-02-26}}</ref>