Sills Tribute, Sept. 16

The Beverly Sills tribute takes place at the Metropolitan Opera House (where else?) at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16. Tickets are free, but likely to go fast. They'll be given out at the Met box office on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 12 noon on that Sunday. Only two tickets per person. Of course, the performance can be heard on the Met's Sirius satellite channel or through a live stream.

Sills, the soprano who went on to serve as chairwoman of the Met, died July 2 of lung cancer.

It's a big show, with sopranos Natalie Dessay and Anna Netrebko and baritone Nathan Gunn singing and our own maestro - okay, he's got a job at the Met as well - James Levine at the piano.

Speakers will include Carol Burnett, Plácido Domingo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters.