Show I Just Li Like e in Movies Understudy 20 Sings to Met Triumph NEW V YORK Nov No 18 All AJl All dreams came true Friday night at atthe atthe atthe the Metropolitan opera for pretty haired dark-haired Roberta Peters With only last notice the little tittle year old soprano walked onto the Mets Met's huge stage and sang her way to a triumph as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni It was vas three lifetime firsts for fortiss Miss Peters who is hardly out of school It was her first stage appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap her first concert conceit and her first opera And after her performance it guaranteed her a first contract Last January the Mets Met's new manager Rudolf Bing heard Miss Peters sing in an audition liked her voice and added her to the roster for some tentative work Friday only a few hours before the Metropolitans Metropolitan's first Don Giovanni Giovanni Giovanni Gio Gio- I vanni of the season soprano Nadine Nadine Na- Na I dine Conner was stricken with food poisoning and had to cancel her appearance Bing summoned Miss Mias Peters backstage and asked her if she could sing the part of Zerlina While the clock raced she crammed for the role which she knew fairly well weil from seven years' years hopeful singing practice First the stage director to show her lien cues then the artistic director for costuming Finally just an hour before the 8 3 o'clock curtain conductor Fritz Reiner sat down at the piano and gave her a quick musical rehearsal Zerlina has three big numbers the duet with the wicked don La LaCi LaCi LaCi Ci La Mano and two tender tender tender ten ten- der solos Batti Batti 0 O Bel and Carino Canino With ith each one the applause grew and grew until after the last she got a real ovation the ovation the biggest demonstration of the evening evening- and was brought back for four curtain calls |