Opera’s fat lady slims

Deborah Voigt used to be the fattest lady in opera, said Brook Turner in the Financial Review (Australia). In 2004, tipping the scales at 335 pounds, the soprano was fired from a London production because she couldn’t squeeze into a costume. The American diva used her contractual payout to fund gastric bypass surgery, which reduced her weight by nearly half. But Voigt’s problems didn’t shrink with her waistline, and she plunged into depression and alcoholism. Women who have a stomach stapling often “cross-addict, because [the underlying] issues have never been dealt with,” she explains. “There are many characteristics we all share—fear, insecurity, depression—and they manifest in many ways.” She turned to drink because “I’m an opera singer, so I travel alone and there’s a minibar to keep you company.” Voigt overcame her depression, and now wins romantic heroine roles—“the pretty-girl parts.” She had to learn to “re-sing” with her new body, but is content with her slimmed-down sound. “The only time I ever miss my weight is when I see one of my heavy colleagues, because they take a breath and automatically the body engages all the muscles necessary to create the supported sound that is required for opera,” she says. “But I certainly don’t miss it when I’m in a costume fitting.”

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