Nonfat Opera -- Corpulent Ladies Rarely Sing, And For Good Reason

The opera, we keep hearing, is not over until the fat lady sings.

Maybe that's why Seattle Opera's "Gotterdammerung" takes so long to conclude: The fat lady never does sing.

In this production there is, in fact, no fat lady. There are a few comfortably proportioned women, but nobody who'd be likely to browse for clothes in the "extra sizes" portion of the department store. The majority of these Wagnerians, including the Brunnhilde (Gudrun Volkert), are downright slender.

What is the world coming to, when we can no longer depend on operatic cliches? Where are the heavyweights of yesteryear?

Many of them have either reduced or found themselves out of a job, in an era in which TV-conscious operaphiles expect to see believable theater on the operatic stage. If Wagner or Verdi specifies an ingenue of surpassing beauty, today's opera lovers don't expect to see a superannuated soprano with a girth of 40 axe-handles. They expect Madonna in Wagnerian breastplates.

Don't singers who specialize in the extremely heavy roles also have to carry some extremely heavy weight? Don't singers ruin their voices, as did Maria Callas, if they lose that weight?

Not according to most voice specialists. Natalie Limonick, a renowned Los Angeles vocal coach whose resume is the size of a minor Russian novel, says the operatic fat lady is largely (sorry!) a myth.

"Even for the most heroic roles," says Limonick, "a singer doesn't really need extra weight. What is needed is a large vital center, the breathing and support apparatus that makes the big sound.

"You don't see little birdlike creatures singing Wagner. They can't create the necessary volume of sound. But we're talking about body structure, not about fat."

Beyond that, however, Limonick says that some singers let themselves get fat because they feel more comfortable, more protected, with that extra weight. A Wagnerian singer needs to feel as solid and secure as the Rock of Gibraltar; it can be a psychological matter, not just a vocal one.

Television is widely (sorry!) cited as the main reason for the decline in many girths. Such divas as Renata Scotto and Beverly Sills gazed in horror at their larger selves in videos of "La Boheme" and "La Traviata," in which the heroines are supposed to be fading away of consumption. Theirs was clearly a case of over-consumption. Off came the weight, and on went the television careers.

Singers who are fond of large, pasta-based celebrations after the final curtain have an extra struggle not to make the fat-lady cliche come true. But these days, wise divas have learned to follow Nancy Reagan's advice at the cast party: Just say no.

Deep pockets: One of the most important factors in any lively arts community is the philanthropic sector, those vital folks who contribute the dollars. Now's your chance to give them some recognition back. Washington Gives, the nonprofit organization founded to encourage philanthropy and volunteerism, is accepting nominations for Philanthropist of the Year, Young Philanthropist of the Year, and Philanthropic Family of the Year, categories which ought to cover just about all donor bases.

You can find out how to nominate your favorites by calling 343-9631 before the deadline, which is Aug. 31. The winners will be announced in November.

Sigh: Yet another state-of-the-art theater is about to open in Denver, while Seattle is still trying to cram its symphony, opera and ballet into one overbooked Opera House. The 2,800-seat Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre will be the ninth performance space in the Denver Performing Arts Complex when it opens Nov. 1. The Buell was launched by a $3 million naming grant from a foundation of the same name - and with a $27.5 million bond issue by the city and county of Denver.

Mozart and George Bush: You might not think they have a great deal in common, but both have been drawn by this year's Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, Jim Borgman of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Borgman, usually known for skewering political figures, has used his artistic skills on behalf of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, illustrating their 1991-'92 season.

And why is Borgman doing this?

"Frankly," he says, "drawing Mozart is a lot more interesting than drawing John Sununu."

Melinda Bargreen's column appears Sundays in Arts and Entertainment.