Fired for being fat, soprano comes back
June 19, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, That's how they do it in ______
It’s not over until the fat slimmer lady sings. That’s the case at London’s Covent Garden.
Four years ago, her bosses at Covent Garden fired soprano Deborah Voigt for being too fat to play the part of Ariadne in Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.”
In 2004, the casting director thought Voigt wouldn’t suit the “little black dress” he envisioned for the part.
Now, 120 pounds lighter after gastric bypass surgery, the same opera that fired her has invited her back for the part — and she’s accepted.
At the time she was fired, she wasn’t happy about the decision. But now, she tells Reuters “There’s no getting around the fact that the face of opera is changing.”
Voigt says she had the surgery for health reasons, not just to get better parts in operas.
And to promote her return — and also to show she has a sense of humor — she’s posted a video on YouTube in which she has a conversation with the “little black dress.”
July 30th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Companies BETTER be sure that if they decide to terminate someone based on weight….that they are not terminating someone with a metabolism/thyroid health issue. I am overweight and hypothyroid. I am just waiting for the day that a company terminates me (smile).
September 5th, 2008 at 10:53 am
No one should be discriminated against based on appearance or factors they can’t control. That said, there are some jobs that require a person be able to perform to levels that might be difficult for certain individuals. Firefighters and police typically have to maintain a high fitness level, for example. This is a legitimate job requirement, though I don’t think it should be based on weight, but rather on their ability to perform. But the acting / performing fields often “require” the individual have a certain appearance to play the role the creator has envisioned and people are cast for parts based on how well they fit the creator’s ideal. Right or wrong, that’s how it works.
Overall, I think employment decisions should be based on “can the person adequately perform the job” and not based in any way on how a person looks. But as with anything, I think there are a few exceptions to the rule and the performing field (in front of a camera / audience) would be one of them.