Fat Lady singing vs. Skinny Lady....

Last night I was googling for no good reason and came across this post on Operas.com Regarding the saying "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings." to read the entire entry you'll have to go there yourself. The reason I'm bringing this up is because he brought up something I never thought about. "Is the fat lady better than the skinny one? Does the fat lady have more momentum in her diaphragm? A wider lung capacity? A stronger push to her airflow? Why does the fat lady get all the attention?

Based on technique alone, there doesn't seem to be any advantage in having a wider middle as a singer. Overweight singers are more difficult to train for proper technique, because it is harder to read their body language while they sing. Since singing is a full-body experience, and not just a head-throat-mouth-chest operation, being able to perfect your entire body technique is vital to getting the most from your organ, the voice box.

Even if a person already has a great singing technique, the extra weight can have a detrimental effect on one's singing. Breath management may be poorer so that the sound is wobbly, the breath itself is noisy, the vibrato is irregular and phrases may end weakly.

Of course, some argue that extra fat in the vocal folds and around the midsection can actually add to the pleasing character of the tone and vibrato of the voice. Many teachers may argue that this varies from case to case and that most singers are better off physically and vocally from a healthy body weight.

Opera is not just about singing - there is acting, and drama that play very important parts in adding inflection and character to the storyline. While a larger frame adds its own character to a role, it may not always be the character that the composer is seeking, or the extra weight may inhibit certain activities, like dancing or leaping, that are desired from the storyline. As a result, the larger singer may be limited in the roles that they receive.

However, the fat lady does have a much greater presence overall than the thin one, which can be very valuable on stage. Most theaters have many rows way in the back, making it difficult to see some of the nuances of acting that occur on stage, more or less the actual characters. When the main role is filled by a woman that is easily seen, the patron can relax and enjoy the show instead of squinting to see each act. - Angela Bull"

While I am overweight and there are some things I don't do because I can't, it never made me wonder if I'd sing better if I were thinner. I have heard some things regarding singing and weight over the years but nothing ever really made me really chew on it like this post. I have read about singers who after losing a dramatic amount of weight lost some depth to their voices but I'm not sure if that was just theory or fact. Then I remembered a few years ago reading about Deborah Voigt and her struggles with weight leading her to decide to have gastric bypass surgery. I haven't read anything about whether or not the weight loss affected her voice but I am curious.

What do you all think?