Lesley Garrett
 

The Holy Grail for Garret fans has to be photos or video footage from her appearance in Strauss' 'Salome'. She performed the Dance of the Seven Veils, and no, I'm not making this up! I've trauled the web for this treasure but haven't found anything yet. Theatrical productions are often photographed by an in-house photographer, so there may be photos somewhere (maybe with a photo library that has lots of theatrical stills).

Re: Lesley Garret
 

I want to see more, I will post some boring stuff that I have collected, I remember her wearing suspenders on stage at one point, I have heard about the 7 veils too but never found anything, I first saw her on a comedy show with Julian Clary and she blew my socks off. >:D

Re: Lesley Garret
 

Citizen Bidet, you may well be right. Just checked her biography and there is no mention of Salome, but I did read a comment in an article about her some years ago that she gave an 'electric' performance of the Dance of the Seven Veils. I wonder if it's possible that she performed this one scene for a one-off event?

The English National Opera - of which she was the principal soprano - did perform Salome a couple of times while she was with them, with Kristine Ciesinski in the lead. Would you agree that it's possible that Lesley might have covered for her for a couple of performances?

Re: Lesley Garret
 

A full strip during Salome does exist - but the soprano was Maria Ewing, not Lesley Garrett. However, Garrett did once flash her bum in a comic opera (Der Rosenkavalier IIRC). I suspect that the Strauss family name, combined with the knowledge that there was a "dance" in Salome may have led to the Garrett striptease myth.

Now if Cecilia Bartoli could be persuaded to go on arevived Colpo Grosso...... >:D

Re: Lesley Garret
 

I've got that Maria Ewing "Salome" clip somewhere. If I find it do I post it here on iin a new thread?

Re: Lesley Garret
 

Just like to chip in my twopenneth on the Salome issue.

Either I'm falling victim to (slightly) premature senility or Ms Garrett most definitely did perform the Dance of the Seven Veils early in her career. It was news reports of the event that first brought Lesley to my attention and I've been a fan ever since! At some stage (either at that time or a little later - I don't recall) one or two pictures appeared in the press of Lesley posing draped in semi-transparent 'veils'. Nothing too revealing , but seriously sexy. But then, Lesley does seriously sexy with very little effort!

Quote from Lesley's bio page at IMBd ( http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0308162/bio ) :

"It is vital to keep in shape because opera is about credible casting. If you are playing a fabulous role you have to look fabulous and sometimes you have to wear very skimpy clothing or nothing at all. I've been nude on stage before now and can't aford to have a saggy tush."

Re: Lesley Garret
 

She says she has been nude "on stage". What role other than Salome has she performed that might require her to be nude on stage?

Re: Lesley Garret
 

I seem to remember she was in a series of short modern operas on BBC2 in which she sang topless. :o

Re: Lesley Garret
 

Quote from another forum:

'I've heard her sing quite a lot in the past (at English National Opera, where she was a decent company soloist for quite a while before "stardom" overcame her), including some big roles, notably Strauss's "Salome".'