# Interesting background bit on Sutherland



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I met someone who was a professional theatrical wig maker for opera and the stage. He worked on both Sutherland and Sills. He said Dame Joan had a really large head. The intersting bit about her that I had never heard before was that she had really bad stage fright and Ricky almost had to push her out on the stage everytime. Once she was out there, though, it all vanished away and the magic began.I read two biographies on her and don't remember her having stage fright.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Others with stage fright: Stratas/Corelli

Any others?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm sure it is very common. I'm in Toastmasters and the vast majority of people are afraid of speaking in front of a crowd/


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Seattleoperafan said:


> *I'm sure it is very common. *I'm in Toastmasters and the vast majority of people are afraid of speaking in front of a crowd/


Lawrence Olivier once said he got terrified every time he went on stage


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Hand up here. Fortunately I only get it briefly just before I come in with my first line of music. I have a fear that no sound will come out, or even worse, I will just start croaking like a frog.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Callas had it too. She literally had to be walked to the wings by her husband, or Zeffirelli, or Visconti, or whomever she was leaning on at the time.

Graziella Sciutti tells a story of visiting her back stage before a performance of, I think, *Medea*. Callas was so nervous she asked Sciutti to accompany her to the wings before her entrance. She gripped Sciutti's hand so tightly, it hurt, and Sciutti couldn't imagine how she would ever get on stage. However the moment she stepped out of the wings, the transformation was complete and she simply became Medea. Sciutti looked down to rub her painful hand and realised Callas had actually drawn blood, so tightly had she gripped her.


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