An enormous role

Sherill Milnes is a big opera star. He has a big baritone voice, befitting such fame. And he stands more than 6 feet tall. But in one important way, Milnes isn't big enough for the title role in the comic opera Falstaff, presented by the Orlando Opera.

He needs to gain some weight. A lot of weight.

To convincingly play the role of a fat man who is the center of the jokes, the trim Milnes has to gain more than 100 pounds.

Rather than gorge on ice cream sundaes, Milnes worked with costume designer Charles Caine in 1991 to design a special costume that makes Milnes look like a ripe melon.

The outfit works. He can't see his belt buckle, much less his shoes. Straight on, Milnes appears perfectly circular. He moves like an obese man, his gait becoming more lumbering. When he pauses, his hands rest comfortably on his gigantic gut.

It is not comfortable, however, to wear the suit throughout a performance. The foam rubber traps body heat, and Milnes says the effect is like that of a sauna. He sweats constantly.

His endurance is tested further by the preparation time. Before a dress rehearsal this past week, Milnes spent 1 1/2 hours in his dressing room becoming Falstaff. Makeup and wig designer Susan Stone began by aging Milnes with makeup. Then costumer Caine explained the mechanics of the costume to dresser Don Emmerson. It takes a certain choreography for Milnes to even put on his pants, something that has to be done quickly during costume changes.

Despite the costume demands, Milnes isn't complaining. In opera, the sopranos and altos regularly have to endure whale bone corsets, bustles and elaborate petticoats.

``Women have more costume problems than men,'' concedes Milnes.

Originally published for the A&E Gallery column in the Orlando Sentinel on February 15, 1998