1.   Bob Hope introduces Kirsten Flagstad, and the curtain rises to disclose the great Norwegian soprano perched atop a rock, spear in hand, ready for anything.

2.   After studying the score meticulously, Dame Gwyneth sought out the great English dramatic soprano Dame Eva Turner, one of the first Turandots, for coaching.

3.   Forced by illness to withdraw, she was replaced by Jarmila Novotna, the great Czech soprano.

4.   He was also coached by the great soprano Rosa Ponselle, then living in retirement in Baltimore.

5.   The tiny version in the show bears, by the way, a dedication to the great soprano Pauline Viardot.

6.   Early on, Dame Joan tried to sing like the great Wagnerian soprano Kirsten Flagstad.