The Three Fat Women of Antibes
Composed by Mona Lyn Reese
Libretto by Thomas Hassing

The Three Fat Women of Antibes is a humorous chamber opera for five singers. It takes place in the early 1930s in Antibes, an exclusive and wealthy town near Nice on the French Riviera.

Three middle aged women (Beatrice, Frank, and Arrow) take a house in Antibes, to pursue a weight reduction regimen. The women are not plump or chubby, but decidedly fat. The youngest of the women (Arrow) hopes to find an attractive and wealthy young man for her third husband. The three women, keen and enthusiastic bridge players, are the best of friends. They support each other in their diets and enjoy their time together. The only thing they really need is a fourth for bridge.

Frank invites her recently widowed cousin and an excellent bridge player, Lena, to join them for several weeks. Lena's doctor told her she should eat simple foods-bread, butter, potatoes, and cream-to help her over her husband's death. Lena has never had a weight problem, she can eat anything she pleases, and does. She wins a lot of their money, puts butter on everything, and has wine with meals. Lena's diet and her ability to win at bridge strains the three fat women's friendship to the bursting point.

The Three Fat Women of Antibes is based on a W. Somerset Maugham short story by the same name. Permission to use this story has been graciously granted by Curtis Brown Limited.

Scored for piano and the following cast:
MRS. ARROW SUTCLIFFE, Mezzo-soprano
MRS. BEATRICE RICHMAN, Lyric Soprano
MISS FRANCES HICKSON, "Frank", Baritone
MRS. LENA FINCH Coloratura Soprano
PRINCE ROCCAMARE Non-singing
BUTLER/WAITER Non-singing

Pictured upper left are: Leah Hamilton (Arrow Sutcliff), Greer Davis-Brown (Lena Finch), Michael Brown (Frances Hickson). Not pictured: Amy Jeffers (Beatrice Richman)