Hope Briggs

News Item: SAN FRANCISCO: Soprano Hope Briggs has been pulled from the starring role in the San Francisco Opera's upcoming performance of Mozart's "Don Giovanni," officials said. Briggs will be replaced by South African-born Elza van den Heever, who performed the role of Donna Anna at the Lincoln Theater in Napa Valley and is contracted to sing the role with another opera company in a future season. General Director David Gockley decided that Briggs was "not ultimately suited for the role of Donna Anna in this production" after the final dress rehearsal, opera officials said Thursday. Dr. B: I liked her. It must have been a staging issue, though there are no clues here.