An unsigned AP report on Tuesday (8/13) reads, “Downton Abbey, the world’s favorite country-house soap, is getting a dose of opera. Producers say soprano Kiri Te Kanawa will appear in the upcoming fourth season as real-life diva Nellie Melba. The New Zealand-born singer says ‘I couldn’t say yes fast enough’ to appearing in a show she loves—and enjoyed her time on set so much she named her new dog Abbey. Te Kanawa sang for journalists at a preview of the new season on Tuesday. In the new series, Melba—a huge star of the early 20th century—joins the aristocratic Grantham clan for a house party. The costume drama about the family and servants in an English stately home returns to British television this fall, and airs in the U.S. on PBS in January.”
Posted August 16, 2013
