Deborah Voigt, seen on the right in April 2006, underwent surgery

The American soprano was dropped from Ariadne auf Naxos at London's Covent Garden after it was felt she would not suit her costume.

She later underwent stomach surgery and lost 61kg.

Her spokesman said Voigt would play the lead in the Royal Opera House's production of Ariadne next year.

Black dress

A Royal Opera spokeswoman, speaking anonymously, said Voigt had a contract to return to the role in 2007-2008, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Voigt had been scheduled to play the lead in the Royal Opera House's summer 2004 production of Ariadne.

But the casting director had selected a black evening dress for the part and believed Voigt would not look right in it, the opera house said at the time.

She was replaced with slimmer singer Anne Schwanewilms.

Voigt's spokesman Albert Imperato said: "She's very, very excited.

"She's just definitely felt like: 'I've not had a chance to really build my career in London, it's a major opera capital'."

"It was very sad for her that she didn't get a chance to do Ariadne originally."

Mr Imperato said Voigt had undergone stomach surgery later that year, allowing her to eat only small amounts of food.

"She had decided on doing this procedure completely based on her health concerns, it was something she had thought about for many, many years, long before the little black dress," he said.