Dorothy Sarnoff

Dorothy Sarnoff (c. 1914 – December 20, 2008) was an American operatic soprano, musical theatre actress, and self-help guru. She had an active performing career from the late 1930s through the 1950s, during which time she sang in several operas with the New York City Opera and created several roles on Broadway, most notably Lady Thiang in the original 1951 cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. After her performing career ended she launched a second highly successful career as an image consultant to business executives, politicians, and other public figures. Sarnoff’s personal client list included many notable figures, including U.S. president Jimmy Carter, Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, best-selling author Danielle Steel, and designer Paloma Picasso. She also wrote a number of self-help books.

Sarnoff was born in Brooklyn. She graduated from the Berkeley Institute in 1931 and attended Cornell University, where she studied English and public speaking. As a participant in the school's glee club, she developed an interest in singing, and traveled to France for vocal training after receiving her bachelor's degree in 1935.

Back in the United States, Sarnoff performed with the NBC Symphony Orchestra and the St. Louis Municipal Opera. She sang the role of Miss Pinkerton in the 1939 world premiere at New York City's Radio City Music Hall of the one-act radio opera The Old Maid and the Thief by Gian Carlo Menotti. She reached the finals of the Auditions of the Air talent competition run by the Metropolitan Opera, which helped her land a contract with the Philadelphia Opera Company (POC). She made her debut with the POC on January 13, 1942 as Antonia in Les contes d'Hoffmann. She sang several more roles with the company over the next three months, including Mimì in La bohème, Rosalinde in Johann Strauss II's Die Fledermaus, and Gracieuse in the world premiere of Deems Taylor's Ramuntcho. She later sang Marguerite in Charles Gounod's Faust with the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company in 1946.

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