Soubrette

Soubrette is the name for a minor female role in  opera and theatre. Very often, soubrettes are stock characters. In many cases, soubrettes represent a lady's maid, a female servant to a lady. By extension, the term can refer generally to any saucy or flirtatious young woman. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".

Soubrettes first appear in the theatre of the 17th century. They are modelled after Colombina, the lady's maid of the Commedia dell'arte. In opera, the soubrette gives a contrast to the Primadonna, who has a wider vocal range. Soubrettes are similar to coloratura sopranos, but they usually have less vocal range in the high parts. There's a difference between what's called the "German" soubrette, and the "Roman-French" soubrette. The Roman-French one has a darker and  lower voice, almost an alto.  People playing soubrettes often also play in musicals, operettas, and irish folk songs. Well-known examples of people singing in these roles are Hayley Westenra and Sally Oldfield.

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