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BY WALLACE PEACE
Thirty years after The Marriage of Figaro premiered in Vienna, Rossini composed the prequel - The Barber of Seville. Without question The Barber of Seville is one of the funniest operas ever written. Also without question, it is one of the five greatest operatic masterpieces ever conceived. The music is magnificent throughout and the opera is tailor-made for singers who have a great sense of humor and enjoy hamming it up for the audience – providing that Rosina and Count Almaviva can sing the excruciatingly florid music Rossini set for them. The story is also hilarious in and of itself, and events in The Barber of Seville lead to the situations in The Marriage of Figaro – our current offering.

Dr. Bartolo, a Spanish MD, wishes to marry his 16-year-old ward, Rosina, for her money. Assisted by Don Basilio, Rosina’s music teacher, (who is a slime-ball if there ever was one), Dr. Bartolo, keeps Rosina isolated from the rest of the world so that she will consent to the marriage.

Unknown to Dr. Bartolo, Rosina is being wooed by the fabulously wealthy Count Almaviva assisted by a commoner, Figaro – the barber of Seville – a high baritone who has the most audience pleasing patter song ever composed, “I am Figaro, the Barber of Seville – La La La La La La La La La La Laaaaa La.” Figaro, like television’s “Kingfish” or Lucy Ricardo, puts forward every scheme imaginable to abduct Rosina from her greedy guardian and deliver her into the arms of the Count. He is ultimately successful and the Count gets the girl while Dr. Bartolo keeps her money. Don Basilio keeps his head and Figaro gets a full-time paying job as the Count’s Valet. Everybody lives happily ever after…or do they?
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photos by John Grigaitis