The Marriage of Figaro

November 12-20, 2011

Opera in four acts

By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Premiered 1786 in Vienna

Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage

Running time is 3 hours

The 2011 Fall Season is made possible by Ford Motor Company.

Marriage of Figaro

ACT I. A country estate outside Seville, late eighteenth century. While preparing for their wedding, the valet Figaro learns from the maid Susanna that their philandering employer, Count Almaviva, has designs on her. At this the servant vows to outwit his master. Before long the scheming Bartolo enters the servants’ quarters with his housekeeper, Marcellina, who wants Figaro to marry her to cancel a debt he cannot pay. After Marcellina and Susanna trade insults, the amorous page Cherubino arrives, reveling in his infatuation with all women. He hides when the Count shows up, furious because he caught Cherubino flirting with Barbarina, the gardener’s daughter. The Count pursues Susanna but conceals himself when the gossiping music master Don Basilio approaches. The Count steps forward, however, when Basilio suggests that Cherubino has a crush on the Countess. Almaviva is enraged further when he discovers Cherubino in the room. Figaro returns with fellow servants, who praise the Count’s progressive reform in abolishing the droit du seigneur — the right of a noble to take a manservant’s place on his wedding night. Almaviva assigns Cherubino to his regiment in Seville and leaves Figaro to cheer up the unhappy adolescent.

ACT II. In her boudoir, the Countess laments her husband’s waning love but plots to chasten him, encouraged by Figaro and Susanna. They will send Cherubino, disguised as Susanna, to a romantic assignation with the Count. Cherubino, smitten with the Countess, appears, and the two women begin to dress the page for his farcical rendezvous. While Susanna goes out to find a ribbon, the Count knocks at the door, furious to find it locked. Cherubino quickly hides in a closet, and the Countess admits her husband, who, when he hears a noise, is skeptical of her story that Susanna is inside the wardrobe. He takes his wife to fetch some tools with which to force the closet door. Meanwhile, Susanna, having observed everything from behind a screen, helps Cherubino out a window, then takes his place in the closet. Both Count and Countess are amazed to find her there. All seems well until the gardener, Antonio, storms in with crushed geraniums from a flower bed below the window. Figaro, who has run in to announce that the wedding is ready, pretends it was he who jumped from the window, faking a sprained ankle. Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio burst into the room waving a court summons for Figaro, which delights the Count, as this gives him an excuse to delay the wedding.

ACT III. In an audience room where the wedding is to take place, Susanna leads the Count on with promises of a rendezvous in the garden. The nobleman, however, grows doubtful when he spies her conspiring with Figaro; he vows revenge. Marcellina is astonished but thrilled to discover that Figaro is in fact her long-lost natural son by Bartolo. Mother and son embrace, provoking Susanna’s anger until she too learns the truth. Finding a quiet moment, the Countess recalls her past happiness, then joins Susanna in composing a letter that invites the Count to the garden that night. Later, during the marriage ceremony of Figaro and Susanna, the bride manages to slip the note, sealed with a hatpin, to the Count, who pricks his finger, dropping the pin, which Figaro retrieves.

ACT IV. In the moonlit garden, Barbarina, after unsuccessfully trying to find the lost hatpin, tells Figaro and Marcellina about the coming assignation between the Count and Susanna. Basilio counsels that it is wise to play the fool. Figaro inveighs against women and leaves, missing Susanna and the Countess, ready for their masquerade. Alone, Susanna rhapsodizes on her love for Figaro, but he, overhearing, thinks she means the Count. Susanna hides in time to see Cherubino woo the Countess — now disguised in Susanna’s dress — until Almaviva chases him away and sends his wife, who he thinks is Susanna, to an arbor, to which he follows. By now Figaro understands the joke and, joining the fun, makes exaggerated love to Susanna in her Countess disguise. The Count returns, seeing, or so he thinks, Figaro with his wife. Outraged, he calls everyone to witness his judgment, but now the real Countess appears and reveals the ruse. Grasping the truth at last, the Count begs her pardon. All are reunited, and so ends this “mad day” at the court of the Almavivas.

– courtesy of Opera News

Conductor: Kazem Abdullah

Director: Mario Corradi

Almaviva: Corey McKern

Countess: Rachel Willis-Sørenson (12, 16, 19), Siân Davies (18, 20)

Figaro: Jason Hardy (12, 16, 19), Andrew Gray (18, 20)

Susanna: Grazia Doronzio (12, 16, 19), Andriana Chuchman (18, 20)

Cherubino: Lauren McNeese

Dr. Bartolo: Jason Budd

Marcellina: Melissa Parks

Don Basilo: Brian Leduc

Don Curzio: Jason Wickson

Barbarina: Angela Theis

Antonio: Timothy Bruno

Bridesmaid: Sarah Nisbett

Bridesmaid: Tanya Roberts

David’s Overview

David DiChiera on “The Marriage of Figaro”

Jason Hardy on playing Figaro:

Raw Rehearsal Video: Count / Susanna duet

In the Act III duet, Susanna leads the Count on with the promise of a rendezvous in the garden. Grazia Doronzio and Corey McKern, directed by Mario Corradi, rehearse in Boll Hall at the Detroit Opera House.

The Marriage of Figaro

David Berge – St. Clair Shores

First rate!!! From the opera talks by Dr. Peace to the overture under the direction of Kazem Abdullah, we knew immediately we were in for a very good night. Must see performances from a cast that does represent a mix of “both familiar and new faces,” that makes the future look bright. Special kudos have to go to Ms. Lauren McNeese, for her “leap of faith” as Cherubino–a pure delight in the role. Figaro is often said to be sublime, and this cast and performance far surpassed that mark from the lovely Angela Theis as Barbarina to the magnificent Rachel Willis Sorenson–knocking those arias “out of the park”–; Corey McKern as a superlative Count, clearly giving his all in the role; and, Jason Budd and Melissa Parks as delightful foils to ‘the happy couple’–Jason Hardy and Grazia Doronzio, could not have been better. We’ll remember this production for a very long time.

 

Michael Irish – Wayne

Just got back from Michigan Opera’s superlative production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. It was captivating from overture to the concluding ensemble. The staging was perfect, with outsized copies of the Rights of Man and the Declaration of Independence providing the framework to stage left and right.

 

Outstanding vocally and dramatically were Andriana Churchman as Susanna, Sian Davies as the Countess Almaviva, Corey McKern as Count Almaviva, Lauren McNesse as Cherubino and Andrew Gray as Figaro. Kazem Abudullah led a strong performance by the orchestra, as did Suzanne Acton with the chorus.

 

One of the most memorable Figaros I’ve seen.

 

Elena Fox – Bloomfield Hills

Magnificent! Outstanding! Absolutely unforgettable!
 
Yesterday’s performance was pure delight: fascinating voices of Corey McKern as Count Almaviva, Sian Davies as a Countess, Lauren McNeese as Cherubino; adorable pair Dr.Bartolo: Jason Budd and Marcellina: Melissa Parks – their incredible acting. And then Brian Leduc as Don Basilio — almost a cartoon character, the real Beaumarchais’ creation.
 
Everything was terrific: lovely theatrical scenery, terrific acting. That’s where a great Master’s hand is visible, since behind this piece of art the audience sees the tremendous amount of work done by the director of the performance –Mr. Mario Corradi.
 
And certainly music: living sparkling, divine Mozart, whose portrait descends in the very end of the opera to face all those who have come in today and will come tomorrow under his magic charm.

 

Michael Peters – Dearborn, Michigan

Last night’s, November 19 production of “The Marriage of Figaro” was the third time I have seen one by MOT, and it truly was my favorite one so far. Susanna, played by Grazia Doronzio, was adorable as she played the blushing-yet-fiesty bride to perfection. The anger and frustration of the Countess, as she finally has a chance to express it in the 2nd act, with Rachel Willis-Sorensen emphasizing certain words as she responds to the Count, was nicely done. I loved all of the characters and performers, and a beautiful final scene in the night-time garden. Bravo and brava to everyone involved!!

 

Janet Mallett – Rochester Hills

The Nov.18th performance was exciting and funny and joyfully entertaining. Corey McKern as Count Almaviva, and Sian Davies as the Countess provided not only beautifully acted characters, but their voices were effortless and mesmerizing. Brian Leduc as Don Basilio was so fun to watch and a pleasure to hear. All the performers made it a wonderful and experience.

we are not yet/no longer accepting comments.