Tomorrow marks the opening of the Portland Opera’s latest production, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
The opera, based on a stage comedy written by Pierre Beaumarchais, is widely considered to be one of Mozart’s finest works and has been performed all over the world since its premiere in 1786.
Tomorrow marks the opening of the Portland Opera’s latest production, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.
The opera, based on a stage comedy written by Pierre Beaumarchais, is widely considered to be one of Mozart’s finest works and has been performed all over the world since its premiere in 1786.
The story is a continuation of an earlier play, The Barber of Seville, and follows love-struck Figaro—the barber himself—through a “day of madness” in the palace of the Count Almaviva, who has his eyes on Figaro’s bride-to-be, despite that he himself is married.
The whirlwind comedy contains mistaken identities, eccentric disguises, general confusion and the restoration of true love.
“This production is different from anything I’ve ever been in because the characters are so real,” said Lindsay Ohse, who plays the role of Barbarina, a gardener’s daughter. “[Director Stephen Lawless] has made the characters realistic people with real problems. They aren’t just cutesy characters running around in costumes.”
Ohse, who graduated from University of Kansas, has performed in nearly 40 productions in her life and began singing opera in 2001.
“I came from a very musical family, so I played the piano and cello all throughout school,” Ohse said. “Singing sounded like fun because, in my mind, singers got to just go on stage and wear costumes, which seemed very easy to do. I later found out it’s not easy, but stuck with it because I loved it.”
The stage play, The Marriage of Figaro, was originally banned in Vienna due to its satire of the aristocracy. But Mozart’s take on the story and clever musical composition was permitted and quickly became a success.
“Everything Mozart writes is beautiful and perfect and in exactly the right place,” said Chorus Master Robert Ainsley at a special preview on Sunday at Central Library. “It’s not just pretty music; every note has a meaning to it.”
With nearly two dozen musical numbers, The Marriage of Figaro has a running time of about three hours. The most famous of these songs, “Sull’aria…che soave zeffiretto,” has appeared in such movies as The Shawshank Redemption and Amadeus.
“Mozart is quoted as saying ‘you can write anything as long as it is beautiful,’ and this opera most certainly is,” Ainsley said.
The Portland Opera, which has put on more than 200 productions since its establishment in 1964, began holding rehearsals for the opera Oct. 10. Most of the cast arrived from elsewhere, but the chorus and orchestra are local.
“I’m always excited when we’re in production for an opera,” said Julia Sheridan, public relations manager at the Portland Opera. “For me it starts at the meet-and-greet.”
The meet-and-greet is where the cast and staff are introduced to each other, she said, and everyone discusses the forthcoming production and the opera itself.
“When the cast is laughing amongst themselves, I know it’s going to be a great production,” Sheridan said. “Chemistry is important on stage.”
The cast, headed by baritone Daniel Mobbs as Figaro and soprano Jennifer Aylmer as his lover, Susanna, is composed of singers from all over the country. Also performing is David Pittsinger as the Count Almaviva, Pamela Armstrong as the Countess and Jennifer Holloway as Cherubino, the count’s page boy.
“I am excited about the cast. They are strong across the board. I was at a dress rehearsal Sunday night, and they all sound beautiful. It upped my excitement level a notch or two,” Sheridan said. “And I think the audience is going to love Jennifer Holloway in the ‘pants’ role of Cherubino. She nails ‘young, awkward boy.’”
Sheridan added, “It’s going to be a great night in the theater.”
