| 'Barber of Seville' Is First-Rate Entertainment |
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by Bonnie Goldberg - special to Conncerts.com
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| Laurentiu Rotaru (Dr. Bartolo) has his plans thwarted by Meredith Ziegler (Rosina), David Pershall (Figaro) and Matt Morgan (Almaviva) in Opera Theater of Connecticut’s "The Barber of Seville" (Alan Casavant photo) |
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Lush, lyrical, lavish, light-hearted and loaded with laughter, the Opera Theater of Connecticut’s current offering of Rossini’s opera comedy “The Barber of Seville” is perfect summertime fare. Sung in English, with Supertitles projected over the stage, being performed in full costumes with a glorious orchestra, in the air-conditioned Andrews Memorial Theater in Clinton, even the timid opera novice need not be afraid.
Don’t hesitate to book your reservations for this fine ensemble of talent that is bringing the tale of thwarted romantic love to triumphant conclusion, thanks mostly to the clever, might we even say, ingenious machinations of the master manipulator, Figaro, the barber.
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be treasured for his wealth.
Figaro, portrayed with gusto and rich baritone voice by David Pershall, is extremely helpful to his master, the Count Almaviva, played by tenor Matt Morgan, who is in turn heroic and hilarious. The Count, who has fallen over his sword at the feet of the lovely Rosina, stunningly sung by Meredith Ziegler, doesn’t want to be treasured for his wealth.
To that end, he continues to disguise himself to woo his lady, who is the ward of a most stingy and overprotective papa of a guardian, Dr. Bartolo, a crafty Laurentiu Rotaru. The doctor has his own plans for Rosina and he enlists the aid of Don Basilio (Daniel Hague), a man of the cloth, to discredit and slander Count Almaviva.
The clever Count first presents himself as a poor student Lindoro to serenade the object of his affections. Next he enters the doctor’s household, pretending to be a drunken soldier and then he achieves his silliest scheme, when he plays Rosina’s music tutor, all under the suspicious nose of Dr. Bartolo. Meanwhile Figaro, like an erupting volcano, uses increasingly comic inventive devises to achieve his goal: the happily ever after for his master and his love.
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| Meredith Ziegler (Rosina) and Matt Morgan (Almaviva) play the young lovers (Alan Casavant photo) |
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For tickets ($40, seniors $38, students $34), call Opera Theater of Connecticut at 860-669-8999 or visit them online. Performances are Thursday, August 9 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, August 14 at 6 p.m. Artistic director Alan Mann will offer an informative opera talk ($5) an hour and a half before the performance. Boxed suppers ($15) are available from Chips Pub III and must be ordered 48 hours in advance.
Let Figaro, that “King of lather and foam, razor and blade,” prove he is the perfect candidate to style your coiffure or to promote your courtship.
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