The Marriage of Figaro

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Ross Zentner

Matt Boehler (left) and Jasmine Habersham in "The Marriage of Figaro," Madison Opera, 2023.

Matt Boehler (left) and Jasmine Habersham in "The Marriage of Figaro," Madison Opera, 2023.

Madison Opera returns to a favorite, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. First of all, Mozart. Madison Opera’s general director, Kathryn Smith, commends the work for its “very human characters — flaws and all” but also its “astonishing musical expressions of beauty, anger and compassion.” If you’ve never seen an opera, this is a good place to start, and if you love opera, why would you skip this one? Shows are Friday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., with pre-opera talks at 7 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. respectively.

media release: Madison Opera concludes its mainstage season with its first production in over a decade of Mozart’s classic The Marriage of Figaro. Performances are Friday, April 28 at 8pm and Sunday, April 30 at 2:30pm in Overture Hall at the Overture Center for the Arts. Sung in Italian with projected English translations.

PRE-OPERA TALKS: Friday, April 28, 2023, 7pm; Sunday, April 30, 2023, 1:30pm, Wisconsin Studio. Join General Director Kathryn Smith one hour prior to performances for an entertaining and informative talk about The Marriage of Figaro.

Set in 18^th century Spain, The Marriage of Figaro takes place over the course of one day.  Susanna and Figaro, servants in Count and Countess Almaviva’s household, attempt to get married, despite the Count’s objection and advances on Susanna. With the help of the Countess and several other castle denizens – all with their own agendas – plots are hatched and re-hatched. As the day goes on, secret notes are written, disguises are donned, and all ends happily.

The Marriage of Figaro was Mozart’s first collaboration with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. It is based on Pierre Beaumarchais’ 1778 play, which was considered so politically incendiary that it was banned in Vienna (and later blamed for helping start the French Revolution). Since the opera premiered in 1786, it has become a beloved part of the repertoire, constantly performed worldwide, in every conceivable language and in every conceivable circumstance.

“The Marriage of Figaro is quite simply sublime,” says Kathryn Smith, Madison Opera’s General Director. “Mozart gives us a set of very human characters – flaws and all – and weaves astonishing musical expressions of beauty, anger, and compassion. Figaro is my favorite opera, and I am so glad to be sharing it with Madison this spring.”

The large cast features performers who have all sung with Madison Opera in recent years. Jasmine Habersham (Orpheus in the Underworld) and Matt Boehler (The Abduction from the Seraglio) star as Susanna and Figaro, servants whose main goal is to get married, despite Count Almaviva’s attempts to stop them. Elizabeth Caballero (Florencia en el Amazonas) sings Countess Almaviva, who is distressed by the wandering eye of her husband, sung by Michael Adams (Opera in the Park 2022).

Kirsten Lippart (Orpheus in the Underworld) sings Cherubino, the constantly lovelorn page. Marcellina and Dr. Bartolo, who have their own reasons for wanting to stop the wedding, are sung by Margaret Gawrysiak (Opera in the Park 2022) and Benjamin Sieverding (La Traviata). David Guzmán (Salome) sings Antonio, the gardener; Tyrese Byrd (Orpheus in the Underworld) sings Don Basilio, the music teacher; and Studio Artists Alannah Spencer and Pedro Valdez sing Barbarina, Antonio’s daughter, and Don Curzio, a lawyer.

Dan Rigazzi, who directed The Magic Flute for Madison Opera in 2017, returns to direct this traditional production. Stephanie Rhodes Russell, who conducted Opera in the Park 2021, makes her mainstage debut conducting Mozart’s brilliant score. The Madison Opera Chorus and Madison Symphony Orchestra round out the musical forces.

Madison Opera’s production of The Marriage of Figaro is sponsored by Marshall Osborn, The Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation, Kato & David Perlman, Bert & Diane Adams, Lau & Bea Christensen Charitable Foundation, Kennedy Gilchrist & Heidi Wilde, Chun Lin, Patricia & Stephen Lucas, Sally & Mike Miley, The Wallach Family, Rick & Gail Nordheim, Cyrena & Lee Pondrom, The Ann Stanke Fund, and Hurley Burish, S.C. Attorneys.