By Kathryn Olsen
Utah Opera has returned to the Capitol Theater stage in Salt Lake City with a long-anticipated production of The Barber of Seville. This 1816 opera by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini is based on a play by Pierre Beaumarchais and is in the opera buffa style, which categorizes it as comedic opera. Attending opening night was particularly poignant for me, as it was cancelled due to the pandemic in March of 2020, just two days before it was to be performed. I looked forward both to experiencing an unfamiliar work and seeing familiar faces on stage.
As the play opens, Count Almaviva (Matthew Grills) serenades the beautiful, but closely-watched Rosina (Sarah Colt) from a street in Seville. Figaro (Michael Adams), the eponymous barber of this Spanish town, informs his friend the Count that Rosina’s guardian plans to marry her. The two devise a plan to have Almaviva disguise himself to approach Rosina. Meanwhile, the object of his affections is hoping to meet the man who sang so beautifully to her. Upon learning of this, Dr. Bartolo (Matthew Burns) decides that he must marry her before she can be wooed by another. The ensuing plot is full of schemes and skillful deceptions that prove that “the course of true love never did run smooth.”
Adams and Grills are a perfect pair of conspirators. Grills sings with lusty abandon, not seeming to care who of his enemies hears his most intimate thoughts. His comedic flair is essential to the plot, as he impersonates both a drunken soldier and a New Age music instructor who strikes a warrior pose or downward dog on a regular basis. His antics carry the plot in ways that have the audience applauding and laughing uncontrollably in equal measures.
For his part, Adams plays his part with a sly wink and self-satisfied grin in his performance. In “Largo al factotum della citta,” he happily boasts of how widespread his fame is, since “no-one can vie with the brilliant Figaro, no, none. Always in luck where good fortune is rife.” He is quick on his feet and Adams’ vocal performance is full of enthusiasm and cunning. By the time he declares his plot to be “another success for Figaro,” the audience is fervently wishing that this is just one of a series of Figaro adventures.
Colt, for her part, shines by being comparatively level-headed. She seems to take plot twists in stride and only reveals her turmoil slightly after the fact. On the musical side of things, she brings a great range of skill and expression to her arias so that it is even more delightful than her plots to marry the person she truly believes she can love.
Burns, the natural antagonist of this story, is a show-stopper. The audience delights in the ways that he is foiled and fooled by the other characters, while there is unexpected hilarity in the multiple instances in which his voice enters the falsetto range to mimic his ward’s. Burns plays the role with amusing gravitas at times and exasperation at others and some of the most memorable moments of the performance are when he is interrupted in a soliloquy by someone thoughtlessly using an appliance.
The supporting cast is wonderful as well. Berta (Julia Gershkoff) is frequently a background character as a part of Bartolo’s household, but performs a solo aria with dramatic longing. Don Basilio (Adam Lau) appears relatively briefly as a music teacher who is convinced by the rest of the cast that he must be dying of scarlet fever and the results are histrionic and hysterical. The chorus forms an integral part of creating the on-stage community of Seville and inspires amusement on a regular basis.
This play is appropriate for all ages, but Utah Opera is requiring that all attendees provide proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from the last forty-eight hours.
This comedy is a masterpiece of wit and there are several more chances to be transported to Seville. While younger audiences may not appreciate the complexity of the story on first viewing, it is not inappropriate for them to enjoy. Grab a yoga mat and barber’s shears and hurry to get your tickets before Figaro moves on to his next adventure.
Utah Opera Presents The Barber of Seville; By Gioachino Rossini and Cesare Sterbini.
Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre, 50 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
October 9-17, 2021 7:00 PM, Sunday matinee at 2 PM
Tickets: $20-$110
www.usuo.org
Utah Opera Facebook Page
The Barber of Seville Facebook Event
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