SF Opera: Marriage of Figaro June 10, 2006

If there is such a thing as a marriage made in heaven, then this is it. Mozarts comic tour-de-force is classical perfection, from effervescent overture to transcendent finale. Our production puts you in a sumptuous villa, where Figaro and Susanna find their wedding day turned upside down by a slew of characters scheming to keep them apart. This opera is a hilarious and tender exploration of love, infidelity and forgiveness.

THE STAR
Lyric soprano Ruth Ann Swenson, a San Francisco favorite since her debut as an Adler Fellow, brings Countess Almaviva to life: "Her portrait was beautifully drawn…her radiant, penetrating soprano reflecting the innate dignity and pathos of an unjustly neglected wife."—Chicago Sun-Times

SOUNDS
Mozart is the focus of endless fascination for one reason: his music astonishes, satisfies and moves you. This is quite simply his finest work, with famed arias and ensembles coming one after the other to form a flawless whole.

SIGHTS
A traditional Spanish villa fills the entire stage in one of our most handsome homegrown productions. The muted, Goya-esque shades provide a delicious setting for intrigue and hijinks.

STORIES
Figaro and Susanna are preparing to wed, but their libidinous employer, Count Almaviva, wants Susanna for himself. Meanwhile, the pageboy Cherubino is panting after the Count’s wife while the governess is chasing Figaro. In the end, Figaro gets his bride, and the estranged Count and Countess reunite.

CAST
Countess Almaviva: Ruth Ann Swenson /
Melody Moore (6/15) Twyla Robinson (6/30)
Susanna: Camilla Tilling* /
Cora Burggraaf* (6/15, 30)
Cherubino: Claudia Mahnke
Figaro: John Relyea /
Christopher Feigum* (6/15, 30)
Count Almaviva: Peter Mattei* /
Tommi Hakala* (6/15, 30)

Official Website: http://www.sfopera.org