The Barber of Seville

Gioacchino Rossini’s much beloved opera The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) is considered the most popular opera buffa (comic opera) of all time. It is an Italian opera with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini that is based on the first of a trilogy of plays written by the French author Beaumarchais. The Barber of Seville was written in only three weeks (and with an overture that Rossini borrowed from the less successful opera, Aureliano in Palmira. The opera, first performed in 1816 in Rome is set in Seville, Spain. Action takes place in two acts and tells the story of Figaro’s attempts to bring together Count Almaviva and the beautiful Rosina.

Cast

Adriana Zabala

Rosina

Michael Mayes

Figaro

Matthew Lau

Bartolo

Vale Rideout

Count Almaviva

Danielle Steele

Berta

Sean Kroll

Basilio

James Lowe

Conductor

Jonathan Field

Stage Director