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Steven Condy as Dr. Bartolo in the Sarasota Opera production of 'The Barber of Seville.'
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Toledo Opera takes on comedy to kick off new season with 'The Barber of Seville'

Rod Millington

Toledo Opera takes on comedy to kick off new season with 'The Barber of Seville'

To open its 2016-17 season, the Toledo Opera has chosen a work ranked among the most-performed operas worldwide, Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

According to opera executive director Suzanne Rorick, this season is being dubbed, “A Season of Barbers.” First comes Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, followed by Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

The season will conclude with American composer Samuel Barber’s darkly brooding Vanessa.

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The first two shows are musical adaptations of plays by Pierre Beaumarchais (1732-1799), a French musician, diplomat, spy, arms dealer, financier, and revolutionary. Born as a provincial watchmaker’s son, he slowly rose through the ranks of French society to become an influential member of the court of Louis XV. On the way up, he made a few rather poignant observations on the nature of aristocracy, using what he saw to satirically showcase the erudite brilliance that comes with royal intermarriage.

His resulting trilogy of plays made their way into the operatic literature. Parts one and two are by Rossini and Mozart, respectively. The third was eventually set in the late 20th century by John Corigliano as The Ghosts of Versailles. All three works recount of the adventures of Figaro, the affable barber and problem solver of Sevilla, Spain.

IF YOU GO

‘The Barber of Seville’

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St.

Tickets: $40-$90, available from the Opera Box Office at 419-255-7464 or toledoopera.org.

Also: A free lecture on the opera is open to ticket holders one hour before each performance.

For the Toledo Opera, the choice of these two works marks a definite change in its programming. After several seasons exploring the tragic side of the literature, the company is taking a step into “opera buffa” — theater of the absurd — with characters drawn from everyday life. Sight gags, mistaken identities, disguises, intrigue, and laughter are key characteristics.

According to soprano Kathryn Lewek, who will take center stage as Rosina the romantic lead and foil in Barber, “It all has to do with the outlandishness of the character. We all know someone in reality who is almost too large to be real. The idea in buffa is a commitment by the singer to take that character totally into that realm: to be so committed to the role that the character becomes a caricature, but still believable, because they bring to mind the person from the real world.”

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Each singer must find that fine line between believability and utter ridiculousness. This means finding the right people for each part. Conductor James Meena is sure he has.

“This is by far one of the finest Barber casts assembled, true professionals in every respect,” he said.

Lewek and tenor Victor Ryan Robinson (Count Almaviva/​Lindoro) are familiar to Toledo audiences, having appeared previously in Lucia di Lammermoor. Baritone Hyung Yun (Figaro) is a regular at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Baritone Steven Condy will celebrate his 100th appearance as Dr. Bartolo during the upcoming Toledo run. Together, the quartet form a seasoned cast ready to meet the buffa challenge head on.

Beaumarchais’s plot is two-pronged: a comedic attack on the aristocracy and a story of the triumph of young love. The older Dr. Bartolo has marital designs on his young ward Rosina, both for her looks and the money she will inherit when she comes of age.

Count Almaviva is in search a wife who will love him for who he is, not his title; to ensure that, he spends nearly half of the opera in disguise as Lindoro, a poor student. He is irresistibly attracted to Rosina. The lovers turn to Figaro, the town barber and gossip, for help. 

They triumph, and Bartolo ends up sadder but wiser for his adventures.

Musically, the opera is broken into two styles of writing. Arias are the solos, while duets show off the vocal prowess of the singers and are accompanied by a full orchestra.

Recitatives are rapid speech-like interchanges between the characters where much of the comedy and dialogue happen. These are accompanied only by a harpsichord. In the Toledo production, harpsichordist Kevin Bylsma will actually be on stage, incorporated as part of the set dressing.

Add to this mix grandiose sets from Opera Utah, elaborate costuming, and the Toledo Symphony, and the stage is set for an evening of comedic enjoyment. 

The production will be subtitled to assist the audience, while acting coached by veteran director Bernard Uzan should set the stage for the quintessential farcical buffa experience.

Barber is a joint production between Opera Carolina and the Toledo Opera. By combining resources, opera companies these days can assist each other with the financial underwriting involved. After the show closes in Toledo, it will move south and re-open in two weeks.

Events surrounding the Toledo production begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with a “Tuesday Talk.” Maestro Meena, director Uzan and University of Toledo French literature scholar Dr. Linda Rouillard will discuss Beaumarchais and Figaro at the Secor Gallery at Registry Bistro, 144 N. Superior St. The talk is free with a wine reception ($10) to follow.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, thanks to sponsorship from The Andersons, local school students are invited to attend the final dress rehearsal (tickets $5). Interested teachers should contact the opera box office.

Contact Wayne F. Anthony at: classics@theblade.com.

First Published October 2, 2016, 4:00 a.m.

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Steven Condy as Dr. Bartolo in the Sarasota Opera production of 'The Barber of Seville.'  (Rod Millington)
Victor Ryan Robertson is Count Almaviva in 'The Barber of Seville' in The Minnesota Opera production  (Michal Daniel)
Rod Millington
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