Fun was the operative word on opening night of the 2024 season at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. I can’t remember hearing more laughter at an opera than I did at OTSL’s staging of Gioachino Rossini’s Barber of Seville. The comedy was uproarious; the music was sublime.
At the start of Cesare Sterbini’s libretto, Count Almaviva is pursuing Rosina, a beautiful young woman he has fallen in love with. He disguises himself as a poor student so she will love him for himself rather than his wealth and position.
Almaviva faces fierce opposition from Rosina’s guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who wants Rosina and her substantial dowry for himself. To help him succeed, the love-sick count enlists the help of Figaro, the quick-witted barber who frequently visits Bartolo’s house.
The escapades that follow are certain to end happily, so stage director and choreographer Eric Sean Fogel focuses on creating fun rather than suspense. The brilliant direction favors the fantastic over the ordinary. Strange things begin to happen, for example, at the end of the first scene, ratcheting up the anticipation for Figaro’s famous aria. Justin Austin deserves the buildup. His marvelous Figaro is a paragon of charisma and resourcefulness throughout.
All the performances are beautifully sung and full of character. Hongni Wu is the epitome of charm as Rosina. Andrew Morstein makes Almaviva an ardent and worthy suitor. Nathan Stark and Patrick Carfizzi have very different but equally hilarious takes on the killjoys. Stark is downright curmudgeonly as Bartolo, while Carfizzi’s Basilio leans into his affectations with glee.
One splendidly imaginative scene follows another. Each one adds to the fun, as does the fine English diction coached by Erie Mills. Extravagant colors and wild designs are featured in Lynly Saunders’ costumes, Marcus Doshi’s lighting, and Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari’s wigs and makeup.
Andrew Boyce’s scenic design is a delight. A slightly raised platform takes up most of the area in front of a yellow wall with a balcony in front of a window. The many openings that appear in the wall are exploited in Fogel’s direction, as is the space defined by the platform.
The set’s most immediately noticeable feature is a large pair of lips attached to the wall. Lips become a recurring motif in the design. A lip-shaped love seat is bound to be remembered long after this production is over. The properties staff under Meg Brinkley deserve high praise for the love seat as well as the enormous keyboard and flower-powered firearms that are brought onstage.
The emphasis on fun is in no way detrimental the music. The singing is gorgeous, as is the playing of the St. Louis Symphony. Jonathan Brandani’s conducting is filled with telling nuances of tempo and dynamics. Completing the musical team are chorus master Andrew Whitfield, assistant conductor Darwin Aquino, and repetiteur Eric Sedgwick.
The Barber of Seville continues through June 29 at the Loretto-Hilton Center, 139 Edgar Road. The running time is 2 hours 30 minutes, including one 25-minute intermission.
—Gerry Kowarsky
Photo © Eric Woolsey
From the left, Nathan Stark as Dr. Bartolo, Patrick Carfizzi as Don Basilio, Hongni Wu as Rosina, Andrew Morstein as Count Almaviva, and Justin Austin as Figaro in The Barber of Seville.
