Regarded as a cornerstone of the operatic repertoire, The Marriage of Figaro is considered one of the greatest operas ever written. A boisterous romantic comedy in two acts, The Marriage of Figaro involves a wildly entertaining parade of mistaken identity and infidelity.

“We are always pleased to present Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro as a staple of the operatic repertoire. It is an opera that has withstood the test of time, and its lighthearted comedy and beautiful music make The Marriage of Figaro a true classic.” –Dr. David DiChiera

The Marriage of Figaro premiered in Vienna, Austria in 1786, and was last performed by Michigan Opera Theatre in 2002. The Marriage of Figaro was written by the “wunderkind” of classical music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with libretto in Italian by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The Marriage of Figaro’s familiar music and energetic hilarity have made it an opera standard.

The Marriage of Figaro is a “sequel,” to Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, which while written after Barber maintains the same characters and setting. The opera recounts a hectic day in the palace of Count Almaviva. While the Count’s wife Rosina is unhappy in her married life, Count Almaviva is pursuing his servant Susanna who is engaged to Figaro, the Count’s valet.

The marital madness gets more confusing when the Count detects the interest of his young page, Cherubino, in his wife. The Count tries to oust Cherubino by promoting him in his own regiment. Meanwhile, Figaro, Susanna and the Countess conspire to embarrass the count and expose his infidelity. At the same time, Figaro is caught in a dispute with old Dr. Bartolo and an upper-class woman named Marcellina, which ends when Figaro is revealed to be their son. At night, all find themselves on the palace grounds, where a hilarious series of cases of mistaken identity result in a happy ending.

Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of The Marriage of Figaro features a well-rounded cast of international artists. The famous overture will be conducted by internationally-renowned British conductor and scholar Jane Glover, Music Director of Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. Stage director Mark Streshinsky will re-create Colin Graham’s majestic production of the opera. The role of Figaro will be performed alternately by Polish bass-baritone Robert Gierlach, who made his critically-acclaimed U.S. opera debut in MOT’s 2002 production of The Marriage of Figaro, and Daniel Okulitch, who also appeared in the world premiere of Cyrano in October 2007.

The role of Susanna will be performed alternately by Chinese soprano Ying Huang and American soprano Ailyn Perez. The role of the Countess will be performed alternately by South Korean soprano Jee Hyun Lim and Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native Caitlin Lynch. Doctor Bartolo will be sung by Austrian bass-baritone Peter Strummer and the role of Marcellina will be performed by Michigan resident mezzo-soprano Kathleen Segar. American mezzo-soprano Stephanie Woodling will make her Michigan Opera Theatre debut performing the role of Cherubino. -- www.motopera.org