On April 29 and May 6, Opera New England, Boston Lyric Opera's education and community programs division, presents a one-hour version of Rossini's comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville. The one-hour, fully staged version of this great opera will be sung in English and performed for families in Boston and, new this year, Weston.

The MFA holds one of the most important collections of historic footwear in the United States. From ancient Egyptian and Nubian sandals to new acquisitions representing the best in contemporary design, it provides a rich source for exploring the shoe and its cultural significance.

This exhibition brings together the latest designs from 10 of the most influential and creative fashion designers of our time. Fashion Show: Paris Collections 2006 will feature luxurious and provocative clothing seen on Paris runways in 2006 with designs by Azzedine Ala¿a, Hussein Chalayan, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Maison Martin Margiela, Rochas, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, and Yohji Yamamoto.

Artist Michael Mazur has generously donated his archive of editioned prints to the MFA. This collection spans nearly five decades and includes some 400 works executed in a great diversity of printmaking media and styles from expressive figuration to lyrical abstraction. Among his primary sources of inspiration are the human figure and landscape.

Encompassing works of art in a variety of media, this exhibition will feature about 120 highlights from the distinguished collection of Ronald C. and Anita L. Wornick of California. Since 1985, the Wornicks have assembled a major collection of contemporary decorative arts, primarily by American artists, but also including European, Australian and Asian artists.

Scott M. Black, a long-term supporter of the MFA, is a collector of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings and sculpture.

With the establishment of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) as the major political and commercial center of Japan in the 17th century, a new type of imagery was developed, known as ukiyo-e. Masters of the genre explored the daily activities of the city's inhabitants and detailed the stylish preoccupations of the "Floating World," the theaters and the brothels of the area.

This exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of the decorative arts of the Empire style. Named for its identification with the Napoleonic Empire, the style was the new formal language championed by Napoleon after his coronation in 1804.

The MFA celebrates the works of Edward Rossbach, widely recognized as a pioneer of the contemporary fiber arts movement, in this exhibition of approximately 40 of his works. Ed Rossbach created works in almost every known textile technique during his five decade-long career.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) hosts the Cogan Family Foundation Vacation Week Adventures with "Journey to Italy," featuring a wide range of activities and live performances inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Kids and their families are encouraged to explore the masterpieces on view in the exhibition Donatello to Giambologna: Italian Renaissance Sculpture, then create their own portrait head in clay, Roman mosaic, or golden altarpiece.

This exhibition highlights three exceptional historical works in the MFA's collection and nearly twenty recent works examining artists' responses to contemporary world events. The picture shows Airplanes, 2002, the author is Suara Welitoff.

This exhibition includes nearly 100 Italian sculptures from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston--many of which have never been on view to the public. This survey showcases masters of the period as well as other lesser known artists in a variety of mediums including marble, bronze, silver, terra-cotta and wood.