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Opera Reviews |
 THE BARBER OF SEVILLE November 2006 Excellent Figaro—mediocre production! It is a shame that the rest of the cast was not up to the standards set by the wonderful Figaro! Michigan Opera Theatre has often boasted of World Class Opera. This production was not one of those times. Other than this singer, the production was a "good" regional production. The biggest problem was the usual pathetic staging of Mario C. For some reason this very mediocre director is continually hired. I have yet to see a production staged by him that isn't filled with totally absurd stage business (often vulgar) that virtually makes no sense whatsoever. Someone needs to explain to the man what upstaging is. I usually find myself closing my eyes & enjoying the music when the opera is staged by this incompetent director...which is very frustrating. Many excellent directors have worked for MOT—Dorthy Danner & the Canadian Bernard U. (can't remember last name). Opera is a "marriage" of all the arts....good stage direction is very important to me. Had it not been for the wonderful Figaro, it would have been an intermission escape for me!
Best Figaro I have ever seen Excellent. Gianpiero Ruggeri was the best Figaro I have ever seen in a live showing of Barber. All of the characters did a great job, but Jason Budd's Dr. Bartolo deserves special mention. Rosina was a little more forward then I have ever seen before, but the comic relief did not detract from the show. A wonderful evening.
Delivered with style What a splendid show; fun and witty, and woven throughout with fine music. Gianpiero Ruggeri acted and sang a wonderful believable Figaro. Jossie Perez as Rosina delivered the goods in style, although at times a bit drowned out by the powerful and plentiful voices around her. Or, perhaps I was just enjoying her voice so much I just wanted it all to myself. The antics of the entire cast were well executed and didn't detract much from the masterful duets, trios, quartets, and quintets that Rossini weaves into a tapestry of music that leaves an attentive listener thoroughly entertained. The sets were simple, but appropriately so; there's so much happening on the stage, that the over-the-top music and comedy are plenty to fill the senses. A fun ride from overture to end.
Disappointing The music and performance of the singers was outstanding. I was, however, disappointed in the decision to include such base sexual humor. The scene of her in the bathtub was tastefully done; however, the rest of the production was tacky at best. I realize we need to attract more people to the Opera but I don't think you should compromise the integrity of the art by adding what is seen too often on TV. It cheapens the entire production.
Loose interpretation Lovely, upbeat music. Fantastic singing. But you crossed the line. Mark Stryker, Detroit Free Press critic, said it well, "Sexy is fun, attractive, and justified by the text, but slutty is just slutty." Mark Stryker's full review appears here.
One word for it Shame on you for the sleaze in this opera. The music was wonderful, as was the acting. But the sleaze definitely detracted from the loveliness of the opera. It was embarrassing for our group to sit there and be subjected to this, and I know for a fact that other productions of The Barber of Seville have not lowered themselves as you did. You touted this opera as a "perfect opportunity to introduce a friend to the art of opera." Heaven forbid I subject a friend to the sleaze. I saw younger children there. How do you think they and their parents felt about this? I had thought that I could expect good, wholesome entertainment from the opera experience, and pretty much that has been the case over the years. But if you have lowered your standards and I can no longer depend on you for good, quality opera without the added sleaze, then I will forgo the opera experience that I absolutely cherish. I will stay home and listen to CDs, watch opera on video or PBS, and you can bet that none of these will contain the sleaze you found appropriate to subject us to. One should not have to feel anxiety on entering the Opera House or embarrassment on leaving, based on what is presented on stage. You truly have let us down.
Great performances, fun evening We attended the opening night performance of Barber. It was clearly one of the best Barbers the MOT has produced. The singing and acting, almost without exception, were outstanding. Of particular mention is Dalibor Jenis's Figaro. He had outstanding stage presence and his voice was the best Figaro in MOT's history. We knew immediately from his "Largo al Factotum" that we were in for a pleasurable evening. Despite being under the weather, Manuela Custer's Rosina was ideal — great singing and coyish acting. All of the secondary performances were also excellent with the exception of Yasu Nakajima's Almaviva. His voiced lacked the tone quality and edge I'd like to see in this role. The orchestra was hitting at about 90% and the chorus was good, as always. The sets, however, left something to be desired. They were unimaginative and not up to the MOT's recent high standards. Also, I found the stage setting of Rosina's "Una Voce Poco Fa" unnecessarily distracting. But, all of this is nit-picking. It was a fun evening filled with great performances.
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