Performance Dates
Friday, Nov 1, 2019 @ 8:00 PM – Discovery Theatre in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
Saturday, Nov 2, 2019 @ 8:00 PM – Discovery Theatre in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
Sunday, Nov 3, 2019 @ 4:00 PM – Discovery Theatre in the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts
Season Subscription TICKETS call (907) 263-ARTS (2787) or online CLICK HERE
Individual Tickets available September 3, 2019
About
The Barber of Seville
by Gioachino Rossini
“Figaro! Figaro! Fiiiii-gaa-ro!”
When true love needs a helping hand, who you gonna call?
Seville’s most famous barber takes center stage as a jack-of-all-trades turned matchmaker in one of the funniest, most familiar and energetic operas ever written. Will the young and handsome Count win the hand of beautiful Rosina? Or will the devious Dr. Bartolo trick her into marriage? A madcap comedy of mistaken identities, dubious disguises and merry misunderstandings filled with memorable melodies (including the famous overture that inspired Looney Tunes’ Bugs Bunny cartoon the “Rabbit of Seville”) Happy ending guaranteed!
Performed in Italian with English supertitles
Sneak Peek
Alex DeSocio is no stranger to the role of “Figaro” in The Barber of Seville! He’s in hot demand and has performed it all across the country! He shows why is in this excerpt from Dress Rehearsal for our show!
Guests at Take One: Barber of Seville got a sneak peek of just how wonderful and FUN our show will be! The cast and artistic team captured everyone’s hearts, singing gloriously, chatting about themselves and enjoying a reception with food & drink! A great time was had by all at the stunning home of Tim Pearson and Dr. Brian Chen on Sunday, Oct 20.
Hygiene Products for our Community Drive
When you come to The Barber of Seville bring a bottle of shampoo, shaving cream, soap, etc. and Anchorage Opera will distribute the products to those in need at our area shelters. Look for this salon chair display in the lobby of the Discovery Theatre at all performances to contribute items. Thank You & Bravo!
Synopsis
TIME: 17th century
PLACE: Seville, Spain
ACT I
Count Almaviva, a Spanish nobleman, is in love with Rosina, the rich ward of Dr Bartolo, an old physician, who plans to marry her himself. Almaviva has followed Rosina from Madrid to Seville, disguised as a poor student called Lindoro.
From the street outside Dr Bartolo’s house, Almaviva serenades Rosina, assisted by a group of actors and musicians. Unfortunately, the serenade produces no response from Rosina, so Almaviva enlists the help of Figaro, a barber, who prides himself on his ability to manage the affairs of the city. They realize that they have, in fact, met before, and Almaviva explains why he is in Seville incognito. He is delighted to discover that Figaro is a general factotum to the Bartolo household, who enjoys easy access to the house and gardens. While they are talking, Rosina appears on the balcony with a note for the handsome young student who keeps visiting the house. Despite Bartolo stealing up behind her, she manages to drop the letter from the window and it floats down to Almaviva. Rumors of Almaviva’s interest in Rosina have reached Bartolo ears and he decides he must waste no time in marrying her himself. He gives strict instructions to the servants that while he is out no one should gain admittance to the house.
Figaro persuades Almaviva to answer Rosina’s note with a further serenade, but she is interrupted before she can respond. Lured by the promise of money, Figaro devises a plan whereby Almaviva can gain access to the Bartolo household: he must pretend to be a drunken soldier billeted on Dr Bartolo.
Figaro has wheedled his way into Dr Bartolo’s home and managed a brief meeting with Rosina before Bartolo appears and expresses his annoyance at Figaro’s constant disrespect towards him. He questions Rosina about her meeting with Figaro, as well as interrogating the servants. When Rosina’s singing teacher Don Basilio arrives, Bartolo brings him up to date on the situation with Rosina. Meanwhile, Figaro has overheard Bartolo and Basilio’s conversation. He starts to prepare the ground for ‘Lindoro’, but soon realizes that the wily Rosina is already ahead of him.
Bartolo suspects Rosina of writing a letter to ‘Lindoro’; when she protests her innocence, he warns her not to trifle with him, advising her to find more plausible excuses for a man of his standing.
Almaviva, now disguised as a soldier, arrives to take up his ‘billet’ in Bartolo’s house. Rosina is of course delighted when he reveals that he is really her secret admirer. Bartolo’s annoyance at Almaviva’s drunken behavior causes such a row that the militia are called by the neighbors. The Count, however, narrowly escapes arrest, much to Bartolo’s annoyance.
ACT II
Assuming yet another disguise, Almaviva enters the house as Don Alonso, a music teacher who says he has come to give Rosina her music lesson in place of Don Basilio, who, he claims, has suddenly fallen ill. To gain Bartolo’s trust, Don Alonso reveals that he has intercepted a note from Almaviva to Rosina. Bartolo fetches Rosina for her lesson. While Bartolo dozes, Rosina and ‘Lindoro’ express their love and make plans to elope that night.
Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo. He manages to steal the key to Rosina’s balcony and lures Bartolo away from the music room by smashing a pile of crockery. All is going to plan until Don Basilio unexpectedly appears, but Figaro quickly pays him off and Basilio withdraws. Figaro resumes shaving Bartolo and tells Rosina of his plan for the lovers to make their escape. Bartolo, however, has not been entirely duped, and penetrates Almaviva’s disguise. The game is up for the lovers – albeit temporarily.
When Bartolo discovers that Basilio has never heard of Alonso, he decides to marry Rosina without delay. He confronts Rosina with a letter she addressed to Lindoro and catches her by surprise when he makes out that Lindoro is clearly acting on Almaviva’s behalf.
Following a violent thunderstorm, Figaro and Almaviva climb into the house by way of a ladder and an open window. They are confronted by Rosina who is angry at being ‘used’ by Lindoro – until she learns that he is in fact Almaviva and falls willingly into his arms. Figaro is anxious for the lovers to be off, but they discover they are unable make their escape because Bartolo has removed the ladder.
Basilio returns with the notary who is ready to marry Rosina to her guardian, but a bribe and threats easily persuades Basilio to witness instead the marriage of Rosina to Almaviva. Bartolo and the magistrate appear too late and he is obliged to acknowledge he has lost Rosina.
Cast
Production Team
Blake Friedman – Count Almaviva
Andy Papas – Doctor Bartolo
Carrie Yanagawa – Set Designer
Cedar Cussins – Lighting Designer
Kyle Gantz – Don Basilio
Lucian Alastar Reaves – Ambrogio
Lisa Willis – Berta
Chester Mainot – Fiorello, Police Sergeant
William Lubke – Notary
Elle Janecek – Costume, Hair & Make-up Designer
Zoey Grenier – Hair & Make-up Supervisor
Richard Gordon – Chorus Master / Rehearsal Accompanist / Coach
Lynn Murphy – Costume Supervisor
Kaie Promish – Wardrobe Supervisor
Katie Radford – Costume Shop Assistant
Seth Eggleston – Stage Manager
Emily Butzi – Assistant Stage Manager
Stacy Tanner – Temporary Assistant Stage Manager
Mike Daniels – Props Master
Matt Smith – Technical Director
Chorus
Tenors – Ryan Dukowitz, William Lubke, Chester Mainot, Mark Skrade, Katie Strock, Robert Updegrove
Bass/Baritones – David Braun, Donald Endres, Kevin McClear, Mark Stoneburner, Warren Weinstein, Denny Wells
Orchestra
Violin I
Dawn Lindsay
Olesya Waln
Heather Threat
Kathryn Hoffer
Violin II
Nina Bingham
Sun Yoon
Karen Halliburton
Emily Madsen
Viola
Brad Ramsey
Koree Guzman
Kate Kroko
Cello
Linda Ottum
Tania Vincent
Bass
Katie Eakes
Flute
Laura Koenig
Oboe
Sharman Piper
Clarinet
Colin Roshak
Ilona Barber
Bassoon
Hal Nonneman
Horn
Cheryl Pierce
Abby Webster
Trumpet
Linn Weeda
Timpani
Steven Alvarez
Percussion
Steven Alvarez
Corliss Kimmel
Guitar
Fred Brosius
Harpsichord
Richard Gordon
Orchestra Personnel Manager
Steven Alvarez
Free Pre-Opera Talks
Free Student Final Dress Rehearsal
Anchorage Opera would like to open the final dress rehearsal to K-12 students at no cost for our production of The Barber of Seville by Rossini on Oct 30, 2019 at 7:00 pm performed in Italian with projected Supertitles in English. This production will be held at The Discovery Theater, Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and seating is limited. We will do our best to accommodate any K-12 student that would like to come, however some parties may receive fewer tickets than requested based on availability.
Please contact Kaylee Wagle at 907-279-2557 or email kwagle@anchorageopera.org to request your vouchers.
As this is a coveted event for many schools in the Anchorage area, please do not request more tickets than you will use. If you are promised a certain number of tickets and find you will not be able to use them all, please contact us as soon as possible so that people on the wait list can be notified and make arrangements to attend.
We hope to see a full house of K-12 Students there! BRAVO