‘The Marriage of Figaro’ a musical delight

Count+Almaviva%2C+played+by+James+Wright%2C+finds+Cherubino%2C+played+by+Eliza+Bonet%2C+hiding+under+a+blanket.

Photo by Ralph Duke, provided by Ben Burke, Director of Education

Count Almaviva, played by James Wright, finds Cherubino, played by Eliza Bonet, hiding under a blanket.

The lights in the chilly house dim. The velvet purple curtains glide to the corners of the stage, revealing a dim room with four doors. A delicate blond lady, perched in a chair, fiddles with a headpiece and places it on a canvas mannequin. An opera overflowing with gorgeous music and costumes, “The Marriage of Figaro” performed by the Amarillo Opera last weekend, has begun.

The music itself was excellent, as one could expect from an opera company. The accompanying symphony made no noticeable mistakes, nor did the singers onstage. However, “The Marriage of Figaro” is Italian, and although there were English surtitles translating, any repeated lines were not re-translated. In other words, while Susanna and Figaro were repeating the same line the fifth time, audiences had already forgotten what the words meant and sat confused in their seats.

While the music was fantastic, the acting, especially in the chorus, was less so. Leads such as Cherubino, played by Eliza Bonet, and Susanna, played by Madison Leonard, offered plenty of energy to the show. However, as the chorus joined the leads in a wedding processional, many of the males and a few of the females had forced, even pained grins and stiff postures. The chorus appeared to be choreographed as a huge herd, rather than as individual people. One can assume all who were cast could sing well, but opera is theatre as well as music, so the visual aspects of a show must be taken into consideration while casting and directing a production.

The iconic opera was performed beautifully for the ears, and the crew backing the show clearly exhibited experience and knowledge of their fields.

— Erin Sheffield, 10

The set contributed to the show well, and actors interacted with their surroundings plenty. Knowing where the four doors onstage led to could be a bit confusing, as it changed with each act, but this was a minor inconvenience. Costumes and makeup were both gorgeous and appropriate for the era, appearing to fit their wearers and containing no obvious mistakes. 

The iconic opera was performed beautifully for the ears, and the crew backing the show clearly exhibited experience and knowledge of their fields. While the opera could improve with some acting improvement and perhaps a tougher casting process, overall, “The Marriage of Figaro” was an experience to remember for decades to come.