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The Marriage of Figaro
 | Maureen McKay (Susanna) and Andrew Wilkowske (Figaro)
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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Revolution is in the air. The American colonies have declared their independence from the British Empire, and in three years, the French would overthrow their monarchy. Mozart was caught up in the spirit of all this, but when he began his quest to turn The Marriage of Figaro—a successful stage comedy, by Pierre Beaumarchais, which had been banned in Vienna—into an opera, it was clear that his librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, would need to make some changes before Emperor Joseph II would approve it.
Da Ponte removed the play's heaviest political criticism of the hereditary nobility (other than the so-called "il diritto del signore"—the right of the Lord of the manor to have sex with his female servants before they marry, which was apparently a myth played up by later revolutionaries), and in its place were substituted complaints about unfaithful wives and knocks on the priesthood. Fortunately, as with Shake-speare's five semi-biographical plays where males suspect unfaithfulness on the part of their wives and are always proven wrong, so Mozart's heroines prove to be (mostly) beyond reproach, and the Count (wholly) and Figaro (to a degree) get their comeuppance. The opera was an immediate success, and is still one of the top ten operas performed globally.
 | Andrew Wilkowske (Figaro)
exits to avoid discovery
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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For those unfamiliar with the operatic canon, the genre is opera buffa (comic opera), which rivals any of the best stage comedies for humor and mayhem. In this case, we're showered with: mistaken identities; timely entrances and exits through various doors, cabinets, and windows; compromising circumstances; characters that unwittingly caricaturize themselves; outlandish revelations; and, of course, world-class vocals.
 | Luke Sutliff (Count Almaviva) and Kira Dills_DeSurra (Cherubino)
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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In Central City Opera's stellar production, the title role is performed by Andrew Wilkowske, whose rich baritone, in concert with Maureen McKay's soaring soprano, as his beloved Susanna, make for a marvelous pairing, as they establish in the first scene, singing about their upcoming wedding.
But before the nuptials can transpire, a variety of obstacles are thrown in their way, including Count Almaviva's (Luke Sutliff) designs on Susanna, a previous marriage contract for Figaro, plus the Count's growing agitation over a number of events, such as the young Cherubino's (Kira Dills-DeSurra in the trousers role) pubescent-fueled dalliances with every attractive female on the premises. Sutliff's strong baritone conveys the power and entitlement of the Count, who (in this fable) only recently set aside the rights of local lord to carnel relations with his female subjects (See note in second paragraph from the top). Dills-DeSurra's mezzo is sweet as an adolescent male in the process of physiological change.
 | Maureen McKay (Susanna)
and Erica Petrocelli (Countess Almaviva)
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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However cute and endearing Cherubino's advances may be to Countess Almaviva (Erica Petrocelli) and Susanna (McKay), and however compromised they may be by his untimely presence (when the Count, Figaro, or the gardener appear), the women have greater quandaries on their hands: to tame the Count's jealousy and sexual aggressiveness, and to help Figaro clear the way for the marriage. Petrocelli's lustrous soprano embraces the Countess' sadness over her husband's officious, suspicious nature, and infidelities, while still holding hope for a change.
 | Ashraf Sewailam (Dr. Bartolo) and Hilary Ginther (Marcellina)
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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Despite all the implicit and incisive social criticism that remains in the libretto, the farcical nature of the story leads to a fun and instructive conclusion. David Radamés Toro's staging is brilliant, leveraging every possible visual pun and classic stage business at uptempo speed to keep perfect pace with Mozart's dynamic and bright score, featuring an inspired rendition by maestro Marcello Cormio and the 63-piece Festival Orchestra, including a delightful interlude on the harpsichord.
 | Andrew Wilkowske (Figaro) and Maureen McKay (Susanna)
Photo: Amanda Tipton
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All of this is deliciously amplified by Glenn Avery Breed's lush constumes and Candace Leyland's superb wig and makeup design. Kudos to Nora Marlow Smith and Madeleine Boyd on the detailed and flexible set design, as well as to Abigail Hoke-Brady's picture-perfect lighting design for illuminating this visual feast.
Central City's presentation of The Marriage of Figaro, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte runs through August 2nd. For tickets: http://https://centralcityopera.org/2026-festival/.
Bob Bows
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