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'The Marriage of Figaro' Comes to WIU May 3-4

April 23, 2019

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MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois University's School of Music Opera Theatre (WIUOT) will present Le nozze di Figaro ("The Marriage of Figaro") at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday May 3-4 in Hainline Theatre.

This "opera buffa" (comic opera) was composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The Italian libretto, written by Lorenzo Da Ponte, is based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, "La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro" ("The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro"), first performed in 1784.

The Marriage of Figaro" follows its author's earlier play, "The Barber of Seville," a story that was famously set to music by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini.

In WIUOT's adaptation, the action takes place at the estate of Mr. Almaviva, also known as "The Count," near a city in the United States at the end of the 1950s. Susanna, personal maid to Mrs. Rosina Almaviva, and Figaro, The Count's right-hand man in a very successful advertisement firm, are preparing for their wedding. But their marriage could be spoiled by the advances of The Count, who is determined to seduce the bride-to-be.

With the help of The Countess (Mrs. Almaviva), who has been neglected by her philandering husband, Figaro and Susanna must use all their imagination to outsmart Mr. Almaviva, avoid the traps laid by Marcellina, Bartolo and Basilio and take advantage of Cherubino's awkward attempts at romance. Punctuated by a series of improbable events, which evolve into touching moments of melancholy, the "Day of Madness" will see each mask fall one-by-one, revealing the true nature of the wearer's heart. (adapted from opera-online.com)

"This is perhaps the biggest undertaking of my teaching career, and I am looking forward to seeing our students take the stage in this magnificent work," said WIU Assistant Professor and WIUOT Director Ricardo Sepúlveda. "This is the first time that WIU takes on 'The Marriage of Figaro' as a whole, albeit we have adapted and abridged the work significantly, tailoring to the skill level and training needs of our students. This production has been in the works since last spring. Our fabulous production team includes faculty from the Theatre and Dance Department: Dan Schmidt (scenic design), Rebel Mickelson (costume design) and Josh Wroblewski (lighting design). Heidi Clemmens, who choreographed last year's production of Hansel and Gretel, is back with us with a 1950-60s spin to Mozart's beautiful score. Junior theatre student, Warren Freeland, is working on stage combat with our cast. Dr. Richard Hughey conducts the WIU Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Po-Chuan Chiang serves as répétiteur for this production. I am very humbled and thankful for all the hands at work on this project. I hope our WIU and Macomb communities come out and support the work of these artists."

The opera has four acts, with a 15-minute intermission. It will be sung in Italian, with English supertitles. The dialogue will be performed in English, replacing the original "recitative" (musical declamation in the narrative, imitating ordinary speech).

Tickets are $15 for the public, $12 for seniors, WIU employees and youth. A special price of $7 is available for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for WIU students are free with valid student identification.

To purchase a ticket, visit the Hainline Theater Box Office, or call (309) 298-2900. Online ticket purchases are available through the WIU Opera Theatre site at facebook.com/WIUOpera.

More information about this event, and about WIU Opera Theatre, is also available at facebook.com/WIUOpera.


Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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