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An exceptional cast of Rossini specialists and South Florida favorites close out FGO’s 2022-23 season in The Barber of Seville, Rossini’s most popular and successful opera of all time.
With an overture made famous by Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, the ubiquitous “Figaro, Figaro, FI-GA-RO” of the work’s best-known aria, and nonstop comedic antics, this gem has remained a constant and fresh favorite for over 200 years.
The Spanish Count Almaviva enlists the aid of Seville’s favorite factotum, the barber Figaro, to gain access to the home of the elderly lawyer Dr. Bartolo in order to court his ward, Rosina. Rosina is not only beautiful, intelligent, and spirited, but quite wealthy, and Bartolo wishes to take advantage of his legal guardianship to force her into marriage.
To ensure that Rosina loves him for himself rather than his title and fortune, Almaviva presents himself to her as “Lindoro,” a penniless student. Rosina’s love is true. Figaro carries notes between the lovers and helps the Count enter the home under the guises of a drunken soldier with housing orders and a substitute music teacher.
Each time, his attempts to escape with Rosina are foiled. Upon discovering these plots, Bartolo convinces Rosina that “Lindoro” is nothing more than a lackey of the wicked Count Almaviva, who is using him to seduce her by proxy. Heartbroken, Rosina agrees to marry Bartolo. Fortunately, Figaro and the Count manage to climb a ladder to her bedroom window, lock Bartolo out, and get the notary to marry Rosina and the Count instead.
The opera is based on 1775’s Le barbier de Séville ou la précaution inutile (The Barber of Seville or The Useless Precaution), the first play of the famous trilogy by French polymath Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Originally intended as a comic opera, with original music and characters based on stock commedia dell’arte characters, it did not achieve lasting success as an opera until Rossini’s version burst onto the scene in 1816. Rossini’s rival, Paisello, had composed a previous version that garnered some success, and the jealous Paisello used his influence to ensure that the premiere of the Rossini version was a disaster. However, after an unhappy opening night, Rossini’s Barber quickly became a smash hit and has remained one of opera’s most popular, beloved, and best-known works ever since.
Fresh from a tour with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, South Korean baritone Young-Kwang Yoo makes his FGO debut as the lovable rascal Figaro, a role he previously sang to great acclaim with Cleveland Opera Theater. The rising star has appeared in opera, oratorio, and televised performances throughout the U.S. and South Korea, including Le Monstre Cathos in the U.S. premiere of Ibert’s Persée et Andromède, one of the New York Times’ top 10 best classical performances of 2016, and numerous productions as Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) and Marcello (La bohème).
He has won many awards, including first place in Japan’s Osaka International Competition, second place in the Manhattan International Music Competition, and the Grand Prize of the Opera Division in the Metropolitan International Vocal Competition.
Returning as a guest artist after two years in the Studio Program, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Doche brings her brilliant coloratura and charming stage presence to Rosina, having recently performed the role with Gulf Shore Opera. An FGO favorite during her Studio Artist years, Doche won acclaim in the 2022 season as Eunice in A Streetcar Named Desire, Giovanna and Maddalena in Rigoletto, and Narciso in Agrippina.
Recent performances have included the title roles of Ariodante, Carmen, La Cenerentola, and Serse, as well as Nicklausse/Muse/Mother in Les contes d’Hoffmann and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Opera Neo, Opéra Louisiane, Opera Memphis, Mobile Opera, and Pacific Opera Project. Named the First Place Vocal Division and Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Young Texas Artists Music Competition, Doche’s work also has been recognized by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the SAS Performing Arts Company Vocal Competition, the Orpheus Vocal Competition, the Camille Coloratura Awards, and the Beethoven Club of Memphis.
International tenor Michele Angelini returns to FGO as Count Almaviva for the first time since 2013, when he appeared opposite Metropolitan Opera soprano Rachel Gilmore as Elvino in La Sonnambula. In demand as a rare true Rossini tenor and bel canto specialist, Almaviva is one of Angelini’s signature roles which he has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, the Edinburgh International Festival, Covent Garden, and The Norwegian Opera, to name a few. His repertoire in leading theaters throughout the world includes Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Lindoro (L’italiana in Algeri), Orphée (Orphée et Eurydice), and Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), among many others.
Recent highlights include his debut at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, a return to Staatsoper Berlin for performances of The Barber of Seville; Rossini im Wildbad, performances of Rossini’s Stabat Mater at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, Teatro Real Madrid (La Cenerentola), the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo (Medea in Corinto), Bayerische Staatsoper (Il turco in Italia), and house debuts at the Bolshoi Theatre Moscow in Il viaggio a Reims and at Teatro Petruzell as Argirio in Tancredi.
Bass-baritone and FGO stalwart Kristopher Irmiter’s 115 roles, performed in every state in the U.S. and throughout Canada, have made him one of North America’s most recognized low voices. He returns to FGO to make his role debut as Dr. Bartolo. Previous appearances include Athaniel in Thaïs, Monaoh in Szulamit, Scarpia in Tosca, Oscar Hubbard in Regina, and the title role in 2016’s Don Pasquale. The Grammy-nominated artist’s world premieres include Gianni Schicchi in Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost, Bishop Dyer in Craig Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage, and Harold in Kristin Kuster’s A Thousand Acres. He is also known for his many performances of Rucker Lattimore in Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree and Olin Blitch in Susannah, as well as appearances opposite Susan Graham as Horace in Regina with Opera Theater of Saint Louis, Scarpia in Tosca with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Escamillo in Carmen with San Francisco Opera, Mephistopheles in Faust with Utah Opera and Baltimore Opera, and the title role in Der Fliegende Hollanderwith Arizona Opera and Michigan Opera Theater.
Rounding out the cast are former Studio Artist Brazilian bass-baritone Rafael Porto as Don Basilio and soprano Susan Neves as Berta.
Stage director and FGO director of Artistic Operations Matt Cooksey makes his FGO directing debut. Composer Maestro Anthony Barrese, artistic director and principal conductor of Opera Southwest, who last appeared with FGO in 2018’s critically acclaimed Orfeo ed Eurydice, conducts. The New Orleans Opera Association provides the scenery, and costumes come from Sarasota Opera.
“We are thrilled to welcome Maestro Barrese back to the podium,” said Susan T. Danis, FGO general director and CEO. “The cast is a wonderful mix of debuts and returns, and features graduates of the FGO Studio Artist program who are well on their way to wonderful careers. Under the direction of Matt Cooksey, this Barber will surely be a treat for both the ears and the eyes.”
This perennial favorite runs Apr. 29-May 2 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets for all shows begin at $16.
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