THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO (Portland Opera)

Here is my next review, from my very own backyard!

Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) (W.A. Mozart)
Portland Opera, 2011
(sung in Italian with English supertitles)

THE CAST:
Daniel Mobbs as Figaro
Jennifer Aylmer as Susanna
Pamela Armstrong as the Countess Almaviva
David Pittsinger as the Count Almaviva
Jennifer Holloway as Cherubino
Jon Kolbet as Basilio
Kurt Link as Bartolo
Allison Swenson-Mitchell as Marcellina
Stacey Murdock as Antonio
Lindsay Ohse as Barbarina

THE 411:
The Marriage of Figaro, like Cosi fan tutte, is full of farce, whimsy, intrigue, and mistaken identity.  Set in 18th century Spain, it is a classic tale of the lower class servants overcoming the faults of their upper class masters and teaching them a lesson about life in general.  The action all takes place in the space of one hectic day in the Count and Countess Almaviva's palace.  The Count's valet and the Countess's maid, Figaro and Susanna, are to be married later in the evening.  But certain obstacles stand in their way.  Though outwardly their master the Count is supportive of their happy union, secretly he wants Susanna for himself on this her wedding night.  Also, the scheming old Dr. Bartolo has never forgiven Figaro for ruining his old plans to marry his ward, who is now the Countess.  He plans to help Marcellina, an older noblewoman, carry out an old debt that Figaro incurred that states if he cannot pay her, he must marry her.  Meanwhile, the Countess is having her own problems.  Not only does her husband cheat on her right and left, she is finding herself more and more attracted to the page boy of the castle, the girl-crazy Cherubino.  As the plots intertwine, the day that should have been a happy occasion turns into a potential for disaster as truth is uncovered.  Not to worry, the opera ends on a happy note, with everyone ending up with who they should end up with.

HIGHLIGHTS:
The main highlights of the opening of Portland Opera's 2011 season were the two baritone leads in the cast: Daniel Mobbs as Figaro and David Pittsinger as Count Almaviva.  They were both electrifying in their performances and flawless in their vocal technique.  It is rare to hear singers of this caliber and was a real treat for me to witness the whole package of their respective performances.  Also of note was Jennifer Holloway's remarkable portrayal of the teenage Cherubino.  One of the hardest things about a pants role for a woman is the fact that she has to convince the audience that she is supposed to be a boy, not a girl in boy's clothing.  Ms. Holloway had me convinced.  From the way she moved, to the choice of vocal colors used in her performance she was not recognizable as a female in any way.  Very tough to do.  Also wonderful were the set and costumes.  There is something to be said for doing a traditional production and this one transported me directly to 18th Century Spain.  Fantastic.

LETDOWNS:
Unfortunately, Pamela Armstrong (Countess) did not seem to be at the top of her game the night I attended.  Her intonation was a little on the flat side for most of the evening, and during the famous "Dove sono" aria in Act III, she actually had to take some time to cough.  Illness is inevitable sometimes and it was a shame to see this wonderful soprano role not quite at the top.  As for Allison Swensen-Mitchell, who portrayed Marcellina, I was less than impressed.  Her vocal quality was that of a performer who has gone a little past their prime.  The vibrato was too wide and the technique was not as clean.  That being said, however, she almost made up for it with her incredible acting skills.  She was really fun to watch dramatically.

CONCLUSION:
Portland Opera did not disappoint me and clearly they have a great tradition of putting on great productions.  My friend Alan and I barely got in on student rush night but it was well worth the effort.  If you're ever in Portland, I highly recommend stopping by the Keller Auditorium for a night of culture!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:  Cosi fan tutte (Mozart), L'elisir d'amore (Donizetti), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini), Gianni Schicchi (Puccini)