Close shave at the opera this June

  • 2020-04-13
One of the most popular operas of all, as well as one of the funniest, will be performed in Cincinnati this summer.

The Cincinnati Opera will be staging Rossini's “The Barber of Seville” at the Music Hall on Elm Street. The popular opera will open the company's 100th Anniversary Season, and seems a good choice for a celebration, as the show is laugh-out-loud funny.

Count Almaviva has fallen in love with the delightful Rosina and wants to marry her, but her much-older guardian has the same idea. In order to court his lady, the count adopts a series of disguises, including a drunken soldier, to get into the house.

In all this he is aided by Figaro, the barber of the title. Clever, sly, and charming, the barber provides all kinds of services to his clients, from shaving them to pulling teeth. With his help, the young lovers carry on a flirtation under the nose of Rosina's guardian, Doctor Bartolo, and of course all ends happily.

The score features some of the most instantly recognizable music in all opera, including the lively overture, and the “Largo al factotum,” featuring the well-known “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro” line.

Isabel Leonard, who is a Grammy-winning singer, plays Rosina in this production.

There are two shows scheduled, June 18 and June 20, both at 7.30 pm. Brochure printing can be used to provide attractive, informative programs for this type of event.