San Diego Opera's Main Stage Season Continues With THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

San Diego Opera's 2019-2020 main stage season comes to a close with Gioachino Rossini's classic comedy The Barber of Seville which opens on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at the San Diego Civic Theatre for four performances. Additional performances are April 28, May 1, and 3 (matinee), 2020.

Last presented by the Company in 2012, these performances of The Barber of Seville mark important debuts by baritone David Pershall as Figaro and tenor Carlos Santelli as Count Almaviva. They are joined by returning mezzo-soprano Emily Fons as Rosina, who was last heard in San Diego as Cherubino in 2018's The Marriage of Figaro. Also returning in these performances are bass-baritone Partick Carfizzi as Doctor Bartolo, who was last heard as Major-General Stanley in 2017's The Pirates of Penzance and bass Kevin Burdette as Don Basilio, who was last heard as Dulcamara in 2014's The Elixir of Love. Rounding out the cast are mezzo-soprano Alexandra Rodrick as Berta in her Company debut, returning bass-baritone Joshua Arky as Fiorello, and returning baritone Michael Sokol as the Sergeant. San Diego Opera's Chorus Master and Music Administrator Bruce Stasyna returns to the podium for these performances, having last been heard conducting 2019's One Amazing Night with Stephen Costello and Stephen Powell. Stage Director Jimmy Marcheso makes his Company directing debut directing an original concept by Michael Shell. The scenic designer is Shoko Kambara and the costume designer is Amanda Seymour. This production was originally created as a co-production between Opera Philadelphia and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. It is now owned by Utah Opera.

The Barber of Seville follows the exploits of Figaro, "barber by day, matchmaker by night" as he aids Count Almaviva in wooing the beautiful Rosina, ward of the manipulating Dr. Bartolo who intends to keep Rosina to himself and marry her. Figaro infiltrates Bartolo's guarded estate with the Count, disguised first as a drunken sailor and then as a replacement for music teacher Don Basilio. This riotous romantic comedy will keep audience members in stitches with fast action, pranks and instantly recognizable music including its famous overture, the baritone patter song Largo al factotum, and the coloratura aria Una voce poco fa. The Barber of Seville was composed by Gioachino Rossini with libretto by Cesare Sterbini and is based on the play Le Barbier de Séville by Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais. The opera received its world premiere at the Teatro Argentina, Rome on February 20, 1816.

Sung in Italian with English translations above the stage, these performances mark the ninth time The Barber of Seville has been performed by San Diego Opera with performances in 1966, 1971, 1982, 1987, 1993, 1998, 2006, and 2012. This production is new to San Diego Opera audiences.