SCOOP: The Kennedy Center reimagines Mozart’s classic Marriage of Figaro
President Trump and Ambassador Grenell score another high-profile win at the Kennedy Center with The Marriage of Figaro.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s masterpiece, Le nozze di Figaro or The Marriage of Figaro, packed the Kennedy Center’s Opera House over the weekend and brought laughs through themes that stand the test of time nearly 300 years after its inception.
As the lights began to dim on its opening night, an elegant crowd erupted into applause in anticipation of director Peter Kazaras’s production of the beloved 1785 comedic opera with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
The upbeat melody of the first taste of Mozart’s classic overture began before the curtain rose. The crowd — both young and mature — fell silent before being transported into a uniquely beautiful world where the gold embroidery on the curtain seemed to dance gracefully across the colossal columns and checkered-patterned floors.
The building strings, winds, and percussion set the stage for the introduction of Figaro and Susanna, two servants who plan to get married despite the plots put in place by their employer, Count Almaviva.
“It was the first opera I’ve ever seen and it was not at all what I expected it to be,” Marisela Ramirez told the Washington Reporter following the show. “I thought opera was melodramatic and stiff but The Marriage of Figaro proved it can be fun. It completely shattered the assumptions of opera I had in mind.” The comedy, told in four acts, has been performed around the world and is still capturing audiences to this day.
The audience meets Figaro (Le Bu) and Susanna (Joélle Harvey) on the morning of their wedding day. Figaro is carefully studying measurements to craft the perfect bed for their wedding night as Susana readies her veil. Bu’s performance as the title character of Figaro was captivating in every facet. His deep bass-baritone voice radiated through to the back of the red-carpeted Halls. “As he crescendoed into fortissimo, I could feel the masterful vibrato interrupt unseen energy fields,” an attendee told the Reporter.
As the happy couple prepare for their pending nuptials, Susanna informs her intended lover of an obstacle standing in their way, namely their boss, Count Almaviva (Will Liverman). Figaro has served the count as his faithful valet for years, yet all the while, the count has wanted to bed Susanna, the longtime maid and friend to his lonely and neglected wife, Countess Rosina Almaviva (Rosa Feola).
Feola was the absolute star of the night. Her performance as the countess entranced the crowd and every scene she was in became her own. Her voice manifested as an ethereal cloud that floated her out of her body, while at the same time forging deep forest roots that grounded her rich, vibrant tone.
The stunning backdrops, transitioning from a smooth, subtle sunset to a starry night sky, allowed the audience to travel seamlessly through the characters’ journeys. On the architectural frieze at the top of the set is engraved the motto “Perdono non merta chi agli altri non dà,” which translates it to “he does not merit pardon who does not give it to others.”
Costume Designer Myung Hee Cho set the tone of the show through bright colors, including bright orange, Mediterranean Sea blue, and a kaleidoscope of pinks and vivid pinks and fuchsias.
The orchestra took its place under the incredible direction of the new music director and conductor of the Washington National Opera (WNO), four-time Grammy Award winner Robert Spano.
While in Italian, there will be English subtitles for the elements that remain in the original Italian, making it easy for anyone to enjoy and understand the work.
Opera, while often sturdy and serious, receives a rebrand with the comical Figaro. The Marriage of Figaro is being played at the Kennedy Center through November 22nd in the Opera House and it is yet another notch on the belt for classic renditions of art done seamlessly by the Kennedy Center.
Under President Donald Trump and Ambassador Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center has prioritized offering family friendly shows and rooting out DEI initiatives. With Figaro, the duo succeeds once again.