The Marriage of Figaro

Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, after Pierre Beaumarchais

Language Sung in English without supertitles

Dates April 25-29, 2017

About the production Mozart’s classic comedy is transported to the clashing social classes of NYC high society! The Count is the CEO of the Almaviva Corporation, and he’s after his wife’s personal assistant, Susanna. In steps Susanna’s boyfriend Figaro, the Count’s personal assistant, to turn the whole building upside down and make sure their wedding goes on as planned! This modern-dress production marked the opera stage debut for its entire cast and received wild acclaim from the campus and community.

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Synopsis

Act I In an apartment on the Upper East Side of NYC, Figaro and Susanna (personal assistants to the Count and Countess Almaviva) are preparing for their wedding. Figaro is furious when he learns from his bride that the Count has tried to seduce her. He is determined to have revenge. At the office, Dr. Bartolo confers with the Count’s receptionist Marcellina, who wants to marry Figaro herself – she has a contract that says Figaro must either pay her the $200K he borrowed from her years ago, or marry her. When Susanna arrives, she and Marcellina exchange insults. Cherubino the intern rushes in, finding Susanna alone, and tells her of his love for all the women in the office, especially the Countess. The Count arrives to resume his seduction attempts, and Cherubino hides while Susanna attempts to get rid of the Count. The Count himself rushes into hiding when Basilio the musician arrives, wanting to gossip with Susanna. Basilio reveals Cherubino’s crush on the Countess, and the Count reveals himself in a fury. He is all the more enraged when he discovers Cherubino’s hiding place and realizes that the intern overheard his attempts to seduce Susanna. They are interrupted by a surprise party for the Count, arranged by Figaro to “celebrate” the Count’s blessing on his and Susanna’s marriage. To spite them and to silence Cherubino, the Count reassigns the intern to a call center in New Jersey. Figaro makes fun of Cherubino as he tells him what to expect there – no flirting, no money, no fun, just work.

Act II In her bedroom, Countess Rosina Almaviva mourns the loss of her husband’s affection. Encouraged by Figaro and Susanna, she agrees to set a trap for her husband: they will send Cherubino, disguised as Susanna, to a rendezvous with the Count, and then reveal the Count’s philandering ways to everyone. They begin to dress Cherubino up as a girl, but the Count returns unexpectedly and is suspicious upon finding the door locked. Cherubino hides in the Countess’s dressing room but knocks over a chair, which rouses the Count’s suspicions further. The Countess attempts to pass the noise off as Susanna, trying on a wedding dress, but the Count is not convinced. He takes the Countess with him to get tools to unlock the room. As soon as they are gone, Susanna helps Cherubino escape through the window and takes his place in the room. When the Count and Countess return, both are surprised to find Susanna in the dressing room, and Cherubino nowhere in sight. All seems safe again until Antonio the gardner rushes in, complaining that someone has jumped out the window and landed on his flowers. Figaro, who had entered to announce the wedding, feigns a limp and says he had jumped out the window to avoid an argument with the Count. Bartolo, Marcellina and Basilio arrive, waving Marcellina’s contract and declaring their case to the Count. Delighted with the excuse, the Count postpones the wedding celebration to investigate Marcellina’s claim.

Act III Later that day in the banquet hall, Susanna baits the Count with promises of a rendezvous that night. He is overjoyed until he hears Susanna tell Figaro how well their plan is working out. In a rage, he declares he will have revenge. Cherubino sneaks back in with his girlfriend Barbarina, the gardener’s daughter. Alone, the Countess reflects on her past happiness. Marcellina brings her lawyer Don Curzio to insist that Figaro pay her the money or marry her immediately, but Figaro stalls by saying that he can’t marry without his parents’ consent – and, since he was kidnapped as a baby, he has no clue who they might be. When he reveals a peculiar birthmark on his arm, Marcellina realizes that he is her long-lost son, fathered by Bartolo, and embraces him. Susanna arrives with a check from the Countess to pay the debt, but is furious when she sees Figaro in Marcellina’s arms. Figaro explains the situation and the family is reunited. The Countess and Susanna conspire together and write a note to the Count inviting him to a romantic spot in the garden – if they cannot pretend Cherubino is Susanna, they will pretend the Countess is Susanna, and catch the Count “seducing” his own wife! The office employees assemble for the wedding rehearsal, with Cherubino hidden among the ladies, and Susanna delivers the letter to the Count during the reception.

Act IV Barbarina searches the abandoned banquet hall: the Count had given her a pin to take back to Susanna as a sign that he received her letter. Figaro and Marcellina help her look, but Figaro is furious when he finds out what is going on. He hides as Susanna and the Countess arrive, dressed in each other’s clothes. Susanna, realizing Figaro’s confusion, sings a romantic song to tease him. She hides just in time as Cherubino enters and attempts to seduce the disguised Countess himself. The intern is chased away by the Count, who takes “Susanna” (the Countess) into a secluded part of the garden. Figaro realizes the switch, and teases the “Countess” (Susanna) by pretending he has fallen in love with the Countess and wants to run away with her. The lovers laugh and reconcile, and then play up the pretend seduction until the Count returns to discover Figaro apparently with the Countess and explodes in rage. But the real Countess steps forward, revealing her identity and the plot. Ashamed, the Count asks for forgiveness. The Countess grants it, and all the couples are reunited in the garden.