


Her aria in act two, “Voi che sapete” had audiences applauding before her last note rang out. Meanwhile, Wallis Giunta plays the gangly teen boy, Cherubino to hilarious effect.
#Holding rapt full
James Westman is exceptional in the role of the Count, walking the fine line between master and fool, full of pomposity in both cases. John Brancy’s Figaro is a delight with his velvety baritone, and magnetic charm though he also stands out for his impressive ease on stage. Let’s hope there are many more Susannas in her future. Sasha Dhijanian brings sweetness and spunk to her role as Susanna and her voice’s clean, glossy tone is well suited to the role of the young maid. The best of these has to be in the finale to act two where at its peak there are six voices all together and everything gets so heated the actors seem to transcend into a storm of passionate fury. There are many fine vocal pieces for the individual singers but it is the duets, trios and ensembles that are especially gorgeous, a combination of Mozart’s fine writing and the singers’ performance. This is especially important in the many comedic moments which brought lots of laughs opening night. The interactions between characters come off very naturally and the timing is sharp throughout, thanks to Tom Diamon’s sure handed direction. Even with all the running and hiding, not to mention demanding solo, duet, trio and ensemble musical pieces, the actors stayed on top of their game. On opening night, the cast seemed fuelled by an electric energy and rather than just keep up with the fast pace they seemed to eagerly spur it forward through the show. There are also subtitles in English and French above the stage to ensure you don’t miss a joke or clever turn of phrase in Da Ponte’s brilliant libretto (opera speak for script). Whether you’re a fan of the show or not you’re probably a lot more familiar with the time period than the opera’s original setting of 18th Century Spain. The change of scene is a great fit for this opera that similarly plays on tensions between servants and their masters. Director Tom Diamond and conductor Kevin Mallon have set the story in Edwardian England, so everything has the feel of Downtown Abbey. The production team has done several things in this show to make it accessible and relevant. The Marriage of Figaro is a comedic opera or opera buffa in Italian and this production really embodies the true spirit of this operatic style, opera for the people, both high art and readily entertaining. And what a night it turned out to be! Opera Lyra’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro pulls you into Figaro’s world under the spell of great music and sumptuous setting then holds you rapt from start to finish. Ethan had a summer school project due the week everyone disappeared. It was on “The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future.The NAC was teeming with excitement Saturday night as throngs gathered, dressed to the nines for a night at the opera. They think, they learn, they feel, and now they’re angry. One of the special Top-Secret projects the military scientists were working on decided it didn’t want to be kept secret anymore. The message abruptly ended. Those were Ethan’s father’s grim last words.Ī mechanical menace was stalking them, the likes of which humans could’ve never imagined. All that was left was a distraught phone message… Ethan had said some terrible things to his father earlier that evening, and the next morning he was eager to apologize to him and set things right.īut he never got the chance. Something went very wrong at Blackwoods Military Research Facility in the late-night hours of June 14. Ethan Tate and his team - including his best friend, his bully, and the girl of his dreams - must band together to solve the mystery, survive an onslaught, and fight back using their unique skills honed during countless hours in the woods playing Laser Wars. In a secret military town tucked away deep in the Wyoming forest, a small group of soon-to-be eighth-graders wakes up to find everyone missing.
