The sitcom of 'Seville' The sitcom of 'Seville' (February 20, 2004)

West Bay Opera presents a gag-free interpretation of Rossini's classic

By Elizabeth White

"The Barber of Seville," one of the most comic operas of all time, is usually performed in the slapstick "Three Stooges" tradition, with pratfalls and physical comedy abounding.

The West Bay Opera's performance of the Gioachino Rossini classic will explore instead the comedy of the characters and their depth of emotion.

"It's fairly gag-free for a comedy," said John Zuckerman, who plays the opera's suitor, Count Almaviva.

"We're playing the comedy very straightforward," added Jordan Shanahan, who fills the role of Figaro, Almaviva's accomplice. "This piece is actually really similar to a modern sitcom."

While this performance will be more restrained, it will nonetheless be a faithful adaptation of the traditional opera, according to stage director David Ostwald.

"For me, what makes this piece funny is when it comes out of the characters and their needs," he said. "But the basic idea hasn't changed. The idea is that this is a piece in which the count is doing a revolutionary act."

First performed in Rome in 1816, "The Barber of Seville" centers on Rosina, a young woman who has been protected all her life by her guardian, the overbearing Doctor Bartolo. The infatuated Count Almaviva, along with help from his crafty friend, the barber Figaro, tries to win Rosina's heart by taking on various disguises to make sure she doesn't love him for his position and money. He woos her in the guise of a poor student, Lindoro, and also masquerades as a drunken soldier and a music teacher, providing plenty of opportunity for comedy. But the nobleman's effort and eventual success to marry a woman outside of his class is one of the messages that resonate with the audience, Ostwald said.

"Marriages of the heart were not what the upper classes did. Marriages were about money and property," said Ostwald, a West Bay Opera veteran who will be staging his first production of "The Barber of Seville" for the Palo Alto company. "Only at the very end of the opera does he tell her he's the count."

For those who aren't aficionados, "The Barber of Seville" is a perfect first production to see because it's so fun, Ostwald said. The opera is a tried-and-true favorite with well-known music and an easy-to-follow story. It has been popular in the Bay Area this season -- the San Francisco Opera staged it in mid-January. And it occupies a special place in the history of West Bay Opera, which has staged it three times, in 1980, 1988 and 1996.

"It's a great way to meet the world of opera," Ostwald said.

The West Bay show is also uncharacteristic of many productions because it has cast both a mezzo-soprano and a soprano in the role of Rosina. Rossini originally wrote the role for a mezzo, but over the years it came to be played almost exclusively by sopranos, Shanahan said (all sopranos wanted to sing this great role, adorning it with high notes and ornaments). Now the trend is back toward using mezzos in the role.

"As a mezzo, I think Rosina comes across a bit more steely," said mezzo Sonia Gariaeff, who will play the role on Feb. 20 and 22. "As a soprano it comes across more innocent and young."

Robin De Leon, the soprano playing Rosina on Feb. 21, characterizes the mezzo as having a warmer voice.

"The things (Sonia) is comfortable with are the things I struggle with. We both have different things we feel we need to come up with in different areas," De Leon said. "The director is very willing to let us develop our own idea of Rosina."

The demanding role is the only one double-cast in the West Bay production. It's a decision that presents its own set of challenges, Zuckerman and Shanahan said. But it's a fun one. The men will sometimes get an idea on how to play a scene while working with one Rosina, and then try it with the other.

"I love it because it keeps things from getting set into a rut," Shanahan said.

Ostwald added that with this production, West Bay Opera has continued its tradition of giving up-and-coming singers a chance to perform in a big show. Zuckerman and Shanahan are both 26 years old.

"It's great because we go into it working together with trust," Ostwald said. "There is no weak link in this cast."

The opera is one of two in West Bay Opera's season. The company's general director, David Sloss, and its board of directors strive to showcase a mix of emotions each year. West Bay's next production, set for May, will be "Don Giovanni," a more brooding and pensive work.

Information

What: Gioachino Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," presented by West Bay Opera

Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto

When: Show times are Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $43, with a special $21.50 youth ticket (for those under 18) for Sunday matinees only. For tickets or more information, please call the West Bay Opera box office at 424-9999, Monday - Friday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., or visit www.wbopera.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Holt Building, 221 Lambert Ave. in Palo Alto.

Info: Call 424-9999 or visit www.wbopera.org

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