Jackson Free Press

Thousands of operas exist in dozens of languages, but the Mississippi Opera selected a classic masterwork by Verdi for their next production, "The Marriage of Figaro," and they'll be doing it in English.

"We like to go for name recognition and well-known pieces," says artistic director Alan Mann. The piece provides all the tension, diversity and drama one might find on local cable. Mann says that giving a brief synopsis of the plot is like "trying to summarize 'Desperate Housewives' or 'Lost' in five to six sentences."

Though it sounds serious, touches of humor weave into the plot. The comedy is one reason the group is choosing to do the production in English, instead of Verdi's Italian. Humor and fast lines pepper the script with an almost Broadway-like musical feel instead of purely operatic, and the no fewer than seven love triangles "would give audiences a headache trying to keep up with Italian subtitles and the action onstage," says Elizabeth Stevens, Mississippi Opera's executive administrator. The rest of the opera remains as the composers meant it to be. With help from students at the University of the Southern Mississippi, the event turns into a large collaboration of talents.

Planning for a production that lasts only one evening certainly takes more preparation than just rehearsing on set. The amount of detail put into a single opera can be overwhelming with planning beginning six to seven months in advance, pulling together over a 100 people from all over the state. The group tries to find young singers who are "talented and on the cusp of their careers," Mann says, giving them a good springboard show to advance from.

Nabbing talented singers from the four corners may give a show the shine it deserves, but many of the main singers have never met and introduce themselves before rehearsals. It is the hard work of professionals that helps on opening night as they strive for a polished finish.

See Figaro on Saturday, April 19, 7:30 p.m. in Thalia Mara Hall. Tickets are on sale now, ranging from $10-$55. Call 601-960-2300 for more information.

Previous Comments

ID

85014

Comment

"Figaro" is one of Mozart's greatest musical triumphs . . . this will be a treat!

Author

GenShermansGhost

Date

2008-02-28T22:52:03-06:00