Seattle Opera Presents BARBER OF SEVILLE, 1/15

Seattle Opera opens its production of one of the funniest and most popular of all comic operas, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, on January 15, 2011.  The production will run for nine performances through January 29.
 
The Barber of Seville features energetic music, nonstop laughs, and some of opera's most beloved characters, including the witty and confident barber Figaro, the love-struck Count Almaviva, and his beautiful love interest Rosina.  Seattle Opera's two casts will present two very different performances: on opening night, Rosina will be performed by a soprano, with a mezzo-soprano performing the role in the alternate cast.  And five of the nine performances will feature a bonus aria for Count Almaviva.
 
Tenor Lawrence Brownlee, a former Seattle Opera Artist of the Year, returns to Seattle as Count Almaviva in the opening night cast, and brings with him a rare treat for the audience: the aria "Cessa di più resistere," which has always been cut at previous Seattle Opera performances because of its great difficulty.  The New York Times has called Brownlee "outstanding" and has praised his "agility, elegance, and Rossinian style."  Soprano Sarah Coburn, whom Opera News has called "blissfully sublime," appears on opening night as Rosina, the object of Almaviva's affections, while Australian baritone José Carbó makes his US debut as the clever Figaro.  Brownlee and Coburn are both former Seattle Opera Young Artists.  Coburn last appeared at Seattle Opera in 2006 as Adele in Die Fledermaus; Brownlee was last heard here in 2008 as Arturo in I puritani.
 
The Sunday/Friday cast also features performers with notable connections to Seattle.  Following her success in the title role of Hagen's Amelia, mezzo-soprano and 2009/10 Artist of the Year Kate Lindsey returns to Seattle Opera as Rosina.  Baritone and former Young Artist David Adam Moore takes on the role of Figaro; Moore was last seen in Seattle in 2009, as Zurga in The Pearl Fishers.  Rounding out the Sunday/Friday cast is tenor Nicholas Phan, who makes his company debut as Count Almaviva.  Both casts feature bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi as Dr. Bartolo, Turkish bass Burak Bilgili as Don Basilio, and soprano Sally Wolf as Berta.  Making their mainstage debuts are two of Seattle Opera's current Young Artists: baritone Daniel Scofield as Fiorello and bass-baritone Adrian Rosas as Sergeant.
 
The Barber of Seville is led by conductor Dean Williamson, who served as Seattle Opera's principal coach and pianist for 12 years and, as music director of the Young Artists Program, conducted all the Young Artists productions from 1998 through 2007.  Peter Kazaras, who directed season opener Tristan und Isolde and serves as Artistic Director for the Young Artists Program, stages this production of Barber.  Together Williamson and Kazaras brought Seattle Opera a memorable Marriage of Figaro in May of 2009.

The Barber of Seville runs from Saturday, January 15 to Saturday, January 29.  Single tickets start at $25 and are available online at seattleopera.org, by calling 206.389.7676 or 800.426.1619, or by mobile phone at mobile.seattleopera.org.  Because Barber is such a great show for young and first-time operagoers, Seattle Opera will be presenting a Family Day matinee on Sunday, January 23, with up to four $15 student tickets available with the purchase of one full-price ticket (go to seattleopera.org/barber for more Family Day details).  Tickets may also be purchased at the Box Office by visiting 1020 John Street (two blocks west of Fairview), Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.