Marriage can be tricky.

Lust, revenge, deception, and a wedding. It’s amazing what you can pack into a day. 

Mozart’s and Da Ponte’s opera The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most popular and enduring operas ever written. Composed only three years before the French revolution, Mozart takes a play (of the same title, by Beaumarchais) that had been banned on account of its implied subversion of the established order; removes much of the overtly political material; and then deftly weaves an opera in which the women drive the narrative, culminating in aristocrat and servant-swapping clothes. Mozart achieves revolutionary statements on multiple levels much in keeping with Enlightenment ideas about the role of women and men in society and politics. The opera ends with a statement of compassion and forgiveness much needed at the start of the twenty-first century. 

New Zealand Opera has invited director Lindy Hume to create a new production that explores feminist ideas in Mozart’s opera, part of a series that has preoccupied her artistic practice in recent years. Zoe Zeniodi will conduct the opera. Eleanor Bishop will assistant direct. It is anticipated this team will explore Figaro’s potent politics in the rehearsal room, and that it will be a catalyst for conversation on women directors and conductors in opera.

The production will play in its original language (Italian) with English subtitles.

The opera will feature the Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus in each centre, along with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra Wellington, and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

The performance is 3 hours long with a 20-minute interval. This opera is sung in Italian with English subtitles. Preshow talks will be held one hour prior to each performance. There will be one audio described performance for each city.

 

Creatives 

Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte

Conductor – Zoe Zeniodi

Director – Lindy Hume 

Designer – Tracy Grant Lord

Lighting Designer – Matthew Marshall

Assistant Director – Eleanor Bishop 

 

Cast

Count Almaviva – John Moore 

Countess Almaviva – Emma Pearson 

Figaro – Richard Ollarsaba

Susanna – Joanna Foote

Cherubino – Bianca Andrew

Marcellina – Kristin Darragh

Don Bartolo – Andrew Collis 

Don Basilio / Don Curzio – Andrew Grenon 

Barbarina – TBC

Antonio – Joel Amosa

 

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra

Orchestra Wellington

Christchurch Symphony Orchestra

Freemasons New Zealand Opera Chorus