San Francisco Opera's 'Marriage of Figaro' Opens: The Onstage Betrothed Are Married in Real Life
San Francisco Opera opened Mozart's 'The Marriage of Figaro' on October 31 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, California, as part of its 104th fall season. The production runs through November 29; the opera lasts about 3 hours 45 minutes with two intermissions.
The staging is the late Michael Cavanagh's 2019 production — the first part of his Mozart–Da Ponte trilogy — which sets the story in a manor house in the early years of the American republic. Shawna Lucey directs the revival. German conductor Sebastian Weigle makes his company debut on the podium; John Keene is chorus director.
The casting carries a real-life twist: bass-baritone Peter Kellner, making his company debut as Figaro, and soprano Slávka Zámečníková as Susanna play an engaged couple onstage — and are married to each other offstage. Olivia Smith makes her role debut as the Countess, with Thomas Mole as the Count and Maurizio Muraro among the cast.
Tickets start at $30. The November 7 performance at 7:30 p.m. PT will be livestreamed on the company's website for $25, with on-demand access for 48 hours. Dramaturg Emeritus Dr. Clifford 'Kip' Cranna gives a 20-minute pre-show talk 55 minutes before each performance.
San Francisco Opera has posted an official trailer for the production on its official channel, featuring scenes from this staging.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 旧金山战争纪念歌剧院（Carol M. Highsmith 摄，美国国会图书馆藏，公共领域） / The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco (photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress; public domain)
