‘Figaro’ is genuine fun

Viterbo's theater department delivered an excellent performance this weekend with their show The Marriage of Figaro. The music, acting, costuming, and scenery flowed together to create a captivating and entertaining show. 

     It was hard to believe that the music of the Opera was coming from a live orchestra. The voices of the performers were exemplary as well, each one clear and precise. The singers and musicians mostly blended together in perfect balance.

     The scenery and costuming also supported the show and added visual interest to the story and characters. The set design combined stylistic paintings of music notes and people with simple but interesting furniture and entranceways. The simplicity allowed for the audience to focus on the characters but also to enjoy the scenery and understand the story more easily. The costumes were very fitting for each individual person; it was obvious that a great deal of thought and creativity went into designing them. 

     Lumen interviewed Freshman Austin Sanders, who played the role of a gardener named Antonio. "I like how everyone works together to make the show better, from the cast members to the crew members running around backstage." Sanders hopes that audiences will enjoy the performance. "I feel that Viterbo did a wonderful job at capturing the story of the Marriage of Figaro.  It didn't seem like it when we were just working on the music, but once we put in the blocking, the props, and the orchestra, the show started to come together."

     The Marriage of Figaro was directed by David Roth, visiting director of Kentucky Opera. When asked about this experience, Sanders said, "I thought it was very interesting and a fun new experience for me.  I'm used to having one director for four years, so a new director from out of the state was something I wasn't used to, but adapted to quickly."

     Personally, this is the first Opera I have attended at Viterbo, and I was very impressed. That being said, I believe our school sets the standards high with such incredible talent both on and off the stage.