About This Show
State Theatre presents Teatro Lirico D’Europa’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia). Sung in Italian with English supertitles, this production, directed by Giorgio Lalov, is conducted by Krassimir Topolov. The cast features Vladimir Samsonov as Figaro, Viara Zhelezova as Rosina, and Benjamin Brecher as Count Almaviva.
Based on the first play in the trilogy that also inspired Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Rossini’s Barber of Seville shows us what the center character of the opera, Figaro, the wily barber and jack-of-all trades, was up to before he tied the knot. The setting is the Spanish city of Seville in the 18th century. Figaro is here, there and everywhere, helping Count Almaviva steal away the beautiful Rosina from her curmudgeonly old guardian, Dr. Bartolo. Outrageous disguises, bold schemes, and a missing ladder all figure into the plot, but the real reason to see The Barber is to revel in Rossini’s lively score, colorful arias and ensembles.