This past Thursday night, I had the privilege of seeing Vanderbilt Opera Theatre’s (VOT) production of Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and librettist Lorenzo da Ponte. In the standard opera repertoire, Le Nozze di Figaro is one of the most famous, influential, and praised operas in all musical history. Because the opera is a beloved classic, Director Gayle Shaw wanted to create a production with a new spin that was “borderline absurdist, makeshift, rough and ready.”

Vanderbilt musicologist Dr. Melanie Lowe spoke to the audience before the performance, explaining how this production team saw what they needed, took what they had, and made the rest of it work. This statement related to many aspects including the orchestra, the costumes, and even the performance space. The performance took place in the Rothschild Black Box Theater located on the first floor of Rothschild College on the main campus of the university. Performing in a black box theater with a string quartet and a keyboard created a very intimate atmosphere and viewing experience and truly let us focus on the wonderful music Mozart created.  

While the opera is originally set in late 18th century Spain, the director intended to create a space outside of time, having performers perform with minimal makeup, costumes, and scenery. I loved how the performers wore normal everyday clothes, like jeans and a T-shirt. Each T-shirt worn had a quote directly relating to the character wearing it, which I thought was a nice touch. They also chose to change the Italian recitative to spoken English dialogue to further that modern-day approach. However, they kept the original beloved Italian arias in their entirety. “Figaro” speaks on the abuse of power in the aristocracy, the social inequity resulting from this, and how society and the middle class respond to it. Inspired by Beaumarchais’s 1778 play of the same name, this story truly transcends time and place, and these new visions implemented in VOT’s production worked effectively in the space that they created. 

The opera opens with an iconic duet between servant Figaro (Riley Eddins), wearing a “Best Butler Ever” T-shirt and his servant fiancée Susanna (Diana Nalyvaiko), wearing a shirt stating, “This is My Maid Costume.” The two are planning to marry, although their employer, Count Almaviva (Quinn Welder), wishes to sleep with Susanna on her wedding night. He believes it his droit du seigneur (lord’s right); it is this point where the opera begins. The rest of the opera follows the servants trying to outwit the Count and saving Susanna from her ultimate fate. Beginning the opera with Figaro and Susanna in a more casual setting aided in the chemistry, and they felt like a real couple. Figaro’s warm, rich voice paired with Susanna’s lyrical, floaty voice created a great dynamic between the two that shone throughout the entire night.  

Throughout the opera, we meet more characters crucial to the plot including the Count wearing a Count Chocula shirt, his teenage page Cherubino (Paula San Antonio) wearing a yellow beanie, shoes, and knee-high socks, and the Countess (Ava Kuntz) wearing a beautiful pink robe. We also meet opposing characters to Figaro and Susanna including the local Doctor Bartolo (Evan Stuart), his housekeeper Marcellina (Chloe Jalkut), a drunk gardener named Antonio (Ethan Prickett), and the hilarious ascot-wearing music teacher Basilio (Caleb Brock). These performers provided great comedic relief while also representing the unjust views of nobility towards the lower classes. 

The entire cast was incredible, but the highlights of the night were Figaro, Susanna, and Cherubino. In the famous aria Non Più Andrai, Figaro encourages young Cherubino after the Count wishes for him to join the regiment of Seville. In this song, Figaro marches and army crawls on stage all while delivering an incredible vocal performance ending with a gorgeous melisma. Throughout the opera, Figaro’s comical directions included using a ruler as an electric guitar and even hiding behind the violinist pretending to conduct at one point. There were many other instances like this that broke the 4th wall including characters giving high-fives to the front row, walking into the audience, and handing props to audience members. It was an interactive night only made possible by the innovative direction and the black box theatre itself. 

Susanna was such a joy to watch on stage and captured the loving, youthful, and mischievous spirit the character demands. In Act 3, the duet between Susanna and the Countess, Canzonetta sull’aria, was one of the best musical scenes of the night. Her lighter, melodious voice paired with the Countess’ bigger, warmer voice created a magical moment in the opera as the two plotted to trick the Count. Cherubino was also a standout both in the arias Non so più and Voi che sapete, and embodied the mentality and looks of a teenage boy. The acting paired with her rich mezzo voice and descending lines made every scene with Cherubino entertaining and memorable. 

As the opera began to wrap up, the audience found themselves rooting for Figaro and Susanna in their plans to deceive the Count. After their success, the finale began with every cast member joining together in singing Mozart’s beautiful, timeless music. Stories like “Le Nozze di Figaro” are important now more than ever, and Vanderbilt Opera Theatre’s production certainly shared this beautiful work to a whole new audience and in a whole new light.  

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Lily Warren

Lily Warren is a soprano from Nashville, TN currently in her senior year pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Middle Tennessee State University. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in Library Science with a focus in music after graduation while continuing to study musicology on the side.

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