Atlanta Opera's BARBER OF SEVILLE to Open 4/26

Rossini's comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville concludes The Atlanta Opera's season next month with a cast of artists making their Atlanta debuts.

Written in only 13 days and premiered in Rome in 1816, Rossini's The Barber of Seville opens at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Saturday, April 26, and runs for four performances through May 4. Although composed 30 years after Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro, Rossini's work is based on the first of the Beaumarchais plays and introduces us to dashing Count Almaviva, the lovely Rosina, and the resourceful Figaro. The wily barber Figaro aids Count Almaviva in wooing the radiant maiden, Rosina. With masterful disguises and hilarious antics, romance unfurls right under the nose of an aghast Dr. Bartolo, intent on marrying Rosina himself.

Santa Barbara Opera Artistic Director José Maria Condemi returns to direct at the Atlanta Opera for the first time since 2011's Così fan tutte, and conductor Craig Kier makes his Atlanta Opera conducting debut.

Many of the principal singers will make their Atlanta Opera debuts, including baritone Sidney Outlaw as Figaro, mezzo-soprano Irene Roberts as Rosina, and tenor Juan José de León sings Almaviva in his house debut. Bass-baritone Stefano de Peppo debuts as Doctor Bartolo, in a signature role performed internationally with great success at Teatro Colón in Bogota, the Teatro Vellas Artes in Mexico City, as well as in the U.S. at Minnesota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Sarasota Opera. Debut artists also include Sam Handley singing the role of Basilio and Kelly Glyptis as Berta.

The Atlanta Opera Chorus will be prepared by Chorus Master Walter Huff, and conducted by Craig Kier. The production will feature Allen Moyer-designed sets and costumes from Washington National Opera, and lighting by Ken Yunker from a co-production by Minnesota Opera, Omaha Opera, and Washington National Opera. The production runs 2 hours 45 minutes with one intermission, and will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

The Barber of Seville opens Saturday, April 26, and runs through Sunday, May 4. Tickets are available online at atlantaopera.org or by calling 404-881-8885. Visit the Bank of North Georgia Box Office at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and two hours prior to a performance on day of show).

Ticketholders may attend a free pre-opera talk about The Barber of Seville, held one hour prior to each performance inside the John A. Williams Theatre at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

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