Every town has that guy, the one you go to who gets things done. He's the man everyone turns to when they have problems. In Seville, he happens to be the barber.
"Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!" they call out from every direction to get his attention.
Mistaken identities, mistaken rooms and narrow escapes fill the three acts of Gioachino Antonio Rossini's "The Barber of Seville." Mississippi Opera in a joint production with Opera Memphis will present the comic opera classic at 7:30 p.m. April 9 in Thalia Mara Hall.
Jay Dean, artistic director of Mississippi Opera, last year visited Teatro Argentina in Rome, Italy, the historic theater where Rossini premiered "The Barber of Seville" in 1816. He sees this production, a brainchild of the two companies' previous artistic directors, as good business.
"Partnerships are important to develop, inside Mississippi and outside. In this economy, it's even more important to establish strategic alliances," he said. "This happens in business all the time. You share resources, this company makes one part and that company makes another part."
Like Figaro, Dean is a matchmaker. As director of orchestral activities at the University of Southern Mississippi—a position he still holds—he brought the Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra and Mississippi Opera together for productions of "La Traviata," "Carmen" and "The Marriage of Figaro." In 2010, Dean again collaborated with Mississippi Opera bringing Renee Fleming to the state to celebrate USM's centennial and the opera company's 65th anniversary.
"Mississippi Opera is the 10th oldest opera company in the United States. It's amazing that Jackson has this," he said.
The joint production travels to Cleveland, Miss., April 12 and then to Memphis, April 16 and 17. One of its stars is mezzo-soprano Lester Senter, a Jackson favorite, says Elizabeth Bynum, executive director of Mississippi Opera.
The opera is sung in Italian with English supertitles so the audience can catch every word. Dean likens "The Barber of Seville" to a Bob Hope musical.
A count is in love with Rosina, who is already involved with another man. The count goes to Figaro asking him to get Rosina away from her lover. Figaro creates a scenario to rearrange this triangle.
Dean envisions making opera accessible to every Mississippian through more collaborations.
Mississippi Opera and Opera Memphis, present "The Barber of Seville" at 7:30 p.m. April 9 in Thalia Mara Hall. Tickets are $25 to $60. For information, call 601-960-2300 or visit http://www.msopera.org.
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