Lyric Opera of Kansas City: The Marriage Of Figaro

Lyric Opera of Kansas City: The Marriage Of Figaro at Muriel Kauffman Theatre - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Susanna wants to marry Figaro and help her mistress find happiness again, but Count Almaviva has other plans—and seems to think his title gives him permission to chase someone else's bride. Mozart understood that when class conflict becomes personal, when jealousy collides with ambition and a wedding day turns into a battlefield of disguises and misdirection, the result is mischievous delight rather than tragedy. Servants outwit their employer in The Marriage of Figaro, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City brings the intrigue to the Muriel Kauffman Theatre in Italian with English projected translations, conducted by Rory Macdonald and directed by Stephen Lawless.

The Count meddles because he believes he can. Susanna and the Countess fight back, and their plotting becomes the engine of the entire opera. Watching two women answer male entitlement with cleverness and calm strategy gives the comedy a satisfying edge, especially when the music supports every turn of their plan. Mozart's score lets laughter soften into tenderness without warning, then forgiveness arrives where bitterness could have taken root. The contrast lets you enjoy the clever schemes while still caring whether these people can find happiness.

Lorenzo Da Ponte's libretto supplies the schemes, but Mozart transforms them into moments where humor and longing share the same phrase. The wedding may be threatened, and the detours keep a supposedly happy occasion delightfully complicated. Secure your tickets for Lyric Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Kauffman Center and enjoy Mozart’s mischievous clash of servants, nobles and thwarted desire.