Having experienced Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Wolf Trap amphitheater two years ago, I was prepared to enjoy an operatic evening in the outdoors in going to see The Marriage of Figaro. But this season, instead of opera on the lawn, Wolf Trap Opera has moved its productions to The Barns, an indoor venue just down the road. Apart from being able to enjoy the air conditioning, from the first notes of the overture I knew this was the right venue. Mozart himself, of course, would not have had amplification to fill an amphitheater at Figaro’s premiere in Vienna, and The Barns are not only well-suited to opera acoustically, but also dramatically. Director E. Loren Meeker immediately drew me into the world of the opera with Count Almaviva (Charles H. Eaton) as Pablo Picasso coming down the aisle in the audience to start piecing together his “artwork,” the rest of the cast, all wearing abstract prints and the ladies starting the show with asymmetric face paint and makeup. Laura Fine Hawkes’ scenic design likewise fit the space perfectly as an art studio, complete with Picassoesque paintings and scluptures, that later transitions into the Countess’s bedroom and, in the final act, gardens bedecked with the most gorgeous purple, green, and orange colors.
Conceptually, I was at first skeptical of the “Picasso” idea for this opera, given the fact that the plot revolves around the abolition of prima notte (or, droit du seigneur) and thus is not the same period as Picasso’s lifetime. However, the design grew on me as the opera progressed, and Meeker’s stage direction combined with Emily Senturia’s music direction paced everything in such a way that I can say with confidence that three hours have never passed so quickly. This production was a model of what Figaro should be: funny, fast-paced, and ultimately endearing. Adding to this was Loren Shaw’s costume design and Anne Nesmith’s hair and makeup design. Everything and everyone looked so good, it was impossible to look away.
One particular thing I noted about the musical direction was the separation of the continuo from the orchestra pit. Julian Garvue on the continuo was placed in front of the stage audience left, whereas the orchestra pit was in the middle of the stage. Magic ensued as orchestra, continuo, and cast successfully melded for a seamless musical experience, staying together the entire time, maybe only once needing to check in and catch each other. Especially impressive was the transition between the first and second act. During Figaro’s aria “Non più andrai,” cast members began moving the set, without distracting from Christian Simmons’s amazing performance, so that by the time the introduction for the Countess (Brittany Olivia Logan)’s “Porgi, amor” began, the set was in place without a curtain needing to be dropped; a truly seamless transition. Less smooth was the transition between the third and fourth acts, but I liked that the cast completed that set change as well, as it kept me engaged in the world of the opera instead of being taken out of it by stage crew walking onstage during the music.
As mentioned earlier, in this staging each cast member made their entrance during the overture. I always love a staged overture, and this was no exception, because it showed the relationships between the characters just by spatial relationship and physicality. Nonetheless, the singing to come allowed the cast the perfect medium to fully tell their story.
In the first scene, “Cinque, dieci, trenta,” Christian Simmons and Arianna Rodriguez establish Figaro and Susanna as an appropriately playful couple that we as the audience want to root for. Vocally, in the first few minutes of the opera that is just this couple, I noticed that the cast chose to add ornaments and embellishments, just as I was hoping they would do. This cast were not only beautiful singers, but also smart musicians. Technically, I was particularly impressed with Rodriguez’s chest register, a nice treat to enjoy amid Susanna’s consistently high – as well as graceful and beautiful – tessitura.
Christian Simmons’s bass-baritone was easy and inviting, vocally endearing the audience to the character while showing technical proficiency in both low and high registers. I loved his sass during “Se vuol ballare,” and he executed the rapidfire patter Italian during “Aprite un po’ quegli occhi” expertly.
Bass Timothy Anderson likewise delivered a highly satisfying “La vendetta,” the first instance in this opera of the aforementioned rapidfire patter Italian. He shone in this role as Marcellina (Elissa Pfaender)’s lawyer, later to be revealed as her former lover, then turned husband in the third act. Acting-wise, I liked their pairing. Pfaender played Marcellina to a tee, at first serving as an obstacle to Figaro and Susanna, but then softening as it was revealed that Figaro is her long-lost son. Vocally, her voice filled the hall with indulgent mezzo-soprano color. The only elements I would have loved to be different were her Italian vowels, as they sounded swallowed compared to the rest of the cast. However, her characterization was right on, and I am looking forward to her turn as Carmen in Wolf Trap’s production later this summer, as I got the impression her voice is better-suited to French repertoire.
Sophia Maekawa as Cherubino was both lovely and an adorable pairing with Catherine Creed’s Barbarina. I wanted more ornaments during “Voi che sapete,” but she still did a great job singing the role with lovely lyric lines and indulged in the comedy of the role in moments such as the scene where the character starts undressing to don a disguise while mooning after the Countess, where costume designer Loren Shaw provided hilarious boxers underneath a military uniform.
Adding to the comedy were Adam Catangui as Don Curzio and Robert Frazier as Antonio. Catangui’s comic tenor helped round out the trio “Cosa sento” in the first act, and Frazier earned laughs both in the finale of the second act and beyond.
Charles H. Eaton as the Count played an interesting turn in that, throughout the opera, I got the impression that he still was attracted to his Countess (Brittany Olivia Logan). Credit to intimacy choreographer Casey Kaleba for helping create a romantic dynamic between them. This was a couple I wanted to end up together instead of hating the Count and wanting Rosina to find better. While not in line with what ends up happening in Beaumarchais’s original play trilogy (The Guilty Mother features the Countess bearing Cherubino’s child), as a dynamic for a stand-alone production, for me it worked. In terms of his singing, Eaton provided a solid baritone. The only change I would have made – a question of coordination between conductor and singer – would be to have a bigger pause before “Hai già vinta la causa” to maximize the dramatic beat based on the impact on the Count of his plot being foiled.
Last and certainly not least, Brittany Olivia Logan as the Countess. She possesses a full lyric soprano instrument, and I appreciated how she did not shy away from using all of it. In particular, her “Dove sono” showed off her chest register and vocal stamina. The only thing that would have enhanced this performance was dynamic contrast. Otherwise, her regal bearing and beauty combined with her voice were perfect for the role.
In summary, this production was a well-directed, sung, and acted Figaro with staging informed by Mozart’s transcendentally perfect music and a design that, perhaps because it was non-traditional, enhanced the experience by surprising me pleasantly. I have no doubt great things are in store with the company’s Dialogues of the Carmelites and Carmen later this summer.
Maggie Ramsey
The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), K. 492
Commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte.
Cast and production staff:
Figaro – Christian Simmons; Susanna – Arianna Rodriguez; Bartolo – Sam Dhobhany; Marcellina – Elissa Pfaender; Cherubino – Sophia Maekawa; Count Almaviva – Charles H. Eaton; Basilio – Timothy Anderson; Countess Almaviva – Brittany Olivia Logan; Antonio – Robert Frazier; Barbarina – Catherine Creed; Don Curzio – Adam Catangui; Chorus – WTO Studio Artists
Conductor – Emily Senturia; Director – E. Loren Meeker; Scenic Design – Laura Fine Hawkes; Costume Design – Loren Shaw; Lighting Design – Colin K. Bills; Hair & Makeup Design – Anne Nesmith; Scenic Design Assistant – Chris Hawkes; Costume Design Assistant: Isabella Fields; Lighting Design Assistant – Yannick Godts; Wig & Makeup Design Assistant: Melissa Sibert; Principal Coach/Chorus Master – Kiril Kuzmin; Italian Diction – Domenico Boyagian; Coach/Continuo/Assistant Chorus Master – Julian Garvue; Chorus Pianist/Supertitles – Pei Hsuan Lin; Assistant Director – Claire Choquette; Intimacy Choreographer – Casey Kaleba; Production Stage Manager – Rachel Henneberry; Assistant Stage Manager – Zoe Steenwyk
The Barns at Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA, June 24, 2025
Top image: Christian Simmons and the Wolf Trap Opera Studio.
All photos by Rich Kessler, courtesy of Wolf Trap