“He does not deserve forgiveness who does not give it to others.” So translates the quote from Lorenzo da Ponte’s libretto of The Marriage of Figaro, prominently displayed on the set of Washington National Opera’s production.
Having attended the Opera In The Outfield event in 2016 at which this production was broadcast, I was prepared to be bored as I sat down to take in a performance. Revivals of popular productions are a safe option for opera companies, and it comes as no surprise with the change in management and administration at the Kennedy Center that Washington National Opera would consider a safe option as their second production of the 2025-2026 season. However, this opera is not as “safe” a choice, especially at the Kennedy Center as it stands now, as might appear at first glance. For example, I can’t help but think of how the Metropolitan Opera’s Aria Code podcast made a convincing comparison of Count Almaviva to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and President Donald Trump. Beyond that, it was novel in Mozart’s time to encounter an opera that not only focused on servant characters instead of the nobility, but also depicted them as smarter than their employers. So, this is an important work, and doubtless Mozart would be laughing with delight that his opera continues to be produced internationally 239 years after its premiere in Vienna, Austria.
But I digress. Suffice it to say that, even after studying, performing, and watching this opera many times, even having seen this production before, and even with a runtime of over three hours, no, I was not bored for one moment. Right away from when maestro Robert Spano led the orchestra in the overture, I remembered and felt how much I love this opera. Even without staging the overture, although that would take it to the next level, Mozart’s transcendentally perfect music grabs the audience and affects them deeply.
Upon the curtain rising, the audience was treated to Benoit Dugardyn’s set design, a beautiful raked stage complete with black-and-white floor tile, columns, flats with curtains painted on them and hidden doors, and Figaro and Susanna scoping out the room they’ve been given by the Count for their wedding. I got chills looking at these iconic characters, at least some of which must be credited to Myung Hee Cho’s stellar and wonderfully colorful costume design.
Aside from the lovely visual aspect of this production, both Spano and the entire cast deserve credit for their musical work on this masterpiece. Every tempo felt right, neither too slow nor too fast. Figaro has the first aria of the show, and Le Bu built that “Se vuol ballare” perfectly. I don’t know that I’ve heard as good a crescendo as he did toward the end of this aria until now. Fitting, too, that the title character should leave such an impression from the first aria. Perhaps a little more dancing would have taken it to the next level? His Act IV aria “Aprite un po’ quegli occhi” also got laughs from the audience, owing to his nailing of Figaro’s characterization.
Betsy Bishop as Marcellina is always a treat to watch, and her dynamic with Sir Willard White as Bartolo made for a great pairing. Particularly notable was White’s commitment to his physicality as Bartolo, staying consistent with a limp and cane. Likewise, physicality played a role in Bishop’s comedy. The duet “Via resti servita” is already intrinsically hilarious, but who can resist dying of laughter when Susanna has to get a chair for Marcellina as the constant sarcastic bowing and curtsying starts to take a toll on her body? In general, I loved that this production played up the fighting between Susanna and Marcellina, especially during the Act II finale.
A rare find in this production was the casting of a countertenor in the role of Cherubino, a role that would usually go to a female mezzo-soprano. Initially skeptical of this choice, I cannot deny: John Holiday killed it. The singing throughout the role was beautiful, complete with the most ornamentation that anyone in the cast did, but the cherry on top was the fearlessness of some of the choices, whether just Holiday’s or Holiday’s and director Peter Kazaras’. For example, his first aria “Non so più” was the raciest iteration I have yet seen. By the end, there is no question as to what this prepubescent pageboy is talking about when he says he sings about love to himself.
Tenor Rodell Rosel knew exactly how funny he was as Basilio, and milked it for all it was worth. One could feel how much enjoyment the character gets from being slimy and meddling. His trio “Cosa sento” with the Count and Susanna was everything the audience could want, the quintessential moment where he is both enjoying contributing to scandal way too much, and also apologizing to the people it affects.
Another standout aspect of this production was the chorus and how hilarious they were. Each townsperson had their own personality, with one lady being pregnant and somehow managing to convey to the entire audience that we’re supposed to think that the child is actually the Count’s and not her husband’s. Bravo to the chorus and director Kazaras for showing the audience how ensemble work should be done.
After the set change during Figaro’s aria “Non più andrai,” the background of the set lifted to reveal the Countess in her bedroom, to applause. I liked that there was no intermission between Act I and Act II, but the set change going on at the same time as the aria did feel distracting, with focus being pulled in multiple directions away from Figaro, who deserved all the attention at this moment.
Moving into Act II, Rosa Feola’s creamy soprano was just what was wanted and needed in the Countess. She was beautiful in both stage presence and voice, opening strong with a thoughtful and deep “Porgi, amor.” She also showed her comic side later on, almost attacking the Count with a chamber pot while he wielded a mallet to force open her closet door, where Susanna was hiding. Her “Dove sono” in Act III also featured some amazing legato and tone.
Kevin Thompson as Antonio was a wonderful addition to the cast, funny in both face and physicality, with a beautiful booming bass voice to dominate the stage on top of his height. He deservedly got a ton of laughs during the Act II finale as he inadvertently threw a wrench in Susanna and Figaro’s cover-up of Cherubino’s escape.
Will Liverman as Count Almaviva brought quintessential nobility to the role. I loved his lyric baritone singing this, and he carried himself every moment exactly like the count. He was so good that I felt he deserved more staging as well as a faster tempo during his aria. Susanna also had a strange bit of staging during that aria where she ran behind him in the background, distracting from his big moment. That said, he chose excellent variations for the aria, so it was refreshing to hear a new vocal take on it.
Last but certainly not least, Joélle Harvey as Susanna. This role is the longest role in opera, necessitating the actor being onstage for most of it, and requires the most stamina, hence why some argue that this opera should be named after her instead of Figaro. Harvey did an amazing job carrying this leading role. She made the audience laugh with delight from her first duet with Figaro and nailed her comic timing throughout the show, and then gave us some stunning quieter moments, as in her “Sull’aria” duet with the Countess, but especially with the ending of her Act IV aria “Deh vieni non tardar.” One could have heard a pin drop as she took exactly as much time as she needed with her phrasing, holding the audience in the palm of her hand until the end and luxuriating in the tender moment. It was like being brushed gently with a soft feather.
In summary, I am so glad Washington National Opera decided to program this production in their season, and all the music, design, and acting elements combined did the most important thing: At a time in history when it is much needed, this Marriage of Figaro made us laugh.
Maggie Ramsey
The Marriage of Figaro
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Cast and Production Staff:
Countess Almaviva – Rosa Feola, Anneliese Klenetsky; Susanna – Joélle Harvey, Yaritza Véliz, Viviana Goodwin; Cherubino – John Holiday, Veronica Siebert; Count Almaviva – Will Liverman, Thandolwethu Mamba; Figaro – Le Bu, Robert Frazier; Barbarina – Lauren Carroll; Marcellina – Elizabeth Bishop, Michelle Mariposa; Don Basilio – Rodell Rosel, Nicholas Huff; Don Curzio – Hakeem Henderson; Dr. Bartolo – Sir Willard White, Atticus Rego; Antonio – Kevin Thompson, Chandler Benn; Washington National Opera Chorus – Joseph Baker, Marta Kiriloff Barber, Cornelius David, Grace Gori, Sammy Huh, Shaina Kuhn, Brittani McNeill, Colby Mullen, Isabel O’Hagan, Aaron Reeder, James Shaffran, Abigail Wright; Washington National Opera Supernumeraries – Wim De Groof, Bill Donovan, Keith Flores, Jacob Lunsford, Misha Polonsky, Matt Sommers, Philippos Sourvinos, Gary Sullivan, Charles Taylor, Victor Yager
Washington National Opera Orchestra. Conductor – Robert Spano; Director – Peter Kazaras; Set Designer – Benoit Dugardyn; Costume Designer – Myung Hee Cho; Lighting Designer – A.J. Guban; Original Lighting Designer – Mark McCullough; Choreographer – Karma Camp; Intimacy Coordinator – Lorraine Ressegger-Slone; Cover Conductor – Ken Weiss; Chorus Master – Steven Gathman; Assistant Conductors – Michael Baitzer, Deven Shah; Diction Coach – Ken Weiss
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., November 18, 2025
Top image: (L to R) Yaritza Véliz as Susanna, Le Bu as Figaro, Elizabeth Bishop as Marcellina, Sir Willard White as Dr. Bartolo, Kevin Thompson as Antonio, Lauren Carroll as Barbarina, John Holiday as Cherubino
All photos by Scott Suchman