To paraphrase A. Pushkin’s opinion of Gioacchino Rossini’s music, champagne shall soon sparkle on the main stage of Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre: on 11, 12 and 13 of April we are welcoming one of the most popular comic operas, G. Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia”, a co-production between the LNOBT and the San Francisco opera. The production is being prepared by an international creative team – director Emilio Sagi, set designer Llorenç Corbella, costume designer Pepa Ojanguren, choreographer and stage director Nuria Castejon, lighting designer Eric Watkins. Conductor Julius Geniušas is the music director of the production, second conductor – Spaniard of Lithuanian descent Alexis Soriano.
LNOBT’s repertoire already contains another elegant and stylish production directed byE. Sagi, W. A. Mozart’s “Le nozze di Figaro”. This time the director is also promising a great celebration to all theatregoers who wish to see some tasteful humour and have a lovely time.
The current version of “Il barbiere di Siviglia” premiered at theSan Franciscoopera in November of 2013. Local press defined the new work as sharp-witted, elegant and charming. The main item of the stage designs is a white villa with “embroideries”, playing beautifully with the rays of the sun or lightning. Costumes are a nice accentuation of the Spanish culture, including ruffled dresses and stylized uniforms for men, while the choreography mirrors gestures that come straight from the flamenco isle.
Conductor Julius Geniušas is participating in an LNOBT production as a music director for the first time. As the main conductor of the Kaunas State Musical Theatre, he is currently conducting LNOBT’s productions of “Die Fledermaus”, “Wiener Blut”, “Die lustige Witwe” and participated as the second conductor during the preparation of O. Narbutaitė’s “Cornet”.
“Il barbiere di Siviglia” shall be performed by two casts of singers, including Pavel Jankovsky, Mindaugas Rojus (Figaro), Tomas Pavilionis, Mindaugas Zimkus, Mindaugas Jankauskas (Count Almaviva), Joana Gedmintaitė, Julija Stupnianek (Rosina), Liudas Mikalauskas, Vladas Bagdonas (Doctor Bartolo), Liudas Norvaišas, Egidijus Dauskurdis ( Don Basilio), Laima Jonutytė, Vilija Mikštaitė (Berta), Tomas Tuskenis, Jonas Sakalauskas (Fiorello), Dmitry Afanasyev and Ignas Misiūra (Sergeant).
“Il barbiere di Siviglia” is one of the most popular operas in the world and was included as No. 9 on the “Operabase” list of the most often produced operas.
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