Central City Opera Review
By Aaron Storms
After the traditional Yellow Rose Ball kicked off the opening of the Central City Opera season on Saturday afternoon, the historic Opera House in Central City was packed that evening with well-dressed ladies and gentlemen, and of course the numerous debutantes and their escorts. Everyone was there for Rossini’s lively comic opera, The Barber of Seville. This was a story about a 17th century handsome young Count who saw a fair maiden while traveling, was smitten with her beauty, and tracked her down to the city of Seville, Spain. Once there, he tried serenading her from the street below her window, but to no avail. Desperate, he engaged the services of the self-proclaimed matchmaking barber, Figaro, who was more than happy to assist for a price. Aware of the girl Rosina and her status as the ward of an old doctor who wanted to marry her for her dowry, Figaro concocts a plan to have the Count disguise himself as a poor soldier so that he can approach the girl and profess his love without the doctor suspecting he really is a competing suitor. Rosina sees herself as a trapped bird in a golden cage and doomed to marry the doctor, so embraces the opportunity for romance with the young soldier. The series of events following the soldiers’ romantic endeavors and meeting the resistance and suspicion of the doctor and accomplices left the audience and performers laughing frequently, and clapping at scene ends for the excellent acting and wonderful voices and music.
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