Sept. 28, 2022
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
412-281-0912 ext. 217
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Pittsburgh Opera presents Mozart’s beloved The Marriage of Figaro November 5–13
Surprises. Disguises. Romantic Compromises.
Photo by Dana Sohm
Pittsburgh Opera continues its 2022–23 season with Mozart’s beloved The Marriage of Figaro November 5–13 at the Benedum Center.
The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most popular comic operas of all time. Filled with amusing cases of mistaken identity and romantic subterfuge, plus music by a Mozart at the height of his powers, The Marriage of Figaro has stood the test of time for centuries.
Figaro is in love with the Countess’s servant Susanna, who he plans to wed that very day. However, their employer Count Almaviva has his eye on Susanna. In fact, the Count intends to invoke the hated feudal practice of droit de seigneur—the infamous right of the lord to sleep with a commoner’s bride on her wedding night.
Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess are understandably outraged at this possibility, and are determined not only to prevent it, but to teach the Count a lesson.
The Marriage of Figaro is the perfect introduction to opera, and makes a great date night.
Tickets start at just $15. English supertitles are projected above the stage.
In addition, Pittsburgh Opera’s annual Student Matinee will introduce 2,500+ school students grades 3-12 to this lively, colorful opera on Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Benedum Center. Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists take lead roles in the Student Matinee, and are accompanied by the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra. Tickets are $12, and are reserved through Pittsburgh Opera’s Education Department. For more information, please contact Marilyn Egan, Ph.D., Director of Education via email.
PERFORMANCE LOCATION/DATES/TIMES/LENGTH/LANGUAGE
Where: Benedum Center, downtown Pittsburgh
When:
- Saturday, November 5, 2022 * 8:00 PM
- Tuesday, November 8, 2022 * 7:00 PM
- Thursday, November 10, 2022 * 10:15 AM Student Matinee
- Friday, November 11, 2022 * 7:30 PM
- Sunday, November 13, 2022 * 2:00 PM
Run Time: 3 hours and 9 minutes with one intermission
Language: Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage
MEDIA EVENTS
Photo Call (Monday, Oct. 24, 12:30 PM) - location TBA
Full Dress Rehearsal (Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:00 PM) - Benedum Center
TICKETS AND GROUP DISCOUNTS
Tickets for adults start at $15; tickets for kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. For tickets call 412-456-6666, visit the Benedum Box Office, or order online at pittsburghopera.org/tickets or CulturalDistrict.org.
Tickets as part of a subscription package are available at pittsburghopera.org/subscribe.
Group discounts, including student discounts, are available. Email us for details.
FUN FACTS
Fun facts about The Marriage of Figaro
- Thanks to its abundant use in pop culture, virtually everyone knows the music from The Marriage of Figaro. The overture has been used in movies including Trading Places, The King’s Speech, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Zombieland. Tim Robbins’ character famously played the touching duet “Sull 'aria” over the prison loudspeaker in The Shawshank Redemption, despite knowing the malicious warden would put him in solitary confinement for it.
- Although it may seem hard to believe given its enduring popularity, The Marriage of Figaro (the play) was initially banned from being performed by French King Louis XVI, and opera librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had to rework certain elements of the play to get the opera approved by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.
- The Marriage of Figaro was the second of three plays in a trilogy written by Pierre Beaumarchais in the 1700s, all of which have been turned into operas. While it and The Barber of Seville—the first of the three—continue to be operatic mainstays hundreds of years after they were written, the third (The Guilty Mother) is rarely performed.
CAST AND ARTISTIC TEAM
See The Marriage of Figaro's webpage for the full Cast and Artistic Team
SYNOPSIS
See The Marriage of Figaro's webpage for the full synopsis of the opera
SPONSORS
- PNC is the 2022–23 Pittsburgh Opera Season Sponsor.
- WQED-FM is Pittsburgh Opera’s Media Sponsor.
- Ambridge Regional Distribution and Manufacturing Center is the Tuesday performance and ‘Meet the Artists’ post-show event sponsor.
- These performances are sponsored in part by The Gailliot Fund.
- The Marriage of Figaro is sponsored in part by a generous gift from Robert and Christine Pietrandrea.
