On Site Opera will present lesser-known operatic adaptations of French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais’ (1732-1799) famed trilogy of Figaro plays: The Barber of Seville (1775), The Marriage of Figaro (1784) and The Guilty Mother (1792). The Figaro Project will reacquaint audiences with their favorite Beaumarchais’ characters in unexpected and new ways in non-traditional venues across New York City.
Inaugurating The Figaro Project will be a new production of Giovanni Paisiello’s The Barber of Seville (1782). With a libretto by Giuseppe Petrosellini, Paisiello’s Barber stays true to its Beaumarchais roots, focusing more faithfully on the love story between the Count and Rosina and less on the Barber’s antics. After its premiere, the opera quickly became a staple of the repertoire and inspired a young Rossini to write his own version. On Site Opera brings the love story to the opulent Fabbri Mansion (House of the Redeemer) on New York City’s Upper East Side. The production will be updated to the early decades of the twentieth century (when the Fabbri Mansion was built) and be staged in the mansion’s outdoor courtyard and charming library.
Fabbri Mansion (House of the Redeemer) is located at 7 East 95th Street | between Madison & 5th Avenue. Running time is approximately 90 minute. Sung in Italian with projected English translations.