Yes, the world’s best-loved opera, the comical farce or opera buffa “The Marriage of Figaro,” has come to modern-day Mazatlán! Judging by the audience’s laughter, yells of “bravo,” and long applause, the debut of this international version is a complete hit with local audiences. There will be another production Sunday, November 19 at 7 pm, so do not miss it!

“Las Bodas de Figaro” debuted in the Angela Peralta Theater on Friday night, 17 November. Scenic direction is by Ragnar Conde, and musical direction is by Abdiel Vázquez (Mexican residing in New York). The production takes place in a local hotel, and the stars are the hotel owners and staff. The voices and acting rise to the dizzying pace of the very enjoyable opera, and our local musicians from the Camerata Mazatlán demonstrate the incredible value of having such a terrific arts school in our port. Members of the Angela Peralta Chorus also make our city proud. Click on any image to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

This opera in four acts with two intermissions will keep you laughing and surprise you at every turn. You’ll find yourself hating on the Count (Andrés Asencio, Peruvian baritone), fed up with the injustices of social class differences, empathizing with the poor women, and, in the end, cheering their resourcefulness. The performance will have you reeling from lying, scheming, running, pulling, hiding, eavesdropping, infidelity, friendship, forgiveness, love, and joy.

Esteban Baltazar (Mexican bass-baritone), who sings and acts in the role of Figaro, says “This is an opera written in the 1700s, and in 2023 we have the same problems as we did back then! And we will probably continue having them till 3040.” 

Emma Robertson, who plays Susanna, Figaro’s fiancée (US American soprano), tells us, “The adaptation is very true to the original. Placing the opera in a modern-day hotel provides us with the large spaces needed as well as the clear roles and status. The count and countess own the hotel and interact with their staff. These are themes that repeat themselves in every country and across time.”

Performers in this scenically contemporized edition of the opera include:

• Figaro, the hotel manager (traditional role of the count’s personal valet): Esteban Baltazar, Mexican bass-baritone
• Susanna, director of the hotel spa (role of the countess’ maid) and Figaro’s beloved, soprano: Emma Robertson, from Georgia
• Count Almaviva, owner of the hotel (the filanderer who repeatedly tries to bed Susanna): Andrés Asencio, Peruvian baritone
• Countess Rosina Almaviva: Daniela Yurrita, soprano from Guatemala
• Don Curzio: Luis Cornejo, Mexican tenor
• Cherubino (traditionally the court page): Rose Ferreiro,  Mexican mezzosoprano
• Dr. Bartolo, a medical doctor and lawyer: Juan Carlos Villalobos, Mexican tenor
• Marcelina, Doctor Bartolo’s housekeeper: mezzosoprano Rebecca de Almeida from Brasil
• Barbarina: Hannah Hall
• The gardener: Rodolfo Ituarte

The set was masterfully designed and constructed, with movable pillars allowing for the singers to hide and eavesdrop in many different places. It also allowed the audience to feel that the show was taking place in a hotel right here in Mazatlán—the hotel lobby, oceanside pool area, the ballroom, a suite, etc. Pedro Pazarán was in charge of scenery and lighting, while Chava Banuva handled the projection. The downside for me as a photographer is that projected scenery is incredibly difficult to photograph (requiring low speed, while the actors are moving on stage), and the projected light lands on the actors’ skin and clothing, flooding them with shapes and colors. 

“The Marriage of Figaro” was composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. While the opera is based in Seville, a sequel to the “Barber of Seville,” it is sung in Italian. 

Tickets for Sunday cost between $250 to $400 pesos and can be purchased in the Angela Peralta Theater box office, in Cultura’s online box office, or via WhatsApp to 669-120-0020.