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Symphony
SRS SEASON ENDS WITH RESOUNDING TA-TA-TA-BANG
by Terry McNeill
Sunday, June 1, 2025
Symphony
YOUTHFUL VIRTUOSITY ON DISPLAY AT USO'S MAY CONCERTS
by Peter Lert
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Symphony
MYSTICAL PLANETS AND LIVELY GERSHWIN ORTIZ AT FINAL SRS CONCERT
by Peter Lert
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Symphony
VSO'S CONCERT MUSIC OF TIME, MUSIC OF PLACE
by Peter Lert
Sunday, April 27, 2025
Choral and Vocal
VOCAL ELEGANCE AND FIRE AT THE 222'S RECITAL APRIL 26
by Pamela Hicks Gailey
Saturday, April 26, 2025
CANTIAMO SONOMA SINGS AN INSPIRED GOOD FRIDAY MOZART REQUIEM CONCERT
by Pamela Hicks Gailey
Friday, April 18, 2025
DRAMATIC SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY CLOSES PHILHARMONIC'S 25TH SEASON
by Terry McNeill
Sunday, April 13, 2025
LARGE COLLEGE OF MARIN AUDIENCE GREETS STOPHER ARTISTRY
by Terry McNeill
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Chamber
FRISSON DELIVERS SHIVERS OF DELIGHT
by Abby Wasserman
Sunday, March 30, 2025
OLD AND MOSTLY NEW IN SRS MARCH CONCERT IN WEILL
by Peter Lert
Saturday, March 22, 2025
OPERA REVIEW
Cinnabar Theater / Friday, May 30, 2014
The ensemble showcases the talents of Kelly Britt (Susanna), Miguel Evangelista (Don Basilio and Don Curzio), William Neely (Bartolo), James Pfeiffer (Antonio), Cary Ann Rosko (Cherubino), Christiaan Smith-Kotlarek (Count Almaviva), Bharati Soman (Countess Rosina), Maayan Voss de Bettancourt (Barbarina), Eugene Walden (Figaro), and Krista Wigle (Marcellina).

Eugene Walden and Kelly Britt

HILARIOUS "MARRIAGE OF FIGARO" AT CINNABAR

by Nicki Bell
Friday, May 30, 2014

The Cinnabar Theater mounted a delightful, madcap, rambunctious, completely charming, extremely funny, very classy production of Mozartʼs opera "The Marriage of Figaro" from May 30 to June 15. With the feel of a 1920s Upstairs/Downstairs farce, it was sung in English and easily understood.

Though Beaumarchais' original play had a strong political undercurrent with a vein of cynical and sometimes bitter humor, the transformations into high comedy with Da Ponte's libretto and Mozart's enchanting music leave the politics of the 18th century far behind. The cast, all excellent operatic singers, had the physical humor, the facial expressions, the comedic timing all pitch perfect. A small chamber orchestra of about a dozen musicians did a terrific job.

The music, some of Mozartʼs most memorable, revealed all the machinations, tribulations and outright farce unfolding on the stage. At one point, one of the singers tossed something to the conductor. The sets of the four acts were clever, the actors momentarily becoming stagehands.

A terrific cast included Kelly Britt as Susanna, Eugene Walden as Figaro, Christian Smith-Kotlarek as a perfect Count Almaviva, lovely Bharati Soman as Countess Rosina, and a remarkably funny and expressive Cary Ann Kosko as Cherubino. The rest of the cast all deserve mention, as do the musicians.

A polished production, beautiful singing, hysterically funny, this "Marriage of Figaro" was a winner.