Metropolitan Opera ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’ will air in Whitefish

Gioachino Rossini’s effervescent opera, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville),” will be live streamed May 31 at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. It is the final opera of the 2024-25 The Met: Live in HD season. 

Sung in Italian with subtitles, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” tells the story of deception, disguise, and two young lovers on a quest to be together. In Act I, Count Almaviva, disguised as student ‘Lindoro’, arrives to serenade a young girl with whom he has become smitten. He runs into his former servant Figaro, the town barber and busybody, who identifies the girl as Rosina, the ward of Dr. Bartolo who has plans to marry her himself. Figaro offers to help Almaviva court Rosina. He suggests that Almaviva disguise himself as a drunken soldier and demand lodging with Bartolo. 

At Bartolo’s house, Rosina reflects on her love for Lindoro and her plans for outwitting Bartolo in order to marry her young suitor. Figaro comes to see her, but they are interrupted by Bartolo and Don Basilio, Rosina’s music teacher, who warns Bartolo of Almaviva’s interest in Rosina. Feeling threatened, Bartolo decides to have a marriage contract immediately drawn up between himself and Rosina. Figaro, who has overheard them, tells Rosina that Lindoro is his cousin and adds that the young man is deeply in love with her. Rosina is delighted and gives him a note to deliver to the supposed Lindoro. Almaviva arrives in his soldier's disguise, only to discover that Bartolo is exempt from housing the military. Almaviva slips Rosina a note, which Bartolo sees, but Rosina smartly substitutes the laundry list. The noise from the ensuing confusion attracts the police, and Almaviva avoids arrest only by secretly revealing his identity to an officer. Everyone — except Figaro — is flabbergasted by the events. 

In Act II, Almaviva turns up at Bartolo’s house again, this time disguised as Don Alonso, a substitute music teacher for the purportedly ailing Basilio. Bartolo is suspicious, but Alonso gives Bartolo the letter from Rosina to Lindoro and offers to aid in Bartolo’s plot. Assured, Bartolo lets him enter to give Rosina her music lesson. As Bartolo snoozes, Rosina and her Lindoro (the double-disguised Count) proclaim their love. Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo as Almaviva whispers the escape plan to Rosina, saying he and Figaro will come for her at midnight. Bartolo, now awake, overhears the lovers and accuses them all of scheming, prompting Almaviva and Figaro to escape. Basilio arrives and Bartolo soon discovers that Alonso was an imposter. Bartolo realizes the urgency of marrying Rosina, and Basilio hurries off in search of a notary. Meanwhile, Bartolo attempts to make Rosina doubt her lover by showing her the letter that she wrote to Lindoro, convincing her that Almaviva intended to seduce and betray her. Rosina, crestfallen, agrees to marry Bartolo. 

Figaro and Almaviva appear at midnight, ready to escape with Rosina. She is at first furious, but her anger turns to delight when she finds out that Almaviva and Lindoro are one and the same. The lovers wax romantic while Figaro presses them to escape. Their escape is thwarted, however, by Basilio who enters with the notary. Ceding to bribery and threats, Basilio is persuaded to act as a witness as the notary marries Almaviva and Rosina. Bartolo arrives too late, and with no choice remaining, he blesses the marriage, and all express joy at the happy ending. 

Tickets are sold at the door which opens at 10:30 a.m. and the opera starts at 11 a.m. Approximate run time is 3 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, paid by cash or check only. 

The Whitefish Performing Arts Center is located at 127 Spokane Ave., Whitefish.  

The Met: Live in HD operas are presented by Whitefish Theatre Company in collaboration with the Whitefish Performing Arts Center.