Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! Knoxville Opera Presents ‘Il Barbiere di Siviglia’

Knoxville Opera presents two performances of Gioachino Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia this weekend — Friday night and Sunday afternoon — at the Tennessee Theatre. I attended the dress rehearsal Wednesday evening and can confirm: mischief is alive and well in Seville.

This is the opera equivalent of a screwball rom-com: randy suitors, fake identities, dramatic thunderstorms, and one barber who absolutely will not mind his own business.

We open in Seville, where Count Almaviva (Andrew Morstein) is outside serenading Rosina (Sarah Coit), who is essentially under house arrest courtesy of her micromanaging guardian Dr. Bartolo (Steven Condy). 

The Count is in disguise, posing as a poor student named Lindoro.

Enter Figaro (Eleomar Cuello), barber, fixer, chaos agent, and the busiest man in town. He knows everyone’s secrets. He has a cheerleader bow and a plan for everything. 

His entrance aria — yes, that one — is the iconic “Largo al factotum,” better known to civilians as “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” It’s fast. It’s athletic. Cuello handled it with swagger and stamina, setting the tone for the evening: we are here to have fun.

From there, disguises multiply and shenanigans escalate. The Count shows up as a drunken soldier. Then as a substitute music teacher. Basilio (Edwin Jhamaal Davis) proposes a smear campaign. Bartolo spirals. Rosina keeps outmaneuvering everyone. There is bribery. There is deception. There is shaving.

At its core, though, it’s simple: young lovers versus an old man in a powdered wig and pajamas who believes power entitles him to a woman’s future. Spoiler alert, my guy: she is NOT your property.

Rossini’s music is famously rapid-fire, crescendos that pile up with almost impish delight. Under Joseph Mechavich’s direction, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra stayed agile and bright. The pacing feels engineered for chaos, delivered with surgical precision.

Sarah Coit’s Rosina balanced sweetness with steel, vocally agile and fully aware she’s steering more of this plot than the men realize. A quick crinkle of her nose signals she’s already three steps ahead.

Morstein’s Almaviva navigated the disguises with easy charm, while Condy leaned into Bartolo’s flustered indignation, which is frankly a delight to watch.

And Tori Franklin’s Berta, the household staffer observing this circus, offered a brief but pointed reminder that sometimes the sanest person in the room is the one dusting the furniture.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia is sung in Italian with projected English translations, which means you can enjoy the music and still keep up with every twist of the plot. If you’re opera-curious but commitment-shy, this is a friendly entry point. It’s funny. It’s long but fast. Nobody even dies! Enjoy. 

Il Barbiere di Siviglia
7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20
2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22
Tennessee Theatre
$30–$135 (with special Penny4Arts tickets available for students)

There’s a free pre-show talk across the street at the East Tennessee History Center one hour before each performance, lasting 40 minutes, if you want to deepen the experience, or just feel extremely cultured before intermission wine.

First Act takes place from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Maple Room at Maple Hall (414 S Gay St.) and is designed as a welcoming on-ramp for young professionals. The pre-show social ($60) includes light appetizers, one complimentary drink ticket, a cash bar, and a 15–20 minute informal “Opera Crash Course.” Guests then walk together to the Tennessee Theatre for the performance.

Limited tickets ($45) are also still available for the Pre-Opera Brunch on Sunday, Feb. 22, at noon at KoPita Authentic Mediterranean (507 S Gay St.). Hosted by the Knoxville Opera Camerata, Chef Avi Zenatti will open the restaurant exclusively for KO patrons and prepare a family-style Mediterranean feast. 

Learn more about the Knoxville Opera and its “Masters of Mischief” season at the website here.