Pittsburgh Opera presents The Marriage of Figaro

Sept. 28, 2022
Chris Cox, Director of Marketing and Communications
412-281-0912 ext. 217
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Pittsburgh Opera presents Mozart’s beloved The Marriage of Figaro November 5–13

Surprises. Disguises. Romantic Compromises.

Photo of The Marriage of Figaro opera performance, taken by Dana Sohm

Photo by Dana Sohm

Pittsburgh Opera continues its 2022–23 season with Mozart’s beloved The Marriage of Figaro November 5–13 at the Benedum Center.

The Marriage of Figaro is one of the most popular comic operas of all time. Filled with amusing cases of mistaken identity and romantic subterfuge, plus music by a Mozart at the height of his powers, The Marriage of Figaro has stood the test of time for centuries.

Figaro is in love with the Countess’s servant Susanna, who he plans to wed that very day. However, their employer Count Almaviva has his eye on Susanna. In fact, the Count intends to invoke the hated feudal practice of droit de seigneur—the infamous right of the lord to sleep with a commoner’s bride on her wedding night. 

Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess are understandably outraged at this possibility, and are determined not only to prevent it, but to teach the Count a lesson.

The Marriage of Figaro is the perfect introduction to opera, and makes a great date night.

Tickets start at just $15. English supertitles are projected above the stage.

In addition, Pittsburgh Opera’s annual Student Matinee will introduce 2,500+ school students grades 3-12 to this lively, colorful opera on Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Benedum Center. Pittsburgh Opera’s Resident Artists take lead roles in the Student Matinee, and are accompanied by the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra. Tickets are $12, and are reserved through Pittsburgh Opera’s Education Department. For more information, please contact Marilyn Egan, Ph.D., Director of Education via email.

Performance location/dates/times/length/language

Where: Benedum Center, downtown Pittsburgh

When:

  • Saturday, November 5, 2022 * 8:00 PM
  • Tuesday, November 8, 2022  * 7:00 PM
  • Thursday, November 10, 2022 * 10:15 AM Student Matinee
  • Friday, November 11, 2022   * 7:30 PM
  • Sunday, November 13, 2022  * 2:00 PM

Run Time: 3 hours and 9 minutes with one intermission

Language: Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage

Media Events

Photo Call (Monday, Oct. 24, 12:30 PM) – location TBA

Full Dress Rehearsal (Thursday, Nov. 3, 7:00 PM) –  Benedum Center

Tickets and Group Discounts

Tickets for adults start at $15; tickets for kids and teens ages 6-18 are half-price. For tickets call 412-456-6666, visit the Benedum Box Office, or order online at pittsburghopera.org/tickets or CulturalDistrict.org.

Tickets as part of a subscription package are available at pittsburghopera.org/subscribe.

Group discounts, including student discounts, are available. Email us for details.

Fun Facts

Fun facts about The Marriage of Figaro

  1. Thanks to its abundant use in pop culture, virtually everyone knows the music from The Marriage of Figaro. The overture has been used in movies including Trading Places, The King’s Speech, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Zombieland. Tim Robbins’ character famously played the touching duet “Sull 'aria” over the prison loudspeaker in The Shawshank Redemption, despite knowing the malicious warden would put him in solitary confinement for it.     
  2. Although it may seem hard to believe given its enduring popularity, The Marriage of Figaro (the play) was initially banned from being performed by French King Louis XVI, and opera librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte had to rework certain elements of the play to get the opera approved by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.
  3. The Marriage of Figaro was the second of three plays in a trilogy written by Pierre Beaumarchais in the 1700s, all of which have been turned into operas. While it and The Barber of Seville—the first of the three—continue to be operatic mainstays hundreds of years after they were written, the third (The Guilty Mother) is rarely performed.   
Cast and Artistic Team

See The Marriage of Figaro's webpage for the full Cast and Artistic Team

Synopsis

See The Marriage of Figaro's webpage for the full synopsis of the opera

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