You see the Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys/ They ain't gonna fight no wars.
29 October 2023
I went to The Barber of Seville at the LAOpera the other night. A very very nice show, I really enjoyed it. Perhaps it is because I have some familiarity with the music. If you ever watched Bugs Bunny cartoons, you are likely familiar with the Overture and Figaro (Cavtina: Largo al factotum della citta). Both pieces have been sampled in several cartoons. However, the Overture was the basis for the episode Rabbit Of Seville (1950), where Bugs fleeing from a murderous Elmer Fudd stumbles onto a production of the Barber of Seville, shortly before opening.
Rabbit Of Seville (1950) from Stephen Rae on Vimeo.
And the pipes on some of these people my god. I had seen/heard Isabel Leonard before (she played Donna Elvira in a production of Don Giovanni). But man, that voice, I can hear why the Conte would be instantly besotted. And Figaro what a baritone, I completely bought into the idea of a lovable scamp. Maybe one of these days I will have enough money to buy tickets so I can see the expressions on the performers’ faces. But then again, this is for the best, that way I do not consume it as I would a regular play.