The Marriage of Figaro

Lyric Opera of Kansas City is bringing Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts this November. It's a run of three performances across two weekends, with the first on Saturday, November 7, at 7:30 PM, followed by Friday, November 13, at 7:30 PM, and a matinee on Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 PM. All three take place in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre, at 1601 Broadway Boulevard in the Crossroads.

If you've never seen it, The Marriage of Figaro is one of those operas that most people recognize even if they've never stepped foot in a theater. It's a comedy centered on a single, chaotic wedding day, and it manages to be two things at once: a fast-paced farce and a real look at love, aging, and forgiveness. The story follows the servants Susanna and Figaro as they try to get married while dealing with their employer, Count Almaviva, who has a habit of taking an interest in the women in his household. Between the Count, his wife the Countess, the scheming Marcellina, and a whole cast of other characters, there are plenty of obstacles in their way to the altar. It's the kind of story where the humor comes from the confusion and the misunderstandings, and love wins in the end.

Behind the scenes, the production is conducted by Rory Macdonald and directed by Stephen Lawless. The music is the thing that really carries it—Mozart's score is famous for its beauty and warmth, and it's what turns a complicated plot into something that feels human. The whole run is presented by Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and it's a good size for a first opera if you're not sure where to start: three performances over two weekends, so you can pick the evening or the matinee that works best for you. The first is Saturday, November 7, at 7:30 PM; the second is Friday, November 13, at 7:30 PM; and the third is Sunday, November 15, at 2:00 PM, all at the Muriel Kauffman Theatre in the Crossroads.