While I do like watching operas, the main language the singers use gets in the way of my full immersion in the story. Yes, the music transcends boundaries, but it also wouldn’t hurt if I understood the lyrics.
I was ecstatic when CCP artistic director Dennis Marasigan shared a few months ago that the next installment of the CCP Out of the Box Series will be back-to-back abridged versions of opera in Filipino.
As he said, “In olden times, the composers wanted their operas to be in the language of their audiences. So, we decided to translate the two operas into Filipino. We want opera to be more accessible to Filipino audiences.”
It was a welcome proposition for me. I’m sure I would have a deeper appreciation for Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the featured operas in CCP’s newest program featuring unconventional programming for adventurous artists and audiences.
After its successful premiere with Isang Gabi ng Sarsuwela, the CCP Out-Of-The-Box Series returns with Figaro! Figaro!! on August 25, 7:30 p.m., and August 26, 3:00 p.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater).
What’s out-of-the-box about the abridged opera production?
Directed by Jaime del Mundo, the back-to-back opera production follows the adventures of Figaro, the main character of the two operas, which is based on The Figaro Trilogy by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais.
The trilogy – Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville), Le Mariage de Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), and La Mère coupable (The Guilty Mother) – revolves around the adventures of a resourceful servant named Figaro, as well as the fascinating recurring characters.
Beaumarchais’s second play, Le Mariage de Figaro, was the inspiration of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Although it was composed 30 years later, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville has always been regarded as a prequel to Mozart’s opera.
Rossini’s four-act opera follows Figaro, a barber, as he assists Count Almaviva to pry away the beautiful Rosina from her lecherous guardian Dr Bartolo and make sure true love wins.
In Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, the journey continues with Figaro being betrothed to Suzanne, the Countess Rosina’s maid, and how Count Almaviva attempts to prevent the couple’s marriage. Amid various attempts, suspicions, and intrigues, will the couple finally find their happy ending?
The abridged stories come alive in CCP Out of The Box Series: Figaro! Figaro!! with performances by Filipino talents Bianca Camille Aguila, Roxy Aldiosa, Diego Aranda, Angeli Benipayo, Ruzzel Clemeno, Nerissa de Juan, Roby Malubay, Nomher Nival, Noel Rayos, Jonathan Tadioan, and Floyd Tena.
Farley Asuncion takes charge of the music direction, with Ohm David for set design, Raqs Regalado for costume, TJ Ramos for sound, and Marasigan for lighting.
The CCP Out-Of-The-Box Series has been conceptualized to present performances that audiences normally wouldn’t see in conventional programming. Paired with the ongoing rehabilitation of the CCP Main Building, the premier arts and culture institution of the country strives to continue fostering artistic excellence and cultural representation across multiple venues.
Tickets can be purchased for P1500 via TicketWorld. For the latest updates, follow the CCP official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok, and visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) for other inquiries.