Helena Binder / Reviews

After the conclusion of the famous Overture to Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Palm Beach Opera chief conductor David Stern invited the orchestra to stand to receive the applause. The musicians deserved it, for their playing was a highlight of the company’s fine production of the comic opera classic, which opened Friday night at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The sets were fairly low budget, but high-quality singing, imaginative stage direction and the orchestra’s performance did justice to Rossini’s opera buffa.

An effective, if temporary antidote to the daily bad news of coronavirus, market crashes and political turmoil is Palm Beach Opera’s rollicking, animated and just plain funny delivery of “The Barber of Seville.” Energetically and inventively staged by Helena Binder at the Kravis Center this weekend, on a backdrop of eye-catching sets designed by Allen Moyer, Gioachino Rossini’s buoyant comic masterpiece is an engaging and uplifting theatrical experience.