The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, R 17 juuni 2016, Alates (2016/2016), Juhatatud Michael Blaxland,, Dirigent Susan Hart

Mozart’s masterpiece based on a highly political play by the French writer Beaumarchais with libretto by the Italian da Ponte stands as one of the greatest of all operas. Figaro’s success when first performed in Vienna in 1786 showed that audiences appreciated the battles between the aristocracy & the servant classes & their triumphs, the characters & their intrigues, and the magic of Mozart’s music. Figaro went on to be performed in Prague, Germany, Italy, Paris, London, New York, St. Petersburg, Rio de Janeiro. It has not been out of the repertoire in the 230 years since its debut at the Imperial Court Theatre in Vienna. Opera Hunter will present a new production by Director Michael Blaxland, Music Director Susan Hart & Conductor Christopher Bearman in June 2016 at Lake Macquarie Performing Arts Centre. Figaro will be performed by Alex Sefton. Baritone Alex Sefton is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts with a Bachelor of Music and has a Diploma in Classical Voice. At Western Australia he performed in many music theatre, opera & oratorio productions. He has toured for two years for Opera Australia throughout NSW performing in hundreds of schools in productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, & Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. He has performed main roles in Carmen, La Boheme, and recently La Traviata for Opera New England. He grew up in Newcastle and acted with many companies: 2 till 5 Theatre, Tantrum Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Company, Maitland Gilbert & Sullivan, and Hunter Youth Drama Ensemble. He studied voice with Annabella Redman. Soprano Ashlee Woodgate will be singing the role of Susanna, shared with soprano Marian Moroney. Ashlee graduated from The University of Newcastle in 2015 with a Bachelor of Music with Distinction. She has an Associate Diploma in singing. In 2016 she is studying for a Master of Music (Opera Performance ) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has performed in Pacific opera’s The Cunning Little Vixen, and played Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi van Tutti at the Newcastle Conservatorium in 2015. Over the past 14 years she has sung in many musicals and performed Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. She has received a number of scholarships & awards, including the Tamara Private Hospital Vocal Scholarship, and the Norman Bushman Scholarship for Vocal Studies.