Treble chance to revel in the Figaro magic
WELSH National Opera’s spring season, Figaro Forever, will follow the fortunes of one of opera’s most famous and much-loved characters. Figaro Forever will celebrate the story of Figaro, a comic, wily character with a lust for life and a desire for matchmaking and mischief.
Welsh National Opera bring to Venue Cymru two new productions: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, plus a brand new opera, Figaro Gets a Divorce, all sung in English.
Figaro Gets a Divorce, by composer Elena Langer with a libretto by WNO artistic director David Pountney, is an affectionate sequel; bringing together the final chapter of the Figaro story.
The Figaro story begins on March 8 (repeated on March 11) at 7.15pm, with Rossini’s comic opera, The Barber of Seville.
Mozart’s ever popular The Marriage of Figaro, on March 9 and March 12 at 7pm, continues the story.
Figaro Gets a Divorce comes to Llandudno on March 10 at 7.15pm, completing the Figaro Forever trilogy.
In the world of the theatre superstitions abound, and Naomi O’Connell, playing Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Serafin in Figaro Gets A Divorce, has asked the Figaro team which theatre habits and superstitions they hold dear.
The phrase “break a leg” is known to most people, as is the rule never to utter the title of Shakespeare’s great Scottish play, Macbeth, in a theatre.
But how were these superstitions formed?
Naomi said: “Backstage on opening night at the opera, amid the buzz of sets being checked and costumes being fastened, you will hear the phrase “Toi, toi, toi” left hanging in the air by the cast and crew as they pass each other in the hallways.
“Pronounced toy-toy-toy, this phrase means “good luck” in the world of opera.
“It comes from an old custom of spitting three times over the shoulder of someone you wished to protect in order to banish the devil.
“The word toi may also be a shortening of the German word Teufel, which translates to devil.”
Naomi’s favourite story is about where the phrase “break a leg” comes from.
“There are a few theories and one is that during Vaudeville days, theatres would overbook their variety shows and only performers who made it onstage past the legs of the stage curtain would be paid, so you would wish your colleagues to “break a leg” in order for them to get paid.
“As to the curse of the Scottish play, stories ricochet back and forth from people being acci- dentally stabbed onstage, to theatres catching fire or going out of business.
“At any rate, if you break the rule and do speak the title of the play out loud, you must leave the theatre, turn around three times, spit over your shoulder and recite a line from one of Shakespeare’s other plays to break the spell.”
What about the Figaro team? Are they a superstitious bunch?
“After asking around, I can share with you that, as a rule, the folks at WNO do not consider themselves very superstitious; when asked, most people said they didn’t believe in the bad luck that can be wrought by using certain words or performing certain actions.
“However, most people respect the superstitions without necessarily believing in them.” Naomi added.
Details at venuecymru.co.uk or the Box Office on 01492 872000.