The Metropolitan Opera: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 2025 - ★★★½

If you live in the NYC area, you really have no excuse not to be in the building for these matinees. The cost of a family circle seat has got to be close to what you're paying in the cinema. The opera live is far more intense than broadway or the movie theater. It's the OG.

Ok with that out of the way -- I liked but did not LOVE "The Barber of Seville". I am clearly spoiled - but having seen this season's productions of "Marriage of Figaro", "Fidelio" and "Salome" - this was just not in the same league.

Now this could also be that I just prefer Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss to Rossini. I definitely preferred the music and the production of Marriage of Figaro (Beaumarchais's actual sequel to the original libretto) to this opera.

This was funny, but not the gut busting, side-splitting, Marx brothers mania of Mozart. But again -- unfair comparison!

Still, this production has its high points. Zhilikovsky's Figaro is wonderful! Peter Kalman's Dr. Bartolo is perfectly repulsive. And Don Basilo could've stepped off the screen of a 1970s Cosa Nostra thriller set in Milan. Loved them!

Major high points however for keeping my 10 year old son interested - if not riveted - and humming the score on the way home.

OPERA LIVES!!!!