“The Marriage of Figaro” takes BroadStage

Esteban Rivas (FL), in the role of Figaro, Megan Cook (L), in the role of Susanna, Dominic Lim (R), in the role of the Count Almaviva and George Froehlig (FR), in the role of Basilio the music teacher perform during Act 2 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The count postpones the wedding in order to investigate the charge and the demand that Figaro honors his contract to marry Marcellina, since he cannot repay her loan. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

George Froehlig (L), in the role of Basilio the music teacher, and Megan Cook (R), in the role of Susanna, the countess’s maid are surprised of the appearance and reaction of the Count (not pictured) during Act 1 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Rosamaria Garcia (L), in the role of the Countess Rosina Almaviva, and Maya Derbise (R), in the role of Cherubino, the Counts’ page perform during Act 2 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Cherubino kisses the Countess’ hand being grateful that she noticed that the count forgot to seal Cherubino's military commission with his signet ring to make it an official document. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Singer Esteban Riva as Figaro, with Maya Derbise as Cherubino in the wings, rehearses The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at BroadStage in Santa Monica, Calif. The Santa Monica College (SMC) Opera Theatre and SMC Symphony Orchestra's production of the famous 239-year-old comedic opera is directed by Janelle DeStefano and conducted by Mercedes Juan Musotto, with musical coach Sky Lee and costume designer Marianne Parker. The two singing casts and SMC orchestra are made up of students, alumni, and community members, as well as musician faculty. (Photo by Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Singer Dominic Lim as Count Almaviva rehearses The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at BroadStage in Santa Monica, Calif. The Santa Monica College (SMC) Opera Theatre and SMC Symphony Orchestra's production of the famous 239-year-old comedic opera is directed by Janelle DeStefano and conducted by Mercedes Juan Musotto, with musical coach Sky Lee and costume designer Marianne Parker. The two singing casts and SMC orchestra are made up of students, alumni, and community members, as well as musician faculty. (Photo by Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Megan Cook (front), in the role of Susanna and Esteban Rivas (back), in the role of Figaro, lay next to each other visioning their living space after marriage during Act 1 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Dominic Lim (L), in the role of the Count Almaviva and Rosamaria Garcia (R), in the role of the Countess Rosina Almaviva perform during Act 2 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Furious and suspicious the count is holding a tool to force the closet door open. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Rosamaria Garcia (FL), in the role of the Countess Rosina Almaviva, Megan Cook (L), in the role of Susanna, Esteban Rivas (C), in the role of Figaro, Thomas Ahern (R), in the role of Antonio, and Dominic Lim (FR), in the role of the Count Almaviva perform during Act 2 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Figaro, Susanna, and the countess attempt to discredit Antonio as a chronic drunkard whose constant inebriation makes him unreliable and prone to fantasy, but Antonio brings forward a paper, which, he says, was dropped by the escaping man. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Singer Maya Derbise as Cherubino rehearses The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at BroadStage in Santa Monica, Calif. The Santa Monica College (SMC) Opera Theatre and SMC Symphony Orchestra's production of the famous 239-year-old comedic opera is directed by Janelle DeStefano and conducted by Mercedes Juan Musotto, with musical coach Sky Lee and costume designer Marianne Parker. The two singing casts and SMC orchestra are made up of students, alumni, and community members, as well as musician faculty. (Photo by Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Megan Cook (L), in the role of Susanna besides Esteban Rivas (C), in the role of Figaro, and Dominic Lim (R), in the role of the Count Almaviva perform during Act 2 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. The count orders Figaro to prove that he was the jumper by identifying the dropped paper by the escaping man. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Robert Murillo (R), in the role of Judge Don Curzio, stands beside Dominic Lim (L), in the role of the Count Almaviva who mulls over a confusing situation during Act 3 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro cast, Opera Theatre students of Santa Monica College, celebrate a double marriage of Susanna and Figaro and his parents, Bartolo and Marcellina during the fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Kaylee Watts, in the role of Barbarina, Gardener Antonio’s daughter wanders through the forest while opening Act 4 of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Mozart’s Vocal Scores for The Marriage of Figaro is placed close to the pit at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra of Santa Monica College present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Mercedes Juan Musotto, Music Director of Santa Monica College (SMC) Symphony Orchestra and conductor of The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, prepares for the overture at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

A musician of the Santa Monica College (SMC) Symphony Orchestra is taking notes during the dress rehearsal of The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. SMC Opera Theater and the Symphony Orchestra present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra of the Santa Monica College present a fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

A corsage of a peasant gets tied backstage in preparation the fully staged production of Mozart’s comedy, The Marriage of Figaro, presented by Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Opera Theater and Symphony Orchestra at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, May 22, 2025. (Silke Eichholz | The Corsair)

As the spring semester comes to an end, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra held their last concert on May 25. They ended with a performance of “The Marriage of Figaro” composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte in 1786. 

Broken into four acts, the story of “The Marriage of Figaro” follows servants, Figaro and Susanna as they prepare for the wedding, as a series of events and deceptions take place. Count Almaviva, who has an eye on Susanna and tries to tempt her, all while the Countess tries to catch him in the act.

The opera is directed by Janelle DeStefano, director of the SMC Opera Theatre, and music conducted by SMC’s Symphony Orchestra’s music director Mercedes Juan Musotto. They created a collaboration between both departments this spring to create “The Marriage of Figaro.” “We usually do a production every spring, so I’m leading the singers and leading (the) orchestra, so I'm kind of in between making sure the preparations throughout the semester,” said Musotto.

The performance had been in the works since the beginning of the year, as well as being a self-funded show, by the funds of ticket sales from previous shows. “We have been working on this since January so it’s been a lot of months and time of preparation, but it's always fun to get here, to get to the performance and see all the singers and orchestra have fun, how everyone is getting so much experience and opportunities,” Musotto said. 

The duration of the performance was three hours, with an intermission halfway through. With alternating sets, costume changes and music to compliment the opera singers voices it brings Mozart's art to life. 

“It’s a full production with orchestra, you will see the singers, with costumes, lights, props, everything, on stage, and the orchestra in the pit below the stage. So you don’t see the orchestra, you just hear them,” said Musotto. Alongside translated subtitles, as the opera is fully sung in Italian. 

“The Marriage of Figaro” centers itself on the vocal range and acting aspects. “We have to pick repertoire that we can achieve, and repertoire that is going to be vocally healthy for our students,” said Musotto. 

With laughter throughout the theatre, “The Marriage of Figaro” portrays high energy with the acting and music. Something new continues to flow throughout the show either by the schemes of the acting and the heightened sound of the orchestra.

“You never know what is going to be the trigger, some people are triggered by the music, some people are moved by the acting, or the beauty of the costumes, or some people are able to appreciate how everything comes together,” said Musotto.