Florentine Delivers Flat, Forced "Barber"
by Siegfried on 5/22/23Uihlein Hall Marcus Center - MilwaukeeThe Florentine Opera's latest "Barber of Seville" featured a cast of up-and-comers, bit players and small timers. Some of them could sing well. Others were obviously straining, usually at the high end. While much of the singing was well handled, depth of characterization and ,in some cases, simple acting were rare commodities. As a result, the usually amusing opera was flat and dull. The stage direction ranged from unimaginative to frenzied. Much of the singing was done in the "park and bark" style. The pace of the opera was on the fast side. The orchestra did its best with some players in the brass struggling to stay in key. The overall result was unimpressive.