Anthony Roth Costanzo is a force of nature. He might be the biggest name in opera right now, surely the most famous countertenor. The Little Island amphitheater is a perfect venue for him to experiment a little. It was my first time seeing a performance there, and I like that there is a cool outdoor space for avant garde work. Costanzo sings all the parts in this abridged Figaro; his tenor as powerful as his soprano. That doesn't mean he's the only person on stage. There are a handful of actors who mime and lip-sync but you can always see Costanzo somewhere on stage belting out the lyrics. Sometimes he's standing or sitting or lying or hiding--it's really impressive in every respect. And it is downright hilarious. Aside from it being a comedic, albeit confusing, opera, there is abundant physical comedy. I found myself, along with the rest of the crowd, actually laughing out loud...at the opera! There is a small 9-piece orchestra, with an interesting orchestration featuring instruments like guitar and saxophone that surely didn't exist in Mozart's time. There's even a circus element to the show. One of the actors is a circus guy, jumping up and down on a trampoline. There is a comedic interlude, allowing Costanzo a short break while the actors give us a ridiculous synopsis and recite the original French source material for the libretto. This show truly has everything.
