Pittsburgh’s arts scene is incredible. In fact, it’s a huge reason I was drawn to Pittsburgh in the first place. However, I’ve found it hard to fully embrace what Pittsburgh has to offer, mainly because of the chaos that is the Pittsburgh public transit system. As someone who has never lived in a major city before coming to Pittsburgh, it definitely affects how often I leave South Oakland. Pitt Arts takes the confusion (and cost) out of exploring the arts with their free arts encounters, open to all undergraduate students, not just art majors.
I decided to take advantage of the free encounters to go see the Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, arguably one of the most well-known operas of all time (“Figaro! Figaro! Fi-ga-ro!” Ring a bell?), and it was a lovely experience. This was both my first time seeing an opera live and attending a free Pitt Arts experience. As a result, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The process of actually getting to the opera was very organized. Pitt Arts was clear about when and where to meet. They also included information about how to dress and what the show was about. We didn’t have to use public transportation, and instead made our way to the Theater District and back using a school bus. We each got our own tickets once we met up with our guide, and we had pretty good seats too!
The production
If you think going to the opera is stuffy, think again! The Barber of Seville is a comedic opera, and I think all of the actors’ performances did it justice. This production was wildly engaging, even though all of the lyrics and dialogue were in Italian. The language barrier was easily overcome by not only a screen above the stage with English subtitles, but also by the physical humor and line delivery coming from the stage itself.
The production also had many other details I loved (and am still thinking about two weeks later). The set was gorgeous, incredibly detailed, and immersive. The costumes were colorful, fun, and even breathtaking – I mean this literally; I audibly gasped when Rosina first came out wearing the dress she wears throughout Act 2.
Something I enjoy seeing in productions set in a historical context is the inclusion of modern ideas. I’m most familiar with this idea in productions of Shakespeare’s works, where the dialogue will stay in the original form, but the actors will sing pop songs or use modern technology as part of their performance. My favorite example of this was when Figaro, the barber, pulled a blender out of a fountain and made a margarita during the ‘Figaro’ aria – this is our first introduction to him, and the margarita combined with his general silliness really helped set the tone for the rest of the production. Honorable mention to characters taking selfies and going on Target runs.
final thoughts
Unfortunately, you can no longer watch this production live. The show I went to, I found out later, was their last performance. I consider myself lucky to have been able to see it when I did. (Note: If you still have a yearning for the opera, the Pittsburgh Opera opens The Flying Dutchman in just a few weeks!)
If the opera just isn’t your thing, don’t worry; Pitt Arts offers a wide variety of other opportunities. A few examples of free Pitt Arts encounters are art museum visits, classical and jazz concerts, and musicals. They offer so many wonderful things for free, so why not take advantage of it?