Figaro! Living in the Moment of a Character

D.V. Schaefer's documentary on a joint production of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro by music schools in the United States and Poland promotes the power of cultural exchange in education, while also emphasizing that opera demands not just fine singers but excellent singing actors. In fact, Michael Ramach of the University of Louisville insists that his cast—or casts, as two complete companies are formed, with some singers doubling roles—must understand the words being vocalized in order to be effective onstage and fulfill the composer's intentions. The first half of Figaro! follows the rehearsals that culminate in the Kentucky staging, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Ramach, conductor Kimcherie Lloyd, various crew members, and students from both countries, coupled with exuberant clips from the completed performance. The second half switches to the Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, where the production is systematically reconstructed and presented to a Polish audience. Schaefer offers a good sense of the intensive collaborative labor that goes into such an undertaking, as well as a nice portrait of the friendships that develop across national lines in the process—ultimately demonstrating that music truly is a universal language. DVD extras include a photo gallery and a partial audio concert performance. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)