The Barber of Seville (play) resigns himself. As a consolation he is given Rosine's dowry money to keep. Giovanni Paisiello's opera based on the play was first performed in 1782, but it is Gioachino Rossini's opera, "The Barber of Seville", premiered in 1816, that has better stood the test of time. Other lesser-known adaptions include those by Nicolas Isouard in 1796, Alexander Reinagle and Samuel Arnold in 1794, and Francesco Morlacchi in 1816. Figaro is inspired by the Commedia dell'arte character of Brighella, and like his predecessor he is a clever liar; moral and yet unscrupulous; good humored, helpful and brave, though somewhat embittered and
Michigan Opera Theatre world premiere of "Margaret Garner". Michigan Opera Theatre began as the educational outreach arm, Overture to Opera (OTO), of the Detroit Grand Opera Association, the organization responsible for the Metropolitan Opera's visits to Detroit. In 1963, MOT's Founder and General Director, David DiChiera took over the program, then in its third year. OTO first presented opera to the public as a collection of scenes and acts. It did not produce its first full-length production until 1970, with the staging of "The Barber of Seville" at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Overture to Opera officially became Michigan Opera Theatre in 1971