The Barber of Seville 1823, and became the first opera ever to be performed in Italian in New York, when Manuel Garcia (who played Almaviva) and his Italian troupe opened their first season there with "Il barbiere" on 29 November 1825 at the Park Theatre. The cast of eight had three other members of his family, including the 17-year-old Maria-Felicia, later known as Maria Malibran. The role of Rosina was originally written for a contralto. According to music critic Richard Osborne, writing in "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", "it is important to record the degree to which singers have sometimes distorted Rossini’s intentions.
Utah Opera The Costume Department organizes rentals for at least 18–20 full productions every year, and rents out individual pieces or partial shows all year long. Measurements are sent into the shop, and alterations are all completed there to ensure the quality of costumes stay pristine. The total number of costumed productions in storage is 45, with the most popular being "La bohème", "Madama Butterfly", and "The Barber of Seville". The 40th Anniversary Season began with '40 Days of Opera,' a cultural festival with 40 days of local opera events from September 1 – October 15, culminating in the production of La