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Lyric’s ‘Barber’ Shows Black Tenor Brownlee At Bubbly Best

CHICAGO CRUSADER — “The Barber of Seville” (Barber) is an opera that was composed in 1816 by Gioachino Rossini, but the storyline could just as well have been written 200 years later. The Lyric Opera of Chicago (20 N. Wacker Drive) opened its 65th season in grand form, with a Lyric favorite, Lawrence Brownlee, in one of the leading roles.

Published

7 years ago

October 24, 2019

Oakland Post

Marianne Crebassa as Rosina and Lawrence Brownlee as Count Almaviva enjoy a victory hug during a scene from “The Barber of Seville” playing at Lyric Opera. (Photo by: Todd Rosenberg)

By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, MSJ

“The Barber of Seville” (Barber) is an opera that was composed in 1816 by Gioachino Rossini, but the storyline could just as well have been written 200 years later. The Lyric Opera of Chicago (20 N. Wacker Drive) opened its 65th season in grand form, with a Lyric favorite, Lawrence Brownlee, in one of the leading roles.

Irrepressible Rosina (played by Marianne Crebassa) refuses to marry her pompous old guardian. Meanwhile, a bold young count is eager to win Rosina for himself. And who’s going to make sure those two finish the opera united? The cleverest character in all of Seville: the barber Figaro, whose services are sought after by everyone for everything (the guy has a lot more talents than just cutting hair). Rossini’s music—the aural equivalent of champagne—is the last word in humor, inspiring smiles and laughter on every page of the score, which is what makes “Barber” the most popular of all operatic comedies.

Figaro (played by Adam Plachetka) has all the information on everybody in the Spanish village and advises Count Almaviva

Adam Plachetka as Figaro the Barber attempts to gussy up Alessandro Corbelli who plays the guardian. “The Barber of Seville” was the opening opera for the Lyric’s 65th season. (Photo by: Todd Rosenberg)

(Brownlee) to go undercover to gain access to Rosina’s home, where she is obsessively under watch. “Barber” is great entertainment from the start, and the elegant confines of the magnificent Lyric don’t stifle the audience members’ delight in the events unfolding. The cast members and audience appear to have a great time performing, watching and appreciating, I might add, the at turns serious and playful antics that are part of this best-known comic masterpiece. In the end, can this unlikely duo of Figaro and Count Almaviva win the heroine’s heart before it’s too late?

Black operatic tenor Brownlee is great in this lighthearted role, as he leaves no stones unturned to win his beloved’s hand in marriage. The Crusader interviewed Brownlee last year when he was featured at the Lyric in “I Puritani,” where he played Arturo, who along with his bride-to-be, Elvira, was a passionate young couple who find themselves caught up in a conflict between political factions.

Brownlee had his first professional stage debut in the “Barber” with the Virginia Opera in 2002 and his first Metropolitan Opera in 2007. To deliver performances in these and other different arenas with different operas requires fluency in many languages, and Brownlee has continued to master this, as well. “I would say that I’m fluent in English, of course, and Italian. I have a very good working knowledge of French and German, and when I go to countries that speak French and German, I take private lessons in both languages. My goal is to be fully fluent in a minimum of five languages in my lifetime. I sing primarily in Italian, French, and German, although I’ve also sung in English, Latin, Russian and Spanish.”

He has traveled much for work and pleasure during his nearly 20 years for work, but all total Brownlee says he has traveled internationally for 30 years. Last year, he told the Crusader: “I’ve seen 45 countries to date: this is the perfect career for someone who loves to travel. Some of my favorite places to perform are New York City, Paris, Milan, Chicago, Rome, Zürich, Berlin and Vienna. Outside of just performing, I’ve enjoyed Greece, the Tuscan region of Italy and France. Also, Cape Town, South Africa, was definitely one of my favorite places to date.”

When asked about the small class of Black male opera singers, he paid homage to George Shirley (who was the first African-American tenor to perform a leading role at the Met in New York City) and Paul Robeson.

This reporter would be remiss if I did not mention the late opera extraordinaire Jessye Norman and her influence on current and future Black opera singers. I wrote about a young lady in last week’s column (Muti Keeps Promise, Holds Special Rehearsal for CWCMC, October 5) named JeSelle Jakes, who I think has a promising classical singing career and who I’m sure is familiar with Norman’s body of work.

Often times people of color just need to see themselves in the arts. Given this, Jakes and Brownlee are on the right track. “I encourage young people by being an artist that’s on the front lines in the community, so people see that someone who is performing on stage is also reaching out as an artist,” Brownlee added.

And this community feeling is a two-way street. “It’s wonderful to look out in the audience and see people of color. My hope is that people who come [to see me] feel like they have someone on their side, and that it makes it easier for them to feel like they can relate to the stories they see on stage.”

To see Brownlee and the full cast in “The Barber of Seville,” which is playing through October 27 and sung in Italian with projected English translations, visit lyricopera.org/barber or call 312-827-5600.

Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., is the Entertainment Editor for the Chicago Crusader newspaper. She is also the author of “Old School Adventures from Englewood–South Side of Chicago.” For book info, editor 91210@yahoo.com.

This article originally appeared in The Chicago Crusader.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
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The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
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“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
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AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
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Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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