Event poster for 'Birthdate Special' at Rossnt's with date February 20 and 21, 2022, featuring stylized purple Gothic script text.

JOSEPH MECHAVICH Conductor
DEAN ANTHONY Stage Director
CHRISTY LEE Chorus Director & Rehearsal Pianist
LILY WITEMEYER Assistant Rehearsal Pianist & Supertitles Cuer
THE KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ACT I

Seville. Count Almaviva comes in disguise as a poor student named Lindoro to the house of Dr. Bartolo and serenades Rosina, whom Bartolo keeps confined to the house. Figaro the barber, who knows all the town’s secrets and scandals, explains to Almaviva that Rosina is Bartolo’s ward, not his daughter, and that the doctor intends to marry her. Figaro devises a plan: The Count will disguise himself as a drunken soldier with orders to be quartered at Bartolo’s house, so that he may gain access to Rosina. Almaviva is excited, and Figaro looks forward to a nice cash pay-off.

Rosina reflects on the voice that has enchanted her and resolves to use her considerable wiles to meet the man to whom it belongs. Bartolo appears with Rosina’s music master, Don Basilio. Basilio warns Bartolo that Count Almaviva, who has made known his admiration for Rosina, has been seen in Seville. Bartolo decides to marry Rosina immediately. Basilio suggests slander as the most effective means of getting rid of Almaviva. Figaro, who has overheard the plot, warns Rosina and promises to deliver a note from her to Lindoro. Bartolo suspects that Rosina has indeed written a letter, but she outwits him at every turn. Bartolo warns her not to trifle with him.

Almaviva arrives, creating a ruckus in his disguise as a drunken soldier, and secretly passes Rosina his own note. Bartolo is infuriated by the stranger’s behavior and noisily claims that he has an official exemption from billeting soldiers. Figaro announces that a crowd has gathered in the street, curious about the argument they hear coming from inside the house. The civil guard bursts in to arrest Almaviva, but when he secretly reveals his identity to the Captain, he is instantly released. Everyone except Figaro is amazed by this turn of events.

ACT II

Bartolo suspects that the β€œsoldier” was a spy planted by Almaviva. The Count returns, this time disguised as Don Alonso, a music teacher and student of Don Basilio, to give Rosina her singing lesson in place of Basilio, who, he says, is ill at home. β€œDon Alonso” then tells Bartolo that when visiting Almaviva at his inn, he found a letter from Rosina. He offers to tell her that it was given to him by another woman, seemingly to prove that Lindoro is toying with Rosina on Almaviva’s behalf. This convinces Bartolo that β€œDon Alonso” is indeed a student of the scheming Basilio, and he allows him to give Rosina her lesson. With Bartolo dozing off, Almaviva and Rosina declare their love.

Figaro arrives to give Bartolo his shave and manages to snatch the key that opens the doors to Rosina’s balcony. Suddenly, Basilio shows up looking perfectly healthy. Almaviva, Rosina, and Figaro convince him with a quick bribe that he is in fact ill and must go home at once. While Bartolo gets his shave, Almaviva plots with Rosina to meet at her balcony that night so that they can elope. But Bartolo overhears them and, realizing he has been tricked again, flies into a rage. Everyone disperses.

The maid Berta comments on the crazy household. Bartolo summons Basilio, telling him to bring a notary, so Bartolo can marry Rosina that very night. Bartolo then shows Rosina her letter to Lindoro, as proof that her student is in league with Almaviva. Heartbroken and convinced that she has been deceived, Rosina agrees to marry Bartolo.

A thunderstorm passes. Figaro and the count climb a ladder to Rosina’s balcony and let themselves in with the key. Rosina appears and confronts Lindoro, who finally reveals his true identity as Almaviva. Basilio shows up with the notary. Bribed and threatened, he agrees to be a witness to the marriage of Rosina and Almaviva. Bartolo arrives with soldiers, but it is too late. He accepts that he has been beaten, and Figaro, Rosina, and the Count celebrate their good fortune.

MEET THE CAST

A man with a bald head, smiling, wearing a black suit and white shirt, outdoors with a blurred green background.

Joseph Mechavich

Conductor

Close-up portrait of a bald man with a full gray beard, wearing a black sweater with a textured pattern, against a dark background.

Dean Anthony

Stage Director

Dr. Christy Lee

Chorus Director

Chest-up portrait of a middle-aged man with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a dark suit and purple shirt, outside with blurred greenery in the background.

Steven Condy

Bartolo

Man with dark hair smiling outdoors, wearing a brown coat over a black top, with a background of green leaves.

Andrew Morstein

Count Almaviva

Close-up portrait of a woman with dark brown hair styled in loose waves, wearing a black turtleneck, against a plain light background.

Sarah Coit

Rosina

Portrait of a man with a dark beard and mustache, wearing a black shirt, black and white polka dot tie, and a patterned jacket, against a gray background.

Eleomar Cuello

Figaro

A man with short curly black hair and wearing a light blue suit jacket over a white turtleneck, looking directly at the camera.

Edwin Jhamaal Davis

Basilio

Deshawn Stevens

Fiorello & Officer

Tori Franklin

Berta

CHORUS

Cody Boling
Joel Brown
Nathaniel Christakis
Todd Cochran
Kyle Foster
Adam Funderburg
Oliver Hassall
Daniel Howell
John Overholt
Tim Pope
Ernie Roberts
Evan Schettler
Tanner Smith
Sean Whitson

SUPERNUMERARIES

Ryan Goral
Carrie Morrison
Luis Ramos

KNOXVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Aram Demirjian β€” Music Director and Natalie L. Haslam Music Director Chair
James Fellenbaum β€” Resident Conductor and Youth Orchestra Music Director
Sande MacMorran β€” Music Director Emeritus, Youth Orchestra Association
Mark Zelmanovich β€” Concertmaster Emeritus

VIOLIN I
Will Shaub, Concertmaster & Clayton Family Chair
Gordon Tsai, Associate Concertmaster & Joseph A. Fielden Family Chair
Rachel Loseke
Ikuko Koizumi
I-Pei Lin
Zofia Glashauser
Jennifer George

VIOLIN II
Edward Pulgar, Principal & Gleb Mamantov Chair
Tobias Elser
Kyle Venlet
Sean K. Claire
Sarah Ringer

VIOLA
Katy Gawne, Principal
Jennifer Bloch
Bill Pierce
Josh Ulrich

CELLO
Andy Bryenton, Principal
Sarah Senn, Mary and Joe Sullivan Chair
Adam Ayers
Stacy M. Nickell

BASS
Steve Benne, Principal
Jon Hamar

FLUTE
Devan Jaquez, Principal
Jill Bartine

OBOE
Claire Chenette, Principal

CLARINET
Alex Chang, Principal
Mark Tucker, Traver Family Chair

BASSOON
Duncan Henry, Principal
Miranda Macias

HORN
Jeffrey Whaley, Principal
Kelsey Bentley

TRUMPET
Kole Pantuso, Principal
Brian Winegardner

TIMPANI
Michael Combs, Associate Principal

PERCUSSION
Bob Adamcik, Co-Principal
Andy Adzima

Josh Beach β€” Director of Operations
Mark Tucker β€” Personnel Manager / Librarian

PRODUCTION TEAM

Production Stage Manager Sherrie Dee Brewer
Assistant Stage Manager Jane George
Assistant Stage Manager Faith Nevarez
Technical Director Cody Wilson
Lighting Design John Horner
Wig & Makeup Design Brittany Rappise
Wig & Makeup Assistant Allison Burkholder
Costume Design Glenn Avery Breed
Costumes Provided By Wardrobe Witchery
Sound Design Phillip Crawford
Set Design by: Robert Little
Set Courtesy of TRI-CITIES OPERA COMPANY, INC.

Production Manager Don Townsend
Wardrobe Supervisor Patti Rogers
Assistant Costume Coordinator Lauren Woods
Properties Supervisor Jaime Jaimes
Stitcher Robbie Rankin
Theatrical Stage Employees Provided by IATSE Local #197

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Rotary Club of Knoxville
Stubble by Grow

THANK YOU TO OUR HOUSING & VEHICLE SPONSORS

Baymont by Wyndham West
Eden Bishop
Donna Cragle & Barry Fernandez
Lane Hays
Francine Marasco
Margaret and Jim Samples
Caesar and Dorothy Stair
Linda Williams and Don Townsend