Figaro to get married at URI

KINGSTON, R.I. -- March 30, 1999 -- Opera fans are in for a treat. The University of Rhode Island will present the opera, Mozart,s The Marriage of Figaro, Saturday evening, April 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $6 for general admission, $4 for senior citizens, and free for students with an I.D. Tickets will be sold at the door the night of the performance.

Figaro, a valet to a Count, is to marry Susanna, a maid to a Countess. The classic story starts off simply enough, but rapidly becomes a tale of disguises and "hidden surprises.

URI students make up the cast. Freshman Michael Wrobleski, who is from Fall River and currently lives in Providence, plays Figaro. Elizabeth Clark, a sophomore from Wakefield, plays Susanna.

Other performers include Liz Pendergast from Wakefied, a freshman who is a full-time mom as well as a full-time student; Joyll Smith, a sophomore from West Kingston, Elaine Schulbaum, a freshman from Smithfield, Nishan Lawton, a transfer student, and Joel Boyd both from East Providence; William Dwyer, a junior from Narragansett, and Andrea Varjian, a freshman from Park Ridge, N.J.

Also in the cast is Dustin Gard-Weiss, a senior at Brown University.

The opera is directed by Rene de La Garza, a URI professor of voice who sings throughout New England. It is conducted by Ann Danis, acting chair of URI,s Music Department and director of orchestral studies. Danis also conducts the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and the Ocean State Chamber Orchestra.

For More Information: Jan Sawyer, 874-5190