A message from Edmonton Opera:
Edmonton Opera opens its 2026-27 mainstage season with Rossini's The Barber of Seville, a beloved confection that will grace the Jubilee Auditorium stage on Nov. 5 and 7. Legend has it Rossini composed the opera — also known as Il barbiere di Siviglia — in just under three weeks, "which is kind of a wild thing to think of," said artistic director Joel Ivany.
The production features Edmonton's own John Tessier, a tenor who has built an international career. "This is one of the roles that he's most known for internationally," Ivany said. Also in the cast is Korin Thomas-Smith, a baritone who won first place in the Rumbold Vocal Prize in 2025 and recently made his debut at the Dallas Opera.
"We have some incredible young Canadian singers who are just taking off internationally, who we are able to feature right here at the Jubilee," Ivany said.
The score of The Barber of Seville may already be familiar, even to audiences who have never attended an opera. It inspired a classic Looney Tunes cartoon — the one with Bugs Bunny massaging Elmer Fudd's head, among other hijinks. "I think even subconsciously, people will say, 'I know that opera,' even if they don't," Ivany said. That lasting presence in popular culture, he said, shows "how opera and this music has embedded in our culture for years and years."
The opera's story centres on love and disguise — characters dressing up as other people and trying to trick one another. It's "joyful and bubbly and effervescent," sure to provide a fun night out. "If you love to smile and laugh and just breathe easy … this is for you," Ivany said.
Tickets to The Barber of Seville are available now through Edmonton Opera's season subscription. Sign up by April 10 for a chance to win your subscription — the lucky draw winner will also get access to the VIP lounge all season!