Friday, October 25, 2002
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Friday, October 25, 2002 |
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Lyles bids adieu as artistic director with "The Marriage of Figaro" By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Dale Lyles has been the artistic director for Newnan Community Theatre Company for 22 years. After "The Marriage of Figaro," for which Lyles served as translator, director and star, he will retire as artistic director for the company and take a full year off. Lyles relationship with "The Marriage of Figaro" began when he was 18 years old. Thirty years later, he has brought the Opera to life as a musical, though Lyles is loathe to use the "O" word at all when discussing this production. "We had performed selections from 'The Marriage of Figaro' a few years ago and members of the company kept saying that 'we could do this show'," Lyles explained. He began searching for translations of Mozart's classic and found many of the translations to be word for word translations, each failing to capture the humor of the work. As the saying goes, if you want something done right, do it yourself. Lyles translated the work, changed the staging from an opera where people stand and sing to a musical, where there is action, ratcheted up the innuendo and made the show accessible to a 21st century audience. "One of the problems I found with many of the translations was that things that were titillating in the 18th century would be seen as quaint by modern audiences," explained Lyles. "The Marriage of Figaro is a comedy and I wanted to deliver the comedy." Lyles went on to suggest that the show should be considered PG-13 and not suitable for small children, partially for content but mostly due to length. "The Marriage of Figaro" is actually a sequel to "The Barber of Seville," though Lyles states that audiences will not have to be familiar with either work to enjoy this production. The story revolves around The Count, played by Lyles, who is the employer of Figaro and Susanna, who are to be married. The Count is after Susanna and Figaro borrowed money from a woman and must marry her if he does not pay her back. The Count is in a troubled marriage with the Countess and Cherubino is in love with lots of people and is constantly getting in the way of the Count. Though things get confusing for the characters in the show, Lyles insists that it is easy for the audience to follow. "The Marriage of Figaro" was set in the 18th century but Lyles has set NCTC's production in the 1950s. "It will be easier for the audience to tell the difference between a countess and a servant in 1950s style dress than 18th century dress," Lyles explained. "Plus, it was a heck of a lot easier to costume that way." However, a key scene is the fourth act is set at a costume party and much of the cast ends up in 18th century dress anyway. The cast of the show features 20 people, including 11 main characters. Most of the cast is from Coweta County, though one cast member has been coming from north of Atlanta to be part of the show. There are a few trained voices in the cast and one with an opera background, but the cast has fully embraced both the show and the music. "One cast member came to me amazed that each note he sings delineates his character," said Lyles. "We have been able to realize Mozart's genius. Every note of the 350 pages of score is perfect." Lyles also ads that while the cast is scared out of their wits as they head into the days before the show opens, it is also one of the biggest thrills of their careers. "The Marriage of Figaro" is a musical in four acts and there will be two brief intermissions. There is over two and a half hours of music but Lyles explains that the show is no longer than some of the classic old musicals such as "My Fair Lady" and "South Pacific." It also sounds like the audience will be laughing so hard that they won't be able to focus on the play's length. "The Marriage of Figaro" will be presented at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays through Nov. 9 at the Newnan Community Theatre. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students. For more information, phone 770-683-NCTC or visit newnantheatre.com.
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