A count's jealousy, a servant's wedding day, and a web of secret alliances collide onstage next weekend when Genesis Opera Theatre brings Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's “The Marriage of Figaro” to the Bornemann Theatre in San Marcos. The four-act comic opera, performed in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles, follows Figaro and Susanna as they try to marry despite the count's scheming, and runs for three performances starting Friday, August 28.
According to a news release cited by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the production features romance, quick wit, and classical music, brought to life by an all-star cast drawn from throughout Southern California. Genesis Opera Theatre, founded by opera singer Cynthia Leigh, reached its sixth season in late 2024 after producing more than ten operas alongside community concerts across North County San Diego. The company operates as a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit under the tagline “Where Opera Begins Anew,” leaning on community donations to keep ticket prices reasonable and support local arts education, per the same account.
Performances are scheduled for 7 PM on Friday and Saturday, August 28 and 29, and at 3 PM on Sunday, August 30, per the news release. Tickets are available at the door or in advance through Genesis Opera Theatre's website, and the company also welcomes donations, per the release.
A Comedy Built on Banned Political Satire
Mozart composed “The Marriage of Figaro” with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, and the opera premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna on May 1, 1786, according to Britannica. It was based on Pierre-Augustin Beaumarchais's 1784 French play “La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro,” which had actually been banned in both France and Vienna for its satirical take on class privilege and aristocratic abuse, according to The Kennedy Center. Da Ponte reportedly softened the original's overt political dialogue to win imperial approval for the opera to be staged at all.
The bilingual English and Spanish supertitles planned for Genesis Opera Theatre's run echo a practice used by larger regional institutions such as San Diego Opera, which relies on bilingual supertitles to improve accessibility for Southern California's bi-national audience base. The choice reflects a broader effort among the region's classical arts groups to widen their reach across border communities.
Building Toward a Full-Length Mozart Work
The Figaro production caps a busy stretch for the young company. Genesis Opera Theatre performed Gilbert and Sullivan's “Trial By Jury” in April and Gian Carlo Menotti's “Amahl and the Night Visitors” the previous December, charting a steady buildup toward staging a full-length Mozart opera. The company's casting approach pairs established Southern California vocalists with emerging apprentice singers taking on key roles, a model that gives rising performers a chance at principal experience in North County San Diego.
Genesis Opera Theatre has said its mission is to make opera accessible to people of all ages at a reasonable price, and that it hopes to inspire young people to explore opera either as participants or patrons. The nonprofit structure, and its reliance on tax-deductible community contributions, is meant to keep that price point within reach even as production costs rise.
A Venue Tied to a Larger Campus Mission
The Bornemann Theatre is an indoor, 200-seat performance space located inside the Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation Performing Arts Center at 555 Deer Springs Road on the TERI Campus of Life in San Marcos. That venue opened its Fine Arts & Performing Arts Center in May 2024 following a $2.5 million endowment from the Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation, according to The Vista Press, a project designed to integrate public arts programming with services for individuals with developmental disabilities. TERI Inc. provides lifelong support and education for adults and children with autism and other special needs.
Ticket purchases and venue rentals at the Bornemann Theatre directly support TERI Inc., which is undertaking a $60 million capital campaign to complete its fully integrated San Marcos campus. That means audiences settling into the intimate 200-seat house for Figaro's schemes and reconciliations are also helping fund vocational, educational, and residential programs on the same campus.
