When it comes to comic opera, there are few to rival Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)," the season opener for Hawaii Opera Theatre.

Not one, not two, but four romantic couples mix 'n' match in zany confusion and lighthearted intrigue for one "folle journée" (crazy day), the work's subtitle.

What makes the opera timeless are its vivid musical characterizations and skillful interweaving of comic and serious elements — class warfare, sexual harassment, folly. The characters feel real, so when we laugh at them, we laugh partly at ourselves, too, and incline toward forgiving each other's follies.

Director Hans Nieuwenhuis assembled a cast who make the show come alive, and laughter was frequent on opening night.

Leon Williams' Figaro was simply marvelous — excellent voice, great acting — and Victoria Livengood's huge, on-the-edge-of-out-of-control voice and larger-than-life acting stole scenes. Livengood was so comically ridiculous that she managed to make that impossible shift from hateful rival to loving mother-in-law almost credible. Nicely done!

Shawnette Sulker's singing, uneven at first, was excellent when she relaxed into scenes, and she delivered a lovely Act IV aria.

Michael Chioldi (Count Almaviva) wooed, blustered and raged, as strong vocally as physically, using his dark baritone to great effect. And Inna Dukach, a more sisterly than regal Countess, has such a beautiful voice — large, mulled-wine-warm — that it was easy to sympathize with her character. Dukach's "Dove sono (Where are the lovely moments?)" in Act III proved to be a musical high point.

In the "trouser role" (a boy played by a female soprano) of Cherubino, Buffy Baggot made a believably gangly, lovesick youth, and bass Valerian Ruminski rumbled along comically as Bartolo.

Even the secondary roles were memorable, especially tenor James Price doubling as Basilio and Curzio. He even managed to fall out of a chair without missing a beat.

Best of all, Nieuwenhuis' cast matched the couples by voice, so that the final sorting-out felt predestined: Figaro and Susanna, lighter and clearer; the older Count and Countess, warmer and richer; the middle-aged Marcellina and Bartolo, lower and heavier; the teenaged Cherubino and Barbarina, both very light sopranos.

The casting also added a delightful layer of complexity through implications of race: the juxtaposition between race relations in the 18th century and now, the balance of power between servants and nobles, the plot's meandering between reality and fantasy. Race made some aspects of the plot more believable, others more ridiculously comic, all to good effect.

In spite of its period costumes, HOT's production skewed toward modern sensibilities, with pillow fights between classes, servants embracing the Countess while sitting on a bed, a young boy fondling and finally jumping atop the Countess, and so forth. Such shenanigans obscure the work's commentary on the class system, but considering that class is one of the more difficult aspects to convey to American audiences, the loss was counterbalanced by the sheer fun.

Designer Peter Dean Beck chose a minimal set of only essential props and about six moveable walls, all similar landscapes of sylvan glades. The sets were almost too spare, but lent the spaciousness apropos of a noble's estate, ample room for movement, and no distractions, so that all attention focused on the singers.

Conductor Ivan Torzs provided excellent pacing and balance. Torzs also accompanied the recitatives on harpsichord, along the way adding delightful touches, such as the overture's opening motive to transitions.

The chorus, prepared by co-directors Beebe Freitas and Nola A. Nähulu, was stellar. Their scenes became mini-concerts.