I also saw the SFO Barbiere -- in fact I ended up seeing it twice. I
enjoyed the production quite a lot, though I agree the set didn't
work that well -- it blocked sightlines and I think also swallowed
some of the sound. I sat close to the stage both times so I didn't
really notice any problems with ensembles. There was a lot of comic
business, though actually I thought it was all more relevant than all
the extraneous business they had in their last, more "traditional",
production of the opera. Thanks for the update on Mr. Gunn's Billy
Budd coming to SF next year -- I missed the Chicago production and
have been regretting it ever since. Too bad his Messiah performances
are the only two days I'm booked in December . . . When you spoke to
him, did he mention upcoming recordings or DVDs?