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SYNOPSIS
ACT I
It's Figaro and Susanna's wedding day. He's measuring their bedroom, and she's measuring her homemade wedding bonnet. He thinks their bedroom is perfect—right near the Count and Countess's room in case  they're called. Susanna finds the Count too close for her comfort.
Meanwhile, Bartolo and his aging housekeeper, Marcellina, talk about Marcellina's contract: she once lent Figaro 2,000 gold pieces, and if he can't repay her he has to marry her. Bartolo relishes the thought of imposing Marcellina on Figaro, as Figaro helped the Count win the Countess away from Bartolo.
Cherubino, a young page, rushes in to Figaro and Susanna’s room, and worries to Susanna because the Count caught him alone with Barbarina, the gardener’s daughter. He also sings about his adolescent angst and confusion. Seeing the Count approaching, he hides behind a chair.
The Count appears and invites Susanna for a rendezvous that night in the garden. The Count hears Basilio approaching and dashes behind the chair as Cherubino jumps onto the chair and Susanna hides him under a dress.
Basilio tells Susanna that the Count is looking for Figaro. He says Susanna should tell the Count that Cherubino is flirting with the Countess, since everyone knows it. The Count appears, confronts Basilio, and tells the story of catching Cherubino hiding under a tablecloth in Barbarina's room. He demonstrates by taking the dress off the chair—and finds Cherubino. Everyone is shocked, especially the Count who worries that Cherubino heard him proposition Susanna. Cherubino assures him, "I tried my best not to listen." The count pretends to be impressed, and rewards Cherubino by commissioning him to join his regiment in Seville.
ACT II
 The Countess prays to win the Count's love back. Figaro appears with a plot: he has forged a letter for Basilio to show the count, written as if it’s from the Countess to a lover. He suggests that Cherubino dress in Susanna’s clothing and that Susanna offer to meet the Count. Cherubino still adores the Countess; he sadly shows her his military commission. She notices that he forgot to put his seal on it.
While Susanna and the Countess are dressing Cherubino, the Count arrives—jealous after reading Figaro's forged letter—and wants to know why the door is locked. Cherubino hides in the closet. The Count hears Cherubino knock over a chair, and the Countess explains that the sound in the closet is Susanna, trying on a wedding dress. The Count pounds on the closet door, sure that the Countess has a lover in there. Susanna appears, sees the commotion, and hides in an alcove. The Count takes the Countess with him to get tools to force the closet door, locking all the other doors so that whoever is in the closet cannot escape.
While they're away, Cherubino leaves the closet and escapes out the window. Susanna hides in the closet.
 Count and Countess return; the Countess, worried, tries to explain that Cherubino is in the closet—with his clothes partially off since he was to dress in Susanna’s clothing. Ready to kill Cherubino, the count gets the closet open and finds Susanna. The Countess nearly faints with relief. They explain Figaro's prank.
Figaro arrives and plays innocent; Countess and Susanna tell him that the Count knows the game.
Figaro asks the Count to proceed with the wedding ceremony. Two obstacles appear: the Count presents Marcellina, and the gardener appears, complaining that a man jumped from the balcony and crushed his carnations. He suspects Cherubino.
Figaro, noting that the gardener is drunk as usual, says he jumped from the balcony himself, and limps to show that he sprained his ankle in the adventure. The gardener presents Cherubino’s commission, dropped by whoever leapt through the garden. Alerted by Susanna, Figaro tells the Count that Cherubino gave him the commission to return to the count for his seal. Frustrated, the Count tears up the commission.
ACT III
Prompted by the Countess, Susanna offers to meet the Count in the garden that evening, if he will pay Marcellina 2,000 gold pieces so that Susanna can marry Figaro. The Count agrees, but then hears Susanna telling Figaro about the disguise plan. He thinks of the gardener, Susanna’s uncle, who can be persuaded not to permit Susanna to marry Figaro because
 Marcellina arrives to sue Figaro for either her 2,000 gold pieces or marriage.
Desperate, Figaro says he can't get married without his parents' permission—his long-lost noble parents, evidenced by a spatula-shaped birthmark on his right harm. Marcellina exclaims, “Oh Dio, è egli!” (“Oh God, it’s him!”).
Marcellina and Bartolo are Figaro’s long-lost parents! The lawyer announces that Figaro cannot marry Marcellina. Susanna arrives with money to pay off Figaro's debt, sees him hugging his new-found mother, and slaps him. Marcellina calms her new daughter-in-law-to-be, and suggests a double wedding.
Meanwhile, back in the garden, Barbarina is telling Cherubino that she wants to put a dress on him so that he and all her girlfriends can gather flowers to give to the Countess.
The Countess longs for her happier times with the Count, while plotting to trade clothes with Susanna to trick him. Susanna and the Countess compose a letter inviting the Count to a rendezvous with Susanna, sealing it with a pin and asking him to return the pin as a token.
The girls, with Cherubino among them, arrive with flowers. The Countess kisses Cherubino, who blushes. The drunk gardener recognizes Cherubino and puts Cherubino's hat, which he has found in Barbarina's room, on Cherubino's head.
The Count is angry with Cherubino for not going off to Seville to the regiment; among other things, the Count would like to seduce Barbarina. Barbarina reminds the Count that he'd said if she would love him, he would grant her wish. She wishes for Cherubino to be her husband, assuring the Count that she will love him “like my little kitten.” The gardener is proud of his clever daughter. Figaro is ready to dance at their wedding, but the Count reminds him of his alleged sprained ankle.
As the dancing begins, Susanna sneaks her letter to the Count. He pricks his finger on the pin as he opens it, and gives the pin to Barbarina to return to Susanna.
ACT IV
Barbarina searches for the pin, which she has lost. Figaro gives her a pin to take to Susanna, and tricks her into revealing the presumed assignation. Figaro invites Basilio and his men to meet him under the pines, where Susanna has invited the Count. Marcellina, in whom Figaro has confided, alerts Susanna.
 Later, under the pines, Susanna decides to fool Figaro, so she sings about how wonderful it will be to see her beloved Count. Figaro listens jealously. The Countess is dressed as Susanna. Cherubino appears, takes the Countess's hand, and tries to kiss her. The Count appears and steps between them, getting kissed by Cherubino.
Susanna forgets for a moment to disguise her voice. Figaro recognizes her and decides to fool her. She slaps him several times. When she realizes that he knows who she is, they decide to fool the Count, so Figaro speaks passionately with Susanna (who is dressed as Countess) and the Count summons his people to attack.
Figaro and Susanna kneel before the Count and beg for pardon, which the Count denies. The Countess surprises everyone by emerging from the arbor, ironically requesting pardon for Figaro and Susanna. The Count kneels before the Countess and begs her pardon.
Everyone agrees that love is the best end to this crazy sort of day, as the chorus runs off to the wedding celebrations.
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