Kudos to the wags at the Opéra de Montréal who came up with a surefire, shoestring way to attract public and media attention for its upcoming run of The Barber of Seville.

Tomorrow afternoon, the city’s best-known coiffeur will offer free shaves at Place des Arts, while soloists from the production sing excerpts from Rossini’s timeless opera. Known simply as ‘Ménick,’ the coiffeur – and longtime opera buff – has tended to the locks and beards of everyone from Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard to latter-day hockey star Sidney Crosby, as well as action movie star Chuck Norris and wrestler ‘Mad Dog’ Vachon in his Masson Street shop.

Clever. Probably wouldn’t work for Sweeney Todd, though.