Composer

Before the opera begins, a member of the small theatrical road company, Tonio, who looks like a clown, steps before the curtain. He tells the audience that a clown is also a man, so a clown feels sorrow and pity just like a man.

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Pagliacci

World's Fair Park - TN Ampitheatre

AK Bissel Park

Sequoyah Birthplace Musuem

While preparing for a performance with their commedia dell’arte troupe, Canio becomes enraged when he discovers that his wife, Nedda, has been having an affair. She refuses to give her lover’s name, as their castmate Beppe urges them to get into costume. During the performance, Canio returns to his jealous rage, and Nedda’s young lover, Silvio, rushes the stage to save her—culminating in a very real tragedy. Featuring one of the most well known arias of all time, “Vesti la giubba,” Pagliacci is a verismo masterpiece of dramatic proportions.

Saenger Theatre Pensacola

At first, it might seem like a touring comedy troupe in Sicily are living a life as lighthearted as their performances, but it quickly becomes apparent that they’re trapped in a real-life tragedy. With love triangles, secret romances, and one of the most iconic (and devastatingly emotional) arias of all time, Pagliacci encapsulates the height of drama.

Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci

Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre

We are heading back to the opera, with Pagliacci, Leoncavallo’s one-act masterpiece. This indelible story of love, drama and heartbreak features some of the most beautiful music in all of opera – and at just about one hour long it’s the perfect opportunity to experience an opera! With five soloists, a choir, and our orchestra – plus projected supertitles – this will be a concert you don’t want to miss!

Masterworks III: Drama at the Symphony

Placer High School Theater

Two operas, two betrayed husbands, two tragic ends. In Cavalleria rusticana the calm of a Sicilian Easter morning is broken by a betrayed lover who sets off a chain of events culminating in violent tragedy. In true theatrical tradition Pagliacci’s clown tries to go on with the show, but his real-life humiliation and despair lead to a grim climax. The violent passions and raw emotions of these two works changed the direction of Italian opera forever.

Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci

Sarasota Opera House

Studio Recitals feature students who all study with the same faculty instructor. These young artists represent their studio with a program curated by their teacher.

Matthew Worth Voice Studio Recital

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Great Italian drama! A stage full of "real life", with artificially created, convincing reality: sobbing, wheezing, crying, transformation, exhaustion, garnished with a sugary-sweet "bell choir" and a real fight for the best view of the village theater, which becomes the scene of a bloody tragedy. Pagliacci is a big, glittering, shimmering, escalating show that piles up all the advantages of Italian opera - until at the end everything collapses and only one thing remains: the unvarnished finale. And you never know how close it comes to real life.

The Bajazzo

Opernplatz

The classic tale of lust, jealousy, and murder inside a troupe of comedians, featuring the iconic tenor  aria “Vesti la giubba”.  New production by Octavio Cardenas and Daniel Chapman set in 1930’s Italy,  inspired by Italian neorealist cinema.  Starring Robert Stahley and Alaysha Fox.

Lobero Theatre

Opera Santa Barbara presents an enthralling production of "Pagliacci" at the Lobero Theatre, set to captivate audiences on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 2:30 PM. This drama/thriller, penned by Ruggiero Leoncavallo, is performed in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, ensuring an immersive experience for all. The opera, lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes including intermission, unfolds the classic tale of lust, jealousy, and murder within a troupe of comedians, highlighted by the iconic tenor aria "Vesti la giubba." This new production, directed by Octavio Cardenas and Daniel Chapman, transports the audience to 1930’s Italy, drawing inspiration from Italian neorealist cinema and featuring stars Robert Stahley and Alaysha Fox.

Ticket Information:
- Premium Aisle Seating: $169
- Premium Center Seating: $139
- Section A: $99
- Section B: $29 (Prices increase to $39 after May 31st)
Ticket prices include a per-ticket Lobero Facility Fee, with other fees possibly applying. Reserved seating is available, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience.

This event is proudly presented by Opera Santa Barbara, a key cultural institution that continues to enrich the local arts scene. For those interested in attending, tickets are available for purchase, promising an unforgettable evening of opera at one of the most beautiful theaters in the world, as acclaimed by Architectural Digest.

When a commedia dell’arte troupe arrives in a small Italian village, they are greeted by cheers of welcome. Makeup and costumes transform actors from commoners into clowns, but the infidelity of one wife and the fury of her husband cannot be concealed. Comedy turns to tragedy when jealousy rages, lovers are revealed, and the curtain comes down on murder.

Seattle Center

This summer, enjoy the magic of the Curtis Recital Series from home with our summer broadcast series. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to enjoy never-before-broadcast performances every Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Broadcast: Voice Department

Curtis Institute of Music

Opera Holland Park is thrilled to present a captivating double bill that intertwines the themes of comedy and tragedy through the lens of jealousy, featuring "Il segreto di Susanna" by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari and "Pagliacci" by Ruggero Leoncavallo. This extraordinary event is set to take place in July and August 2024, offering multiple performances that promise to enchant and provoke thought among its audience.

"Il segreto di Susanna" is a sophisticated comedy that explores the misunderstandings and secrets between a newlywed couple, with a plot that anticipates the screwball comedies of the 1930s. Its counterpart, "Pagliacci," presents a darker narrative of love, betrayal, and revenge within a troupe of traveling performers, culminating in a dramatic and bloody conclusion. This juxtaposition of Wolf-Ferrari’s elegant comedy against Leoncavallo’s harrowing tragedy offers a unique theatrical experience that showcases the diverse emotional landscapes of opera.

The productions boast a talented cast including Clare Presland, Richard Burkhard, and John Savournin, who reunite for John Wilkie’s stylish revival of "Il segreto di Susanna." David Butt Philip, celebrated as the leading tenor of his generation, makes his role debut as Canio in "Pagliacci," under the direction of Martin Lloyd-Evans and conducted by Francesco Cilluffo. The performances also feature Alison Langer as Nedda and Harry Thatcher as Silvio, promising exceptional vocal and dramatic presentations.

Performances are scheduled from July 17th to August 3rd, 2024, with evening shows at 7.30pm. Tickets are available in various bands, offering options for every budget, with prices ranging from £24 for INSPIRE tickets to £175 for Premier seats. Members can enjoy savings of up to £8 per ticket, highlighting the benefits of membership with Opera Holland Park.

This event is not only a celebration of opera but also an exploration of the human condition, performed in Italian with English surtitles to ensure accessibility for all attendees. The City of London Sinfonia and the Opera Holland Park Chorus will accompany the performances, adding to the grandeur and emotional depth of the evening.

Opera enthusiasts and newcomers alike are invited to experience this blend of humor, drama, and music under the summer sky at Opera Holland Park, promising an unforgettable journey through the complexities of love and jealousy.

Il segreto di Susanna / Pagliacci

Opera Holland Park

BARN OPERA welcomes spring, and music back to the BARN in an evening of operatic favorites, featuring some of opera's best-loved music, with some of BARN OPERA's favorite (and soon-to-be favorite!) artists!

A Night at the Opera

Barn Opera

Internationally-acclaimed Tenor Eric Fennell makes his SPSO debut featuring some of the most beloved moments from the operas of Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti and more!  Allow yourself to be serenaded by this unforgettable music.

Concert IV: Tenor Eric Fennell in Concert

Calvary Baptist Church

Would you kill for love?

Dive into a world of betrayal, jealousy, and murder, with our reimagined take on Leoncavallo’s classic opera, Pagliacci. Our reinterpretation set in an apocalyptic dreamscape and staged in the round at the Blaisdell Arena, promises a truly distinctive and immersive journey, unlike any other opera we’ve produced before.

Neal S. Blaisdell Center

Canio’s not clowning around. When he catches his beautiful wife Nedda with her lover Silvio, only the start of the troupe’s performance can stay his hand … but not for long. Leoncavallo’s gritty and gorgeous score culminates in one of the most famous and tragic tenor arias of all time: “Vesti la giubba,” the original “Tears of a Clown.”

Florida Grand Opera: I Pagliacci

Broward Center For The Performing Arts

The WVS will reach for the grease paint once again in an orchestral salute to 19th century opera. You don’t want to miss this one!

Orchestra Bon Bons From Favorite Operas

The Vista Center for the Arts

Canio’s not clowning around. His beautiful wife Nedda longs to be free of his clumsy embraces, of her life as a traveling actor, and from the advances of the vile Tonio. When Canio catches her with her lover Silvio, only the start of the troupe’s performance can stay his hand … but not for long. Leoncavallo’s gritty and gorgeous score, based on a true incident witnessed by his policeman father, culminates in one of the most famous and tragic tenor arias of all time: “Vesti la giubba,” the original “Tears of a Clown.”

I Pagliacci

Au-Rene Theater at Broward Center For The Performing Arts

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

La Mer: an endless source of inspiration for artists from Claude Debussy to Charles Trenet. It really doesn’t have to be the Côte d’Azur or the Mediterranean coasts. Ostend was Europe’s leading seaside town in the late 19th century. A place where you could enjoy sun, sea and beach. Where one could parade among the beau monde. Where you could simultaneously listen and be seen at the Kursaal’s renowned concerts and recitals. They had the very greatest conductors and composers on the rostrum and the largest stars in classical music were visiting… and one James Sidney Edouard Ensor was in the loyal audience. The quirky painter was a loyal guest at the Théâtre Royale d’Ostende.

Caruso & Friends | Ensor Festival

Kursaal Oostende

Pagliacci tells the story of an acting troupe: the aging actor Canio learns that his younger wife Nedda is having an affair with another man. Nevertheless, he has to put on a good face every evening on stage as “Bajazzo”. Canio threatens to break because of it.

The ability of the composer Ruggero Leoncavallo to reconcile the playful theater-on-the-theater level, the ambiguous emotional situation and the dark mood makes this opera a thrilling crime thriller.

In Giacomo Puccini's first opera Le Villi, the composer's talent as a melodist and harmonizer - his typical "melancholic tone" - can be clearly heard. Anna and Roberto celebrate their engagement. Soon afterwards, Roberto has to travel to Mainz to collect an inheritance, where he falls for a seductive stranger. Anna feels betrayed by him and dies of grief. Her soul unites with the Willis, the souls of dead women who suffered a similar fate. Roberto finally returns full of remorse, but he is drawn into a frenzied dance by the Willis...

Le Villi / Pagliacci

Staatstheater Mainz

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Gala Dinner 2023, hosted by Opera Holland Park, set in the magnificent Drapers' Hall on Tuesday, 21 November 2023. This exclusive black-tie event stands out as the only one of its kind in our calendar, offering a unique opportunity to experience performances from our most celebrated principal artists in a setting of unparalleled luxury.

The evening will commence with a sparkling reception at 6.30 pm, followed by a sumptuous dinner accompanied by music starting at 7.15 pm, and will conclude with carriages at 11.30 pm. Guests will be treated to fine food, exquisite wine, and engaging conversation, all while seated alongside OHP artists, creatives, and members of the company. This gala is not only a celebration of opera but also a crucial fundraiser to support Opera Holland Park's impactful work on stage and within the community.

We are especially proud to announce the participation of distinguished artists such as sopranos Anne Sophie Duprels and Elizabeth Karani, mezzo-soprano Clare Presland, tenors David Butt Philip and Elgan Llŷr Thomas, and baritone Harry Thatcher. These performers will be accompanied by the talents of conductors Charlotte Corderoy and John Andrews, pianist Stuart Wild, members of the City of London Sinfonia, and the Opera Holland Park Chorus. Please note that the lineup of artists is subject to change.

The funds raised during this gala will directly support our award-winning education and outreach program and contribute to our exciting 2024 Season. This upcoming season promises a captivating exploration of jealousy through a revival of the acclaimed 2008 production of Tosca, a new production of The Barber of Seville, semi-staged performances of Puccini’s Edgar, a revival of Il segreto di Susanna in a double bill with a new production of Pagliacci, and our first production of a Handel opera, Acis and Galatea.

Individual tickets for this exclusive event are priced at £375, which includes a voluntary donation of £175. Tables of 8 are available for £3,000, including a voluntary donation of £1,400. As tickets are limited, we encourage prompt inquiries via email at development@operahollandpark.com or by telephone at 020 3846 6222, option 2, to speak to Eleanor, Marylou, or Amy.

Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of opera, enjoy an evening of luxury, and support the future of Opera Holland Park.

Gala Dinner 2023

Drapers' Hall

A traveling troupe of commedia dell’arte brings with them not only a play that is frighteningly true to life, but also a host of secrets and jealousies. In Pagliacci—Clowns—composer Ruggero Leoncavallo created not the usual love triangle, but a love quadrangle, with three men—Canio, Tonio, and Silvio—all fighting for the love and attention of one woman, Nedda. Using the classic ‘play within a play’ format, the real lives of the characters act as a mirror to their parts in the play, with tragic consequences. As the on-stage drama melds with real-life passions, the two stories explode in a finale of manipulation, jealousy, violence, and of course, death. This is commedia after all.

Long Center for the Performing Arts

Experience the gripping tale of love and jealousy in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, where a traveling troupe of commedia dell’arte brings to life a play mirroring their own secrets and desires. In Pagliacci, composer Ruggero Leoncavallo created not the usual love triangle, but a love quadrangle, with three men all fighting for the love and attention of one woman. Using the classic ‘play within a play’ format, the characters’ real lives act as a mirror to their parts in the play, with tragic consequences. As the on-stage drama melds with real-life passions, the two stories explode in a finale of manipulation, jealousy, violence, and of course, death. This is commedia after all.

Taken from newspaper headlines, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci are two tragic tales of love, infidelity, and betrayal juxtaposing in the lives of ordinary people — emotionally intense, passionate, and dramatic.

Pagliacci with Cavalleria Rusticana

Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

Through iconic music and drama, this double bill reveals the consequences of infidelity and the rage within all of us.

Cavalleria rusticana | Pagliacci

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Turiddu returns from war to find his love, Lola, married to another. In a scheme to induce jealousy, he seduces Santuzza. As swiftly as she is beguiled, Santuzza is discarded while Turiddu begins an affair with his old flame. After the conclusion of Easter Mass, passions erupt and expose the ugliness of jealousy. With stirring melodies as iconic as the story, Cavalleria rusticana reveals the consequences of infidelity and the lengths we might go to for revenge.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City

Danger brews in the heart of a small traveling carnival.  The jealous star clown, Canio, suspects that his sexy clown wife Nedda is playing him for a fool. During an evening performance of their usual clown comedy show, theater and reality blend into one, as the enraged Canio exacts his terrible revenge.  Based on a true story, Leoncavallo’s opera paints a vivid portrait of unbridled passion, betrayal, and revenge; revealing that sometimes, behind a clown’s painted, cheery smile, the darkness hides and waits.

Tennessee Performing Arts Center

Celebrate the start of a new season with Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Ball, an unforgettable red-carpet evening complete with a champagne toast. The “astoundingly virtuosic and blazingly insightful” (The Guardian) Leonidas Kavakos joins the CSO in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Instrumental selections from Italian operas conclude the concert, underscoring the Chicago Tribune’s assertion that “no living conductor knows more about these scores” than Riccardo Muti.

Symphony Ball: Muti & Kavakos

Symphony Center

Pagliacci tells the story of an acting troupe: the aging actor Canio learns that his younger wife Nedda is having an affair with another man. Nevertheless, every evening he has to put on a good face on the stage as "Bajazzo" and play the game. Canio threatens to break up.

In Giacomo Puccini's first opera Le Villi, the composer's talent as a melodist and harmonist - his typical "melancholic tone" - is clearly heard. Anna and Roberto celebrate their engagement. Soon after, Roberto has to travel to Mainz for an inheritance, where he falls for a seductive stranger. Anna feels betrayed by him and dies of grief. Her soul reunites with the Willis, the souls of dead women who have suffered a similar fate. Roberto eventually returns, full of regrets, but the Willis engage him in a frenzied dance...

Le Villi /Pagliacci

Legendary theater and opera director Anne Bogart presents a master class with Boston Conservatory at Berklee students and members of the Boston Lyric Opera's Jane and Steven Akin Emerging Artist Program. Bogart is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and accolades for her influence on contemporary theater. She is the cofounder of SITI Company and a professor of theater at Columbia University.

Opera Innovators Series: Anne Bogart

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Pagliacci contains all the elements of the Italian verismo: A drama of passioned people to be carried away by their most basic instincts such as jealousy or revenge, culminating in several deaths in a brutally immediate spectacle which leaves us breathless.

Presented together,  Josephine  and  Pagliacci  explore the complex interplay between performance and personal turmoil. In  Josephine , Tom Cipullo brings to life the intimate reflections of Josephine Baker, the trail blazing entertainer and activist from St. Louis, MO, as she navigates the tension between her public persona and private struggles with love, identity, and racism. In Leoncavallo's  Pagliacci , the inner turmoil of a traveling actor troupe explodes into violence as Canio, the troupe's lead clown, confronts his wife Nedda's betrayal, shattering the boundary between performance and reality. Both works reveal the emotional depths of performers whose onstage lives mask profound personal pain. Together, they create a compelling evening of raw humanity and unflinching artistry.

Josephine / Pagliacci

Union Avenue Opera

This duo of passionate one-act operas explores the depths of spurned lovers’ grief and the lengths they’ll go to in avenging betrayal. Deadly love triangles unfold against starkly contrasted backdrops of an idyllic Sicilian countryside and a chaotic urban center.

Music Director Enrique Mazzola leads a a world-class cast that includes Lyric favorites Russell Thomas, Quinn Kelsey, and Gabriella Reyes in Elijah Moshinsky’s original production.

Lyric Opera House

	
What better way to ring in the New Year than with an exciting program featuring all your favorites from the world of opera performed by members of The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. Enjoy overtures and melodies from Mozart, Rossini, Bizet and Leoncavallo alongside dances, choruses and other works from Verdi, Borodin, and Wagner. 

operatic favorites

Lensic Performing Arts Center

The show must go on, but how? For Canio and his traveling troupe, painted smiles and colorful costumes belie infidelity and betrayal. The façade is shattered when a hidden affair is revealed and a lighthearted night at the theater gives way to jealousy, suspicion, and ultimately violence. As the line between performance and reality blurs and the drama onstage begins to mirror the turmoil offstage, Pagliacci begs the question—does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?

Composer

Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 25 - Aug 2, 2025

Josephine / Pagliacci · Union Avenue Opera

1 - 23 Nov, 2025

Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci · Lyric Opera of Chicago

Jan 18, 2026

operatic favorites · The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

9 - 16 May, 2026

Pagliacci · Minnesota Opera

Past events

5 - 7 Jun, 2025

Pagliacci · Marble City Opera

14 - 16 Mar, 2025

Pagliacci · Pensacola Opera

About

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