Burnaby Lyric Opera stages famed double bill of Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci, to March 2
Think big Italian sound, comedy, and tragedy, at the James Cowan Theatre
The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts presents Gianni Schicchi and Pagliacci at the James Cowan Theatre at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on February 25 and 27, and March 1 and 2
WHILE YOU may not be instantly familiar with the two short operas Pagliacci and Gianni Schicchi, here’s betting you know and love their music.
Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci alone features a serene aria that you’ve probably heard on Seinfeld or The Simpsons. Don’t be misled though: those goofy reference points belie the fact that it is one of the most heart-ripping operatic tragedies of all time.
It tells the story of an acting troupe led by a jealous man—a clown who is ultimately driven to bloody revenge on his wife and her lover.
Burnaby Lyric Opera is getting ready to stage it with Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, which will help lighten your mood before you have to face Pagliacci’s darkness. The comedy finds the title character tricking his greedy relatives out of an inheritance. And its soprano aria, “O mio babbino caro”, made famous by Maria Callas, is transcendant. No wonder the pair of works are almost always staged as a double bill.
The cast in this production features Jason Cook, Turgut Akmete, Chloé Hurst, Aaron Durand, and Sergio Augusto—Burnaby Lyric Opera continuing its role showcasing young, rising operatic talents.
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