I Pagliacci opera triggers the tears of a clown, August 26 to September 5
Nebula Performances stages a full production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s famous work, with Wanshuai Yu in the leading role
Wanshuai Yu (left) and Wenwen Du.
Nebula Performances presents I Pagliacci at the Nebula Performance Hall (9205 Shaughnessy Street) on August 26, 28, and 30 and September 1, 3, and 5
TRANSLATED LITERALLY, the title of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci means “The Clowns”—but in the 1892 Italian opera, there’s more pain, anger, and jealousy than comedy. In its famous tenor aria “Vesti la giubba” (“Put on the costume”), the lead character, Canio, must paint his face and prepare to make an audience laugh even though his heart has just been broken by his wife’s infidelity.
Opera lovers can experience that moving music live—and much more—as Vancouver’s Nebula Performances stages a full rendition of I Pagliacci to wrap up the summer.
Nebula burst out of the gates last summer with a buzzed-about production of Peter Brook’s adaptation La Tragédie de Carmen. The company was founded by executive producer Alice Chee and pianist/artistic director Wenwen Du, who bring together emerging and established artists, hosting intimate, fully costumed performances in an adapted space on southern Shaughnessy Street.
David Walsh directs this production, with Du heading up the music side. Wanshuai Yu—a resident artist at Nebula who performs across China, Europe, and North America—stars in the demanding role of the tragic clown, while sopranos Holly Chaplin and Hannah Ernst alternate opposite him as the unfaithful wife, Nedda. Expect costumes that draw on historical Commedia dell’Arte, care of designer Helen Langerud—and yes, that means iconic clown suits for Canio, at least until everything goes awry. 
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