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, Ruggero Leoncavallo's Pagliacci begs the question — does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?
Host Steve Staruch speaks with three members of the production’s cast: soprano Amanda Batista and tenor Won Whi Choi, as well as Principal Coach and Chorus Director Celeste Marie Johnson, in preparation for opening night on Saturday, May 9, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Listen to their conversation through the player above, as well as a sneak peek of their performances in the videos below, recorded here at Minnesota Public Radio’s Maud Moon Weyerhaeuser studio.
Stridono lassù with Amanda Batista (Celeste Marie Johnson, piano)
Un tal gioco, credetemi with Won Whi Choi (Celeste Marie Johnson, piano)
Find out more about the production and how to purchase tickets on the Minnesota Opera’s official site.
This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment‘s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
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