I Pagliacci

According to National Public Radio, opera is on the rise in our nation with new regional companies being created on a regular basis.  The newly-formed Opera Western Reserve is one of the most recent to be included in those ranks.  The name was chosen to join Ballet Western Reserve, Case Western University, and others in showing pride in our history and commitment to our region.

Following the successful collaboration by the Youngstown Opera Guild and the Dana School of Music with Madama Butterfly in the spring of 2003 and the Opera Guild’s dinner/opera production of La Traviatta in the Stambaugh Ballroom last fall, the Guild and Opera Western Reserve will collaborate on Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci on November 12th.  The pre-opera dinner will be held in the Ballroom, but the production itself will move upstairs to the Main Auditorium at Stambaugh.

The chamber orchestra will be conducted by internationally known Susan Daveny Wyner who is also Music Director of the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra.  Dr. Misoook Yun, on the vocal faculty of the Dana School of Music, will sing the role of Nedda.  Casting of other prominent area singers in the remaining leading roles is in the process of being completed.  The opera will be staged and costumed with full chorus.  Stage direction will be by David Vosburgh, also a faculty member of YSU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts.

Stambaugh Auditorium, with its world-class acoustics, is a perfect venue for opera.  With its addition of extensive stage lighting, the restoration of the auditorium’s beautiful ceiling, and comfortable seating, it provides both audience and singers with an excellent setting for an evening of glorious music.  The Opera Guild’s gourmet dinner will make the event a feast for all the senses.  The secure on-site parking adds to the comfort and convenience of the opera goers.

I Pagliacci (The Clowns) is a tale of passion and jealousy in a band of traveling players and is set in rural Italy at the turn of the last century.  Based on a true story, Leoncavallo has surrounded the tale with lush orchestral and choral music.  In addition to the tenor’s memorable “Vesti la Glubba”and the baritone’s Prologue, there are melodious arias and duets for the entire cast.  The two-act opera, which will be performed in the original Italian with a projected translation, comes to a dramatic ending when the jealous husband confronts his faithless wife and her lover. 

Tickets for the opera can be purchased separately or in combination with the pre-show dinner and will be on sale beginning in the middle of October when reservations can be made by calling .  For information regarding sponsorship packages or to be put on the Opera Western Reserve mailing list, call James Boyd, Opera Western Reserve General Director, at .