Lyric Opera Of Kansas City Announces CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA And PAGLIACCI

Lyric Opera of Kansas City General Director and  CEO Deborah Sandler Kemper today announced the 2023-2024 season-opening  production, a double bill of ALL NEW productions of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, conceived by Shawna Lucey and designed by Steven C. Kemp. Not seen at Lyric Opera  of Kansas City for 24 years, these two one-act operas pair iconic music and drama for a  rich and deep evening of Italian opera. Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci will run for three performances, Sept. 23 through Oct. 1, 2023 at the Kauffman Center for the  Performing Arts in the Muriel Kauffman Theatre (1601 Broadway, KCMO 64108). 

An all-star cast makes their Lyric Opera debut on the Kauffman stage for Cavalleria  rusticana, including mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey, and tenor Adam Smith.  Baritone Gevorg Hakobyan will be making his North American debut; returning to Lyric  Opera of Kansas City for both productions are director Shawna Lucey (Lucia di  Lammermoor, 2020) and conductor Roberto Kalb (Carmen, 2022). 

Making their Lyric Opera debuts for Pagliacci are tenor Diego Torre, soprano Gabriella  Reyes, and baritone Gevorg Hakobyan. 

Sandler Kemper stated, “We are thrilled to produce these operas for our audiences  finally. This favorite double bill, which heralded the start of verismo opera, features  spectacular music, and exposes the emotionally intense and passionate actions of  everyday people.”

Set in the same Sicilian village, these two one-act operas are separated by World War I. 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. 

Pagliacci 

The passions of ordinary people take center stage in Leoncavallo’s classic verismo tale of resentment and possession. Drama seeps into the fabric of a small traveling theater troupe led by Canio and his wife, Nedda. When his suspicions of Nedda’s  affair are confirmed, Canio must put on a smile and entertain despite his broken heart.  Numb to the ugliness of their world, the audience is left to interpret whether the plot  before them is theater or reality. 

This double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci contains some mature themes  that may be disturbing to audiences, including extramarital affairs, violence, sexual  assault, and homicide.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City announces double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci Sept. 23 – Oct. 1, 2023 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts 

Cavalleria rusticana* and Pagliacci ^ 

Composer: Pietro Mascagni* | Ruggero Leoncavallo^ 

Librettist: Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci* | Ruggero Leoncavallo^ Sung in Italian with English subtitles 

* Cavalleria rusticana 

^ Pagliacci 

Cast and Artistic Team 

Cavalleria rusticana 

Conductor: Roberto Kalb 

Director: Shawna Lucey 

Santuzza: Samantha Hankey * 

Turiddu: Adam Smith * 

Alfio: Gevorg Hakobyan* 

Mamma Lucia: Jill Grove * 

Lola: Christine Boddicker* 

Pagliacci 

Conductor: Roberto Kalb 

Director: Shawna Lucey 

Canio: Diego Torre* 

Nedda: Gabriella Reyes*  

Tonio: Gevorg Hakobyan* 

Beppe: Benjamin Ruiz * 

Silvio: Luke Sutliff* 

* Lyric Opera of Kansas City debut 

Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci 

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (1601 Broadway, KCMO 64108) • Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 7:30 pm 

• Friday, September 29, 2023, at 7:30 pm 

• Sunday, October 1, 2023, at 2:00 pm 

Community Engagement 

Opera Dives Deep 

This free lecture series provides audiences with fresh insights from regional scholars and industry professionals to enrich appreciation and understanding of the operas in our season. Both established operagoers and curious newcomers alike are sure to make discoveries. 

Opera Dives Deep is held at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center,  Brookside Room, 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110. Visit https://kcopera.org/opera-dives-deep/ for more information.

Lyric Opera of Kansas City announces double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci Sept. 23 – Oct. 1, 2023 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts 

Monday, September 18, 2023, 7:00 – 8:00 pm 

Speaker: Jane Sylvester 

Title: Verismo’s Creative Deceptions: The Fictions of the Italian South in Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci 

Description: Verismo, or Italian realism, was a late nineteenth-century movement in Italy inspired by presenting “life as it is.” This talk explores the scandalous tales, new ideas of personal identity, and regional stereotypes of the Italian  North and South that informed the stories and music of both Cavalleria  rusticana and Pagliacci. Ultimately, this talk will allow us to question how— and why—practitioners of opera have transformed tall tales and outright  fictions into artistic realities. 

Community Conversations, a series by Lyric Opera of Kansas City, uses opera to discover our shared humanity, on and off the stage. We invite the culturally curious to explore the “here and now” implications of productions in a series of free events featuring live music and stimulating conversation. No prior opera knowledge needed! RSVP at Community Conversations.

Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci 

Community Conversation: Viva il vino!

Save the date for Wednesday, September 6, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Cupini’s, 1809  Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111 

Join Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Cupini’s for a signature Community  Conversation blending culture and cuisine! Indulge in live excerpts  from Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, perfectly complemented by four  delicious courses and wine pairings. This communal dining experience on  Cupini's outdoor patio will explore Sicilian customs and Italian history in Kansas  City. As many opera drinking songs attest, “Viva il vino! Hurrah for wine!” 

$125 per ticket. RSVP here. 

Single tickets start at just $30. For ticket information, visit https://kcopera.org/ or  contact Lyric Opera Ticketing & Patron Services at (816) 471-7344. Lyric Opera of Kansas City announces double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci Sept. 23 – Oct. 1, 2023 at Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts 

Founded in 1958 and now one of the nation's premier regional opera companies, Lyric  Opera of Kansas City brings high-quality live operatic performances to Kansas City and  a five-state region. Repertoire choices encompass original-language performances of  standard repertory, as well as contemporary and American operas. The company's  productions enrich the community it serves while reflecting the highest artistic standards  of the profession. Lyric Opera offers innovative programs to further music and arts  education in schools and in the community. Opera lovers can be fans of Lyric Opera of  Kansas City on Facebook or follow the company on Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram at  @kcopera. 

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