David A.Straz, JR. CENTER for the performing arts

Show Dates & Times

Jan. 27 & 29

Fri. 7:30 p.m.
Sun. 2 p.m.

Pricing

Regularly priced tickets start at $29.50.

Groups also save on the service fee – just $1.50 per ticket!
Groups of 12 or more receive 15% off the regular ticket price for any Opera Tampa performance.

Educator's discount: 50% off. Limit 2 tickets. Rear orchestra, rear/side mezzanine, or rear/side balcony only. Other restrictions apply.

There is a maximum ticket allotment of eight tickets per account/household/business for paid, ticketed events. (For some shows, it may be less.) Applicable service charges added at point of purchase. There is no maximum for free, non-ticketed events.

For ticket purchases via the phone or ticket office, service charges are waived for current annual Straz members at the $400 level and higher, although special handling fees may apply to some shows. Service charges for online transactions apply to all members. 

Pursuant to s.817.36, Florida Statutes, no Straz Center ticket may be offered or resold for more than $1 over the face value of the ticket.

What to Expect

Who's who
Scott Piper – Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana / Canio in I Pagliacci
Cristina Nassif – Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana / Nedda in I Pagliacci
Michael Corvino – Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana / Tonio in I Pagliacci
Keith Harris – Silvio / I Pagliacci
Ian O’Brien – Beppe / I Pagliacci
Dawn Pierce – Lola / Cavalleria Rusticana
Susan Nicely – Lucia / Cavalleria Rusticana
Conductor – Anton Coppola
Michael Shell – Director

Scott Piper
Spinto tenor Scott Piper’s rich, resonant voice and charismatic stage presence are quickly establishing him as a sought after interpreter of opera’s romantic leading men,  in roles such roles as the Cavaradossi in Tosca, Don José in Bizet’s Carmen, Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. The Salt Lake Triubune wrote of his Utah Opera performance, “His voice was rich and natural, with baritone heft in the lower range; his heart-tugging third-act aria, “E lucevan le stelle,” was one of the evening’s highlights.” Last season as he transition into spinto repertoire, Piper sang Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Seattle Opera, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for Opera New Jersey, Calaf in Turandot for Pensacola Opera, Don José in Carmen for Nashville Opera and Alfredo in La Traviata for Indianapolis Opera. In the 11-12 season Piper will make his role debut as Turiddu with the New Israeli Opera, will add Canio for a Cavalleria – Pagliacci double bill with Opera Tampa, debuts Manrico in Verdi’s Il Trovatore with Opera Roanoke, debuts with Sarasota Opera as Anatol in Barber’s Vanessa and will return to his signature roles: Rodolfo in La Boheme with Angers-Nantes Opera in France and Don Jose in Carmen with Kentucky Opera.

Cristina Nassif
Cristina Nassif is universally acclaimed not only for her “powerful and expressive voice” but for her “electric stage presence” (The Washington Post on her Vitellia with Washington National Opera). This year she has performed the title role in Bizet's Carmen in an abridged semi-staged production in Allentown, Pa., at Allentown's Symphony Hall as well as in a fully staged production in Pretoria and Johannesburg, South Africa with Opera Africa. She then joined the Eclipse Chamber Orchestra for Berlioz's cycle Les nuits d'été. Her 2009-2010 engagements included her international debut as Carmen at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Strauss’s Four Last Songs with the McLean Symphony, Countess Almaviva with Opera Delaware, soloist in Opera New Jersey’s Concerts in the Park Series, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony, LyricFest’s Biography in Music – Shakespeare, Donna Elvira with the Virginia Opera, a solo program of operatic arias at the Al Bustan Festival in Beirut, a revival of Carmen at London’s O2 Arena and Donna Elvira with Opera North. Ms. Nassif’s operatic repertoire also includes Violetta, Nedda, Musetta, Rosina, Alice Ford, Pamina, Despina and Tatiana, among others.

Michael Corvino
Michael Corvino has proven himself one of America’s leading verismo and Verdi baritones. With nearly 200 performances achieved of Verdi’s leading baritone roles, he continues to impress audiences and critics alike. The New York Times praised his performance of Germont as “splendid”. Paul Joseph Walkowski of operaonline.us raved of his Rigoletto, “Baritone Michael Corvino not only sang beautifully and with great passion, but his voice captured both the strength and vulnerability of the character. His performance was simply riveting and could easily become a signature role, he performed it so well.” Mr. Corvino began his operatic career in 1997, singing the role of Sharpless with Opera Northeast’s production of Madama Butterfly. Since then, his career has continued to grow and flourish, taking him to Europe and Asia, as well as to many houses in the United States. In the 2000 – 2001 season, he joined the roster of New York City Opera, where he made many returns in the years to follow. Roles in his repertoire include Verdi’s Rigoletto (title role), Germont (La Traviata), Nabucco (title role), Amonasro (Aïda), Iago (Otello) and the Count di Luna (Il Trovatore), as well as Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Alfo (Cavalleria Rusticana), Tonio (I Pagliacci), Marcello (La Bohème), David (L’amico Fritz), Lescaut (Manon Lescaut) and Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor), among many others. 


Keith Harris
Praised for the distinctive warmth of his voice, clear diction and exceptional musicianship, American baritone Keith Harris is quickly gaining recognition for his performances on both the operatic and concert stage. Mr. Harris made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the new production of Verdi’s Don Carlo to open the 2010-2011 season. He then sang the title role in Karsa’s Brundibar with the Phoenix Symphony and joined the cast at the New York City Opera as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. The 2009-2010 season began with his Carnegie Hall debut with Manhattan Concert Productions in the world premiere of David N. Childs’ Requiem. Other season highlights included Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Carmina Burana with Distinguished Concerts International of New York at Carnegie Hall, and an Alice Tully Hall debut singing Carmina Burana with the Riverside Choral Society. In the 2011-2012 season, Mr. Harris will join Opera Tampa as Silvio in I Pagliacci, the Lyrique en Mer Festival in France as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, the Lancaster Symphony in Carmina Burana and the National Chorale in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.

Ian O’Brien
A voice student of Maria Spacagna, O'Brien is a Vocal Performance major at Rhode Island College. He was selected to perform as the featured soloist at an ASCAP-sponsored event celebrating the life of George M. Cohen and has enjoyed performances on regional stages in Rhode Island, Boston and New York. Mr. O’Brien has apprenticed as a New Artist with Opera Tampa and performed in their production of The Merry Widow with Anton Coppola conducting. Mr. O'Brien has performed on many of the northeast's greatest stages including Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall in Boston and Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Mr. O'Brien's specialties include Irish, Scottish and German dialects as well as superior pronunciation of Italian and German. In addition, he studied for 12 years classical viola and renaissance flute. 


Dawn Pierce
Dawn Pierce is a mezzo soprano, possessing a unique vocal quality described as “deep liquid velvet.” An exceptional performer, Ms. Pierce combines vocal artistry with advanced acting abilities and training in dance. Pierce’s favorite performances are those in which she portrays strong and heroic women. Her present repertoire includes Carmen, Isabella (L’Italiana in Algeri), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly) and Charlotte (Werther). On the operatic stage she recently performed as Dorabella (Così fan tutte), The Contessa di Coigny and Madelon (Andrea Chenier), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), and Jo (Little Women). She is equally comfortable in musical theater where she portrayed Franca (The Light in the Piazza), The Grand Duchess (The Student Prince), and Anita (West Side Story). At North Carolina School of the Arts, Pierce was featured as Lucretia in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia, Idamante in Idomeneo, Irene in Donizetti’s Belisario, and Elmire in Mechem’s Tartuffe. Completing her formal undergraduate education at Ithaca College, Pierce graduated Magna Cum Laude with bachelor's degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education. She continued her education at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she earned a Summa Cum Laude Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance along with a Performing Artist Certificate in Opera.

Susan Nicely 
Mezzo-Soprano Susan Nicely is known for her rich voice and vivid characterizations. Her highly acclaimed “lively comic presence” in roles such as Dame Marthe in Faust, Old Lady in Candide, and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as dramatic portrayals in Cavalleria Rusticana as Mamma Lucia and The Ballad of Baby Doe as Mama McCourt make the character mezzo an “audience darling” says the Austin American-Statesman. In 2008 and beyond, she performs Thelma Predmore in Cold Sassy Tree and Mary in The Flying Dutchman with the Atlanta Opera, Emma Jones in Street Scene with Chautauqua Opera, and Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette with Syracuse Opera. In the fall 2007, she returned to New York City Opera as Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana, as well as performing Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Atlanta Opera, Hannah in Maria Stuarda with Dallas Opera, Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Grand Rapids, and Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Omaha in the previous 2006-2007 season. Additional recent engagements include Marquise de Berkenfeld in La Fille du Régiment with Florentine Opera, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro with Chautauqua Opera, Annina in La Traviata with Atlanta Opera and Opera Pacific, Mamma Lucia in Cavelleria Rusticana and Tisbe in La Cenerentola with Dallas Opera, and Dame Marthe in Faust with Palm Beach Opera.

Maestro Anton Coppola
Maestro Anton Coppola is a renowned American opera composer and conductor who brings many years of experience to the podium. He has conducted almost all of the important opera companies in the United States and Canada including the San Francisco and New York City Operas. Known for his range and versatility, Coppola has conducted the world premieres of Lizzie Borden, Deseret and Of Mice and Men, as well as many Broadway musicals. Mr. Coppola has also worked with the Royal Opera Orchestra and opera soprano Angela Gheorghiu to release a complete recording of Puccini works. After serving four years as an army bandmaster during World War II, he moved on to conduct at Radio City Music Hall. For 15 years, he was the director of both the Symphony and Opera Departments at the Manhattan School of Music and holds a Master’s degree in composition. Among his larger works are a symphony, an opera, a violin concerto and numerous film scores. Coppola has conducted important revivals of Zaza, Mireille and Falstaff, as well as appearing in his nephew Francis Ford Coppola’s film, Godfather III. He also conducted the score for the Coppola film Dracula. Coppola most recently received honorary Doctorates from the University of Tampa and Quinnitiac University in Connecticut. 

Michael Shell
Michael Shell made his stage directorial debut with a production of The Daughter of the Regiment for The Opera Company of the Highlands in 2006, and went on to direct a new production of Sleeping Beauty for Virginia Opera. Since then he has directed Cosi fan tutte for Piedmont Opera as part of the State of North Carolina's new touring arts outreach program, CARTwheels. Also for Piedmont Opera he directed La Traviata and was the AD for Dorothy Danner on the Opera House Premier of their production of The Light in the Piazza. He has directed Il Trovatore conducted by Maestro Anton Coppola for Opera Tampa, Richard Rodney Bennett’s All the King’s Men and The Tragedy of Carmen for Opera Omaha; Kurt Weill’s Street Scene for The A.J.Fletcher Opera Institute at the North Carolina School of the Arts; and Dido and Aeneas for Central City Opera. He has assisted on two world premiers, assisting David Scwheizer on Steven Hartke’s The Greater Good or the Passion of Boule de Suif at Glimmerglass Opera in 2006, and Rhoda Levine at Opera Omaha on Anthony Davis’ opera Wakonda’s Dream in 2007. He has been a guest faculty member at the North Carolina School of the Arts teaching Opera Workshop and directing the 2009 Undergraduate Opera Workshop performance. He was the director for the 2009 Webster University Opera Studio performances and was a guest lecturer and advisor at Florida State University for the opera workshop performance. He has directed opera scenes for Glimmerglass Opera and Central City Opera. Shell was the 2009 honoree of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Charles MacKay Career Development Fund. He was the AD on The Ghosts of Versailles and The Golden Ticket at Opera Theater of Saint Louis and at Wexford Festival Opera, as well as the writer and director for OTSL's Opera Theater Night Cabaret 2009 and 2010. In September of 2009 he was the Director/Co-Writer for SJ: The Cabaret at Joe's Pub, a cabaret featuring Sarah Jane McMahon. 











 

About the Show

Download the program notes and synopsis provided by Opera News (22.8 KB)

The Scene
I Pagliacci: Calabria, near Montalto, on the Feast of the Assumption between 1865 and 1870
Cavalleria Rusticana: a 19th century Sicilian village on Easter morning

Characters
I Pagliacci:
Canio, head of the troupe
Nedda, Canio's wife,in love with Silvio
Tonio, the fool
Beppe, actor
Silvio, Nedda's lover

Cavalleria Rusticana:
Santuzza, a peasant girl
Turiddu, a young villager recently returned from the army
Lucia, his mother
Alfio, the village teamster
Lola, his wife

Fun Fact
I Pagliacci: The 2009 murder mystery musical Laugh Clown, Laugh takes place backstage of a production of Pagliacci. The character Phillip Winchester sings a song that summarizes the opera's plot, while the events of the musical also have ironic connections.

Cavalleria Rusticana: The opera's symphonic Intermezzo has figured in the sound track of several films, most notably in the opening of Raging Bull and in The Godfather Part III, which featured a performance of the opera as a key part of the film's climax.

Synopsis
I Pagliacci:
Before the opera begins, Tonio the clown steps before the curtain (“Si può?”) to announce that the author has written a true story and that even actors and clowns have the same joys and sorrows as other people.

Villagers in a town in Calabria gather around a small theatrical company that has just arrived. Canio, the head of the troupe, describes the night’s offerings (“Un grande spettacolo”). When one of the villagers suggests that Tonio is secretly courting Canio’s wife, Nedda, Canio warns that he will tolerate no flirting off stage (“Un tal gioco”). Vesper bells call the women to church and the men to the tavern, leaving Nedda alone. Disturbed by her husband’s jealousy, she envies the freedom of the birds in flight (“Stridono lassù”). Tonio tries to force himself on her. She beats him back and he swears revenge. In fact, Nedda does have a lover—Silvio, who appears and persuades her to run away with him after the evening’s performance (“E allor perchè”). Tonio overhears this and hurries off to tell Canio. The jealous husband bursts in on the guilty pair, but Silvio runs away before Canio can identify him. Nedda, even when threatened with a knife, refuses to reveal the man’s name. Beppe, another clown, restrains Canio and Tonio advises him to wait until the evening’s performance to catch Nedda’s lover. Alone, Canio bitterly reflects that he must play the clown while his heart is breaking (“Vesti la giubba”).

The villagers, including Silvio, assemble to see the commedia dell’arte performance.
Harlequin (played by Beppe) serenades Columbine (Nedda) and dismisses her buffoonish servant Taddeo (Tonio). The two lovers dine together and plot to poison Columbine’s husband Pagliaccio (played by Canio), who soon arrives. Harlequin slips away. With pointed malice, Taddeo assures Pagliaccio of his wife’s innocence, which ignites Canio’s jealousy. Forgetting the play, he demands Nedda tell him the name of her lover (“No, Pagliaccio non son”). She tries to continue with the play, the audience enthralled by its realism. Enraged, Canio stabs Nedda and Silvio, who rushes to help her. Tonio announces to the horrified villagers that the comedy is ended.

Cavalleria Rusticana:
Easter dawns in a Sicilian village. Turiddu is heard in the distance singing about Lola, wife of the prosperous carter Alfio (“O Lola, bianca come fior di spino”). Townsfolk and fieldworkers mingle in the piazza, then disperse. Santuzza approaches Mamma Lucia’s tavern looking for her son Turiddu; the old woman says he is away buying wine. Alfio arrives with his friends, boasting of his horses—and of his new wife, Lola (“Il cavallo scalpita”). He leaves as the villagers follow a procession to mass. Santuzza, who is unwilling to enter the church, stays behind to tell Mamma Lucia that Turiddu has abandoned her for his old flame, Lola (“Voi lo sapete”). The old woman leaves for mass, and Santuzza confronts Turiddu (“Tu qui, Santuzza?”). Lola saunters in, infuriating Santuzza with her brazen arrogance. Lola enters the church, and Santuzza resumes her pleading, but Turiddu refuses to listen. Pushing her to the ground, he runs into the church. Santuzza curses him. When Alfio arrives, Santuzza reveals that his wife has been cheating on him. Alfio swears to get even and rushes off, followed by the now conscience-stricken Santuzza.

Intermezzo

The villagers exit the church and join Turiddu in a drinking song, but the atmosphere becomes tense when Alfio appears, insulting Turiddu and challenging him to a knife fight. Turiddu admits his guilt but will go through with the fight, for Santuzza’s sake as well as for honor. Alone with his mother, Turiddu thanks her for the wine and begs her to take care of Santuzza if he doesn’t come back (“Mamma, quel vino”). As Mamma Lucia waits anxiously in the piazza, shouts are heard in the distance. A woman runs in screaming that Turiddu has been killed.

About the composers
I Pagliacci: Ruggero Leoncavallo
Cavalleria Rusticana: Pietro Mascagni


When premieres I Pagliacci in 1892:
 

•  Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States.
• Ernest Louis, a grandson of Queen Victoria, becomes Grand Duke of Hesse and the Rhine on the death of his father, Grand Duke Louis IV.
• The General Electric Company is established through the merger of the Thomson-Houston Company and the Edison General Electric Company.
• Prince George of Wales becomes Duke of York.
• Abercrombie & Fitch is established by David T. Abercrombie.
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle publishes The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
• Grover Cleveland is elected over Benjamin Harrison and James B. Weaver to win the second of his non-consecutive terms.

• Alice Sanger becomes the first female staffer in the White House.
• Nellie Bly completes her round-the-world journey in 72 days.
• The first brief flight of Clément Ader's steam-powered fixed-wing aircraft Eole takes place in Satory, France.
• In Washington, D.C., the Daughters of the American Revolution is founded.
• King William III of the Netherlands dies without a male heir, and his daughter Princess Wilhelmina becomes Queen, causing Luxembourg (who required a male heir) to declare independence.