Toronto City Opera will launch its 2025 season with Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, with performances on November 19, 22 and 23. Sawyer Craig directs the opera, a tale of love, jealousy, and betrayal.
Leoncavallo’s Italian opera premiered in May 1892, conducted by Arturo Toscanini. It was popular from its debut, and soon after, toured to London and New York. Today it’s the best known of the composer’s ten operas, and is frequently performed in opera houses all over the world.
The new production is set in the mid-20th century, during the dying days of the travelling circus. As one such troupe arrives in a small town to perform their latest comedic production, tensions rise, and the lines between art and life begin to blur, erupting in passion and violence.
Artistic Director Jennifer Tung conducts, with Ivan Estey Jovanovich at the piano. “Pagliacci has some of the most moving and dramatic music in the Italian repertoire — it’s incredibly powerful,” says Tung in a statement.
Performances take place at the 918 Bathurst Centre. “The 918 Bathurst Centre creates an immersive atmosphere — you’ll feel like you’re part of the story,” Tung adds.
“Our audiences will be immersed in the action of this opera,” explains Administrative Director Nicholas Borg. “The ‘play within a play’ nature of Pagliacci means that our TCO chorus plays the role of the audience alongside the real Toronto audience. Everyone shares the same space, blurring the lines between reality and drama.”
The cast spotlights a quintet of Toronto’s emerging professional singers, including Ross Mortimer in the role of Canio, the most famous sad clown in the opera world. Cassandra Amorim stars in the role of Nedda, wife to Canio, and trapped in a miserable marriage. Johnathon Kirby sings the role of vengeful Tonio, with James Coole-Stevenson in the role of Nedda’s lover Silvio, and Cameron Mazzei completes the cast as Beppe, an actor of the troupe.
Performances
Toronto City Opera celebrates its 80th anniversary this season, continuing its mandate of offering accessible and high quality opera performances. The organization was founded as an opera workshop at Central Technical High School in 1946.
“The community chorus is the heart of TCO,” Tung emphasizes. “I always make sure there’s significant chorus involvement in every production we choose.”
November 19, 22, and 23 at the 918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education.
- Find show details and tickets [HERE].
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