English
FrançaisDuring Opera Lyra Ottawa's production of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, everyone is invited back stage to learn more about the operas, rehearsals, the characters and performers as well as what it's like getting ready for opening night.
This behind-the-scenes video blog series is called A Singer's Life. It is produced and posted by Jonathan Estabrooks, an accomplished baritone. He's a graduate of The Juilliard School and has performed internationally and at such venues as Carnegie Hall and the Tel Aviv Opera House. He sang the role of Silvio in Pagliacci as well as took us all behind-the-scenes with his video blog during the run.
Enjoy!
A Singer's Life - 60 second make over
Did you know...?
Pagliacci the iconic clown and the music from the opera can be found throughout pop culture?
Here are a just a few examples.
On an episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Opera", Jerry and Elaine attend a performance of
Pagliacci where their stalker 'Crazy' Joe Davola disguises himself as the clown to seek his
revenge on them. It is the ninth episode of the fourth season. It aired on November 4, 1992.
Take a look! at a few of the scenes from The Opera.
Brian DePalma's 1987 film, "The Untouchables", features Al Capone (Robert De Niro) weeping
at a performance of Pagliacci. And, as the character played by Sean Connery lays dying, the
scene is accompanied by the famous aria "Vesti la giubba".
The Pagliacci aria "Vesti la Giubba" was featured in a Kellogg's cereal ad in 1969, with the lyrics "No more Rice Krispies, we are out of Rice Krispies." Entertainment Weekly touted it as one of the 10 best commercials of all time.
Coke recently produced a commercial starring the famous clown and aria. A small boy responds to the famous clown singing on stage. Coca-cola goes to the opera!
Did you know that in music an intermezzo is an interlude that ofen denotes time passing?
The Intermezzo in Cavalleria rusticana will be familar to many as it has been used in many movie soundtracks. 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.
Opera is everywhere!