Review Quotations
Top 5 Operas To See This Weekend – North America (11/30-12/2): San Jose Opera's PAGLIACCI.
Leoncavallo Meets Hitchcock: Stage director Chuck Hudson and a strongly theatrical cast have come up with a Pagliacci for the ages, downright Hitchcockian in its ability to deliver the layers of tension in Leoncavallo’s work. It’s a stunning, suspenseful night at the opera...Into this maelstrom comes – almost unexpectedly – some excellent commedia dell’arte...Canio kills his wife with a Psycho-style overhead stabbing, then turns to pierce Silvio in mid-air. Finally, Canio is killed by a constabulary’s gunshot and falls roughly to the floor. (This may be the only opera cast that needs its own personal trainer.) It’s all very riveting.
Showcasing its high-tension drama, Pagliacci stands alone marvelously at Opera San José: Jammed with lust, betrayal, jealousy and violence, there’s a thrilling and high-tension drama at play to make an all up 90-minute evening that includes a 25-minute interval feel like it gives more than enough punch. Given so much passion and commitment to quality as it has, Opera San José showcased the work marvelously...Chuck Hudson’s direction is loaded with vibrancy and ardour.
Listen to the San Jose Opera Podcast discussion of the production with Chuck Hudson and Christian Reif.