Members of the UTPB Music Department rehearse for the opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. “I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” runs March 24-26 starting at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Admission costs $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
University of Texas Permian Basin will host a classic Italian opera this week — with English narration.
“I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” takes the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Tickets are $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID.
Director David Corman stressed that the production is not suitable for young children and there is an age advisory that it is for children 12 and up.
Corman is the director of the UTPB Vocal Ensemble, adjunct professor of voice and music minister at First United Methodist Church in Odessa. He also will narrate the opera.
Corman said there will be 40 cast members, including himself and Rachelle Woolston, an adjunct professor of voice and musical theater.
UTPB adjunct voice professor, director and narrator David Corman, left, rehearses for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
“… I’ve sung both of the baritone leads and the tenor in my career, but then directing-wise, I did two Pagliaccis at Odessa College 10 years ago, and then maybe 15 years ago …,” Corman said.
Originally, Pagliacci was a one-act opera that was usually paired with other one-act operas in professional theater, Corman said.
He added that it is one of the most performed operas in the world. Corman said he added about 30 minutes of music, so it’s about an hour and 45 minutes.
“… I’ve added music at the beginning to tell the story a little bit further, because the opera itself takes place in about three hours of time. So it kind of occurs. It’s just like this fast thing that happens. So there’s not like any pre-story. So I’m telling the pre-story in the beginning,” he said.
The opera is by Ruggero Leoncavallo and is based on a true story from 1868. Leoncavallo’s father was a judge and he heard a case where an actor killed his wife on stage. Corman said it premiered in Italy in 1892, 24 years after the original incident occurred in the Calabrian village of Montalto.
“It was a huge hit; made him super famous, but it’s really his only hit …,” Corman said.
This version takes place in 1930 in Mussolini’s Italy. Because of this, it has music from George Gershwin, for example.
“It’s like a Shakespearean tragedy is what it is. It just happens to be set in opera. It’s that kind of scope of meaning. If there’s ever a piece about tragedy this is it,” Corman said.
Jacob Corman, left, and Rachelle Woolston rehearse for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
The piece is sung in Italian, but the narration is in English.
Maija Johnson is the choreographer and there will be orchestra and piano conducted by Jean Gomez Fonseca, assistant professor and director of orchestral activities. Nichole Rougeau-Vanderford, a senior lecturer in English at UTPB, is in charge of costumes.
Jacob Corman, one of Corman’s children, is playing Tonio, an evil clown. Ben Corman is playing Canio.
“… Playing an evil character is almost kind of like a thrilling escape,” Jacob Corman said.
He added that he has been in many productions with his father and at the Permian Playhouse as well.
“Working with your family, it’s a really great team effort. It’s been really enjoyable. Sometimes you can’t escape work when you’re working with your family, because you take it home with you,” Jacob Corman said.
But Jacob noted that the teamwork is like “nothing else because you know these people because they’re your family.”
Corman said he has four children, Jacob, Ben, Grace and Andrew.
His daughter, Grace, portrays one of the clowns.
“So I have three of my four children are in this production. … I’ve got to say that’s a blast,” David Corman said.
Perry Grewell applies clown makeup backstage during the intermission of the the UTPB Music Department’s rehearsal of “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. “I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” runs March 24-26 starting at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Admission costs $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Jacob Corman, left, and Rachelle Woolston rehearse for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Adjunct voice and musical theatre professor Rachelle Woolston rehearses for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Jacob Corman, who plays Tonio, rehearses for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Grace Corman, right, applies clown makeup backstage during the intermission of the the UTPB Music Department’s rehearsal of “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
UTPB adjunct voice professor, director and narrator David Corman rehearses for the UTPB Music Department’s production of the Italian opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. “I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” runs March 24-26 starting at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Admission costs $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Members of the UTPB Music Department rehearse for the opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. “I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” runs March 24-26 starting at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Admission costs $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Crystal Jaquez, right, films the UTPB Music Department’s dress rehearsal of the opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
UTPB Director of Orchestral Activities Jean Gómez, right, directs the pit orchestra during a dress rehearsal of the opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
UTPB student Damian Christian, right, watches as his fellow cast members rehearse for the UTPB Music Department’s production of “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Members of the UTPB Music Department rehearse for the opera “I Pagliacci” Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. “I Pagliacci,” or “The Clowns,” runs March 24-26 starting at 7 p.m. and March 27 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rea Greathouse Recital Hall at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. Admission costs $16 for adults and $7 for students 12-18 or with valid college ID. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
Cast members of the UTPB production of “I Pagliacci” wait at side stage before the start of their dress rehearsal of the Italian opera Tuesday evening at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center’s REA-Greathouse Recital Hall. (Odessa American/Eli Hartman)
