the tears of a clown...

Intermission came and went. The sickly couple next to us left so we got to move over - and finally: a clear view! Unobstructed by Mr. Giant Head and his clingy girlfriend! Thank you lord! The moving head saga also irritated the neighbor to my left, on the aisle - she also got up and switched seats at intermission. And did I mention before the trio a few rows down? The ones who busted out their box of Dots (classy!) and were sitting with hands behind their heads (oh, yeah, that won't obstruct anyone's view at all). What's wrong with people sometimes?

OK, enough about that. The good news here is now I had a clear view and so I could stop being so gosh darned cranky, and maybe actually enjoy Pagliacci. And I did! Here's the story on this one: Nedda and Canio are married and are in a traveling circus kind of thing. Nedda (the lovely lovely Ana Maria Martinez. I have seen her sing in concert with Bocelli and also with Domingo, and I am so glad she's finally getting roles!) is having a secret fling with hunky Silvio and they promise to run away together. She is observed by Tonio, a handicapped clown, who has a crush on her, but whom she has meanly rejected. He swears revenge. Sound familiar? He tips off Canio, who has a bit of a temper. They catch Nedda and Silvio in an embrace, but Silvio runs away before they can identify him - Canio demands that she tell him her lovair's name, but she refuses. Canio is still in a bit of a huff, but is convinced to go on with the show. Tonio tells him that the lovairs plan to run off that night, and that they can catch them later. As he puts on his makeup, he sings the famous Vesti La Giubba (tears!). Their circus show has a little skit where Colombina (Nedda) is having a little fling with Arlecchino, behind the back of her husband Pagliacco (Canio). Life is imitating art, and this time Canio is tired of playing the clown. In the middle of the show, and no longer in character, he demands that Nedda tell him the name of her lovair. She refuses. In a fit of rage, he stabs her. She cries out for Silvio, who runs to her, and Canio stabs him, too. There is shock, confusion. Tonio appears before the audience and announces "The comedy is over."

I liked this one MUCH better than Cav. It was more engaging and I wasn't sitting there mocking the characters like I was with Cav (as in Santuzza, baby, why don't you just forget Turiddu? He's an asshat. Just go to a different village, pretend your husband died or something, and get on with your life! GEEZ! And also why the heck didn't Lola just WAIT for him to get out of the army in the first place? Then she could have married him and none of this would have happened....) So it was all in all a good night. Even though I got home WAY past my bedtime (I really am an old lady)....