On Friday, April 12th, the students of the MUS 214 Sound of Movement and the CLCS 216 Opera: When Music Meets Literature courses attended a rehearsal of the “Pagliacci” Opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan. The Opera tells the tale of a circus troupe led by a jealous man who ends up being driven to murder his actress wife and her lover.
Seeing even just the rehearsal of this Opera inside of the Teatro Alla Scala was an eye-opening experience for me. On stage, the performances were fluid and looked almost effortless. The operatic singing was able to travel from each part of the theater even though the performance was only the rehearsal. Additionally, I observed how passionate and dedicated these actors were as they gave their all through their roles while also attempting to match up with the rhythm of the music produced by the orchestra. It is extremely hard to be that precise on the stage and I was in awe of how each act was able to transition perfectly to the next.
Being able to sit and watch the performance in the Teatro Alla Scala was extraordinary in itself and made me feel as if I was exploring its history just by gazing at the beautiful architecture in the theater that was wonderfully crafted. Having done a little bit of theater myself during my high school years, I knew how vital it was to have each part of the show (director/producer, cast, crew, hair and makeup, and orchestra) work as a team and the importance of almost perfection when preparing for each scene. Watching these actors at their rehearsals reminded me so much of the rehearsals I was fortunate to be a part of and how there are only so many times you can be on stage until the final curtain call.
Written by Bella Jacquart
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