Boston Lyric Opera Transforms Steriti Rink Into Carnival Fairground for Pagliacci

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) previewed the well-known opera, Pagliacci, to viewers during their final dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening. Scheduled to officially begin on Friday, September 27th, the opera will run until October 6th with a fully immersive installation within the DCR Steriti Memorial Rink.

The experience includes access to an indoor fairgrounds—complete with acrobats, jugglers, clowns, performers on stilts, carnival-style games, and a photo op with the unofficially dubbed “Huge Jackman” elephant sculpture—and a circus tent theatre curated to create a sensual experience for the individual audience member.

A variety of local food trucks with different options each performance will be available courtesy of Roaming Hunger an hour before doors open. The fairgrounds will open an hour prior to the opera, giving the audience a chance to submerse themselves in the carnival-esque atmosphere before enjoying the show.

Circus Up, in partnership with Commonwealth Circus Center, provided previewers with the opportunity to experience their acrobats and jugglers during the fairground experience. Clowns beckoned to passerby to join in on the carnival game fun. A magician roamed around the crowd, stunning people with close-up tricks. A performance by the Boston Arts Academy entertained the crowd with beautiful singing. A different community chorus will perform each night in the fairgrounds including Boston Cecilia, Boston Symphony Children’s Choir, Cambridge Chinese Choral Society, Cambridge Community Chorus, and Coro-Dante.

Once the show begins, members of the audience will enter the circus tent theatre for a modern retelling of a story filled with jealousy, passion, and some aerial silk! BLO keeps the viewer engaged by removing the traditional notion of a stage and surrounding the audience with the performance and music. One doesn’t know where to look next or if the person seated next to them is part of show as the performers blur the lines between reality and performance.

Join BLO for it’s first-ever Pagliacci and immerse yourself in the one-of-a-kind carnival experience. Sung in English and Italian, the performance will be one not to miss. Tickets can be purchased here.