Opera's most thrilling double feature: Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci open at Lyric on Saturday, November 1

 
CHICAGO (10/31/2025) — Passion, betrayal, and heartbreak blaze across the stage when Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci come to Lyric Opera of Chicago, November 1–23, 2025.

In these iconic works — known together as Cav/Pag — ordinary lives are pushed to the brink, erupting in two of opera’s most unforgettable finales. Music Director Enrique Mazzola conducts this operatic double feature, which is presented in director Elijah Moshinsky’s Lyric production by revival director Peter McClintock.

Yulia Matochkina and SeokJong Baek make radiant Lyric debuts in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, joined by Lyric favorite Quinn Kelsey in a story steeped in Sicilian life and song. Kelsey then returns in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, alongside Russell Thomas — as opera’s most infamous clown, whose laughter conceals the turmoil behind his mask — and returning favorite Gabriella Reyes.

We hope audiences can join us for these two timeless operas — not seen at Lyric in more than 15 years — that spark the kind of emotional fire only opera can ignite.
 
 
A high-resolution video trailer will be available soon on Lyric's YouTube channel and in Lyric's online press room.

Read the digital program book of Cav/Pag before the performance.

Performance dates for Cav/Pag are November 1 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.; November 4 and 7 at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on November 9, 12, 20, and 23 at 2 p.m. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Cav/Pag is performed in Italian, with easy-to-follow projected English titles above the stage.

A total running time of 2 hours and 55 minutes, including one intermission.

Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, November 9 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the coat checks on the Steiner Parquet (main floor) at all performances. For more information on these and other accessibility assets, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility.

For tickets and information, call 312.827.5600 or go to lyricopera.org/cavpag.

 

Sponsors

Lyric’s presentation of Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci are generously sponsored by Josef & Margot Lakonishok and Sonia Florian*.

Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by Alice & John Butler, H. Gael Neeson, Sylvia Neil & Daniel Fischel, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Chorus is generously sponsored by an Anonymous Lead Sponsor.

*deceased

Lyric Opera's Season is presented by

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

United Airlines
Illinois Arts Council

About Lyric

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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