Theater & The Arts: Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci

Pietro Mascagni’s *Cavalleria rusticana* is a one-act verismo opera, adapted from Giovanni Verga’s Sicilian tale of jealousy, betrayal, and an honor code that turns domestic life into public reckoning. First heard in Rome in 1890, it quickly became a fixture of international repertory; in New York it has long been familiar to audiences through major opera-house revivals and its frequent pairing with Leoncavallo’s *Pagliacci*. Now presented live at Hudson Yards, it remains a compact study in how social pressure can make violence feel inevitable.