Press Room | Piedmont Opera

Piedmont Opera presents an Intimate and Immersive Pagliacci

There is something utterly exhilarating about theater on a thrust stage or in the round for both the performer and the audience. With the forced separation of the proscenium stage gone, the performance becomes personal, even intimate. Operas and musicals are virtually impossible to present fully in the round because of the need for an orchestra. However, a thrust stage, or 3/4 thrust, where the audience is on three sides of the stage, provides a place for the orchestra while

Nov 11

Piedmont Opera’s Pagliacci Has It All: High Marks on Performance, Emotion, and Atmosphere

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – Feelings run high and hot in Piedmont Opera ‘s production of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci , whose last performance will be Tuesday, November 11, at the Millennium Center in Winston-Salem. The heat between the young lovers is palpable. The envy and rage of the antagonists prove ungovernable. The highly skilled cast convey these rich emotions with the support of superb playing by the Winston-Salem Symphony under the able musical direction of Joseph Mech

Nov 11

Pagliacci and Fox 8 News

Conductor Joseph Mechavich sits down with Fox 8 to discuss Piedmont Opera's upcoming performance of "Pagliacci." Watch here.

Nov 11

WSNC and Pagliacci

Piedmont Opera Artistic Director Joey Mechavich visits Afternoon Jazz with Jim Steele to talk about the production of Leoncavallo’s "Pagliacci: A Carnival of Tragedy," Experience this immersive opera at the Millennium Event Center, Saturday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, November 9, 3 p.m. and Tuesday, November 11, 7:30 p.m. Tickets at piedmontopera.org . LISTEN here: https://vimeo.com/1131851587?share=copy

Nov 7

Star-crossed lovers in opera are happily married in life Winston-Salem Magazine

Lynn Felder | WINSTON-SALEM MAGAZINE October 31, 2025 They were Nazi-resisting lovers in “The Sound of Music.” They’ll be playful lovers in “Oklahoma” in the spring. And in the opera “Pagliacci,” Cadie J. and Jonathan Bryan get to play the tragic lovers Nedda and Silvio in November. “I’m stealing her from the tenor,” Jonathan, a baritone, says. “I get to be the good guy.” The Bryans, married opera singers based in New York City, will be in Winston-Salem to perform two of the

Nov 7

Operawire's Q & A: Cadie & Jonathan Bryan on Living Life & Art Together in Piedmont Opera’s ‘Pagliacci’

If you had to boil down the one constant connecting thread of opera, romance would likely be at the top of that list of possibilities. Simply put, what connects us to the greatest of operas is usually a great love story. Think “La Bohème,” “La Traviata,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Tristan und Isolde,” “Der Rosenkavalier,” etc. Romance is almost always in the air when you go to the opera. That will be doubly the case at Piedmont Opera when its production of “Pagliacci” opens on N

Nov 7

Master of Fight

Piedmont Opera is very fortunate because one of the nation's leading experts in stage combat and theatrical movement, whose work has shaped both stage and screen across North America, is here in the Triad: Dale Girard. Dale is an award-winning Fight Director, Choreographer, and Author of the widely used stage combat manual Actors On Guard. As one of only twenty-six recognized Fight Masters in the United States (Society of American Fight Directors), his influence in the world

Nov 4

The Jo(e)y of Opera IV - Meet Our Stage Director Kathleen Stakenas

What is your hometown? Where do you live now? Hometown is Livonia, Michigan; Current town is Shelby, North Carolina 2.) What was your educational/career path that led you to Piedmont Opera's production of Pagliacci ? I was in a Creative and Performing Arts program in high school, then I studied a double major of Voice and Business in undergrad (BS in Music Management). My internships were in directing and stage management. After that, I got a full ride in Opera Directing

Oct 27

The Jo(e)y of Opera III

Meet Our New Production Manager, Lauren Reinhartsen! Piedmont Opera is thrilled to welcome Lauren Reinhartsen as our new Production Manager — though she’s certainly no stranger to us! Lauren has been an integral part of our creative family for years, previously serving as our talented Props Manager, where she brought countless productions to life with her keen eye for detail and imaginative touch. From crafting the perfect period piece to ensuring every item on stage tells a

Oct 16

Former Lexington resident to perform in 'Pagliacci' with plans to bring opera here

Logan Webber has helped bring a diversity of artistic performances to Lexington will do so again when he brings Opera Lite here, forging a stronger relationship between the Piedmont Opera of Winston-Salem and the Lexington community. Read more here.

Oct 13