What: UNT Opera and chamber orchestra perform a double-bill of beloved Italian operas, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci. "In The Know" pre-performance lectures take place 45 minutes prior to the shows.

When: 8 p.m. April 4 (Friday) and 3 p.m. April 6 (Sunday)

Where: Lyric Theater in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Denton.

Tickets: $15 general admission. To purchase tickets and for ticket information for performances at the Murchison Performing Arts Center, call the box office at 940-369-7802 or visit the center's website.

DENTON, Texas (UNT) – UNT Opera explores tales of trickery and jealousy in two Italian operas April 4 and 6 at the Lyric Theater in the Murchison Performing Arts Center.

The performances include Puccini's one-act comic opera Gianni Schicchi, about a man who uses trickery to get what he wants and, ultimately, help two lovers; and Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci, a tragic story of jealousy. The two operas are celebrated favorites distinguished for their dramatic incisiveness and overwhelming vocal bravura.

Both productions are presented in workshop format, with minimal set and costumes but fully dramatized and performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Paula Homer, Margot and Bill Winspear Chair in Opera Studies, is the producer for the double bill and stage director for I Pagliacci. Elizabeth King stage directs Gianni Schicchi. UNT Opera Music Director Stephen Dubberly conducts the chamber orchestra and leads the "In The Know" pre-performance lecture 45 minutes prior to each performance, sharing the history and background of the operas.

Performances start at 8 p.m. April 4 (Friday) and at 3 p.m. April 6 (Sunday) in the Lyric Theater in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35 Frontage Road, Denton. Tickets are $15 general admission and may be purchased online.

About the UNT College of Music

The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.