The place is New York City. The New York City Opera Company just finished performing the Italian opera "Pagliacci."

VOA: special.2010.03.07

His fame as Porgy helped him get the part in "Pagliacci" with the New York City Opera Company.

VOA: special.2010.03.07

Todd Duncan opened doors for other black musicians when he appeared in "Pagliacci."

VOA: special.2010.03.07

And then there is jockeys-agent Joey, played to perfection by Richard Kind as a Pagliacci whose depression makes him seem pathetic but also sinister.

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The youngest contestant at 21, soprano Rebecca Pedersen, from Bountiful, Utah, used arias from Massenet's "Le Cid" and Leoncavallo's "I Pagliacci" to highlight a polished technique and potent sound that suggested she might grow beyond lyric roles.

WSJ: 6 young singers top Met auditions