Sarasota Opera – Sarasota, Florida (USA)

The Sarasota Opera production is gorgeously designed and movingly acted and sung. There are no weak links in the large cast – which includes members of the Sarasota Youth Opera as part of the chorus – but standouts include Michael Robert Hendrick as Canio (who becomes Pagliaccio in the play) and Marco Nistico as Tonio, the hunchback.
~ Marty Clear, The Bradenton Herald

Michael Robert Hendrick took on the tragic role of Canio . . . You’ll remember him as the brilliant acting-singer whose portrayal of Lennie in the operatic setting of Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” at Sarasota Opera a few years ago, brought us all to tears. This time, he brought a depth of character seldom seen in this role. Rather than riding on the gleaming quality of his voice, as most tenors do in “Pagliacci,” Hendrick added his profound ability to embody a role, making his Canio more than just a striking voice.
~ June LeBell, The Observer Group