Pagliacci, the famous Italian opera written by Leoncavallo, is the namesake for Seattle-based pizza chain Pagliacci Pizza. The 26-location pizza chain happens to be celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, while a neighboring institution, the Seattle Opera, is celebrating its 60th.
As luck would have it, the Seattle Opera chose to perform “Pagliacci” for the late-summer season—the show runs from Aug. 3–17. The pizza chain saw an opportunity for a unique collaboration, one that has been mutually beneficial for the two longtime Seattle institutions.
To commemorate the occasion, the pizza chain designed T-shirts, new pizza boxes and sponsored pre-opera mixers. Each pizza box depicts a Sasquatch singing, as if it were performing in the opera, with a QR code that grants pizza lovers 20% off a ticket to the opera.
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“My family is really big on opera,” said Dorene Centioli-McTigue, founder of Pagliacci Pizza, in an interview on the pizza chain’s website. “We have a cousin who was an opera singer. We just thought, what more buffoonery than to open a pizza place? [The name] sounded good…and we figured we could do a lot with it.”
It’s safe to assume the founders couldn’t have imagined how handy the name would come in during the chain’s 45th anniversary. The collaboration with the Seattle Opera has been a hit on social media, replete with promotions that have sent Seattle residents “hunting for Sasquatch” (Pagliacci’s mascot) in exchange for prizes.
The pizza chain employs over 800 people across its 26 locations, reports KUOW. The news station pointed out that Pagliacci Pizza’s recent history hasn’t been all fun and games—the pizza brand faces a class-action lawsuit that claims it didn’t properly reimburse its delivery drivers. Compounding matters is the fact that the brand was forced to pay out $3.75 million in fines just three years ago in an eerily similar lawsuit.
Co-owner Matt Galvin gave a comment to KUOW regarding the latest lawsuit. “Our greatest asset is our employees,” Galvin said. “We pride ourselves on our respect and care for them.”
As for the show, it appears Pagliacci has been a hit at the Seattle Opera. The opera was written by Leoncavallo in 1892 and was a smash from the start. A recording of the opera is credited with being the first record to sell one million copies. It is by far the most famous of Leoncavallo’s ten operas—and one that is credited with fending off financial ruin for the artist, who toiled in obscurity for many years.
