"The Opera" is the 49th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the ninth episode of the fourth season.^[1] It aired on November 4, 1992.^[1] This episode deals with the characters attending a production of Pagliacci. The characters' lives begin to imitate the opera when Elaine's increasingly unstable boyfriend "Crazy" Joe Davola thinks she is cheating on him and stalks her and Jerry while dressed in a clown costume.

Plot

Elaine's boyfriend, "Crazy" Joe Davola, leaves Jerry a threatening phone message. Kramer has tickets for the opera Pagliacci, and everyone is going, including Elaine and Joe. Elaine drops in on Joe's apartment where she discovers that he has a wall of pictures of her that he secretly took with his telephoto lens. Terrified, she attempts to leave the apartment. When Joe tries to stop her, insinuating that she is cheating on him, she maces him with cherry Binaca and flees.

Jerry, Kramer, Elaine, and George go to the opera, where Elaine tells the others that Joe is not coming, and Susan has to pick up a friend at the airport and cannot come either, so they have two extra tickets. George and Kramer attempt to scalp the tickets, working separately after Kramer refuses to sell for anything less than an absurdly high price. As Jerry and Elaine wait for them to return, they are asked by a street performer impersonating Canio for tips. Jerry had flipped a coin earlier, and it was taken by another spectator, so he does not have any money for the clown, which annoys him.

Joe, in full Pagliaccio costume, walks through a park on his way to the opera house. He is antagonized by a group of hoodlums, but uses martial arts to knock them all out. He approaches Kramer and intimidates him with his manner, particularly as Kramer is scared of clowns.

Jerry and Elaine get to talking about "their nutjob" friends, and discover that each of their Joes is the same person. Joe accosts them in clown costume, and they run away.

George finally agrees to sell the ticket to someone. Susan runs up and says she can join him because her friend's plane was diverted to Philadelphia. George gives her ticket to her, and gives the buyer his own.

Kramer shows up with the tickets, and he, Elaine and Jerry take their seats. They are joined by Susan and Harry Fong, the man to whom George sold his ticket. They ask where George is; Susan tells them that he was "uncomfortable." Jerry and Elaine ask Kramer to whom he gave the last ticket. As the curtain comes up, Kramer answers, "Some nut in a clown suit." Jerry and Elaine look horrified as the audience applauds.

Production

The scene when Jerry and another audience member start arguing and tearing dollar bills is a reference to a similar scene in the film Broadway Danny Rose.

References

External links

Seinfeld episodes

Seinfeld episodes
Season 1	"The Seinfeld Chronicles" "The Stake Out" "The Robbery" "Male Unbonding" "The Stock Tip"
Season 2	"The Ex-Girlfriend" "The Pony Remark" "The Jacket" "The Phone Message" "The Apartment" "The Statue" "The Revenge" "The Heart Attack" "The Deal" "The Baby Shower" "The Chinese Restaurant" "The Busboy"
Season 3	"The Note" "The Truth" "The Pen" "The Dog" "The Library" "The Parking Garage" "The Cafe" "The Tape" "The Nose Job" "The Stranded" "The Alternate Side" "The Red Dot" "The Subway" "The Pez Dispenser" "The Suicide" "The Fix-Up" "The Boyfriend"† "The Limo" "The Good Samaritan" "The Letter" "The Parking Space" "The Keys"
Season 4	"The Trip"† "The Pitch" "The Ticket" "The Wallet" "The Watch" "The Bubble Boy" "The Cheever Letters" "The Opera" "The Virgin" "The Contest" "The Airport" "The Pick" "The Movie" "The Visa" "The Shoes" "The Outing" "The Old Man" "The Implant" "The Junior Mint" "The Smelly Car" "The Handicap Spot" "The Pilot"†
Season 5	"The Mango" "The Puffy Shirt" "The Glasses" "The Sniffing Accountant" "The Bris" "The Lip Reader" "The Non-Fat Yogurt" "The Barber" "The Masseuse" "The Cigar Store Indian" "The Conversion" "The Stall" "The Dinner Party" "The Marine Biologist" "The Pie" "The Stand In" "The Wife" "The Raincoats"† "The Fire" "The Hamptons" "The Opposite"
Season 6	"The Chaperone" "The Big Salad" "The Pledge Drive" "The Chinese Woman" "The Couch" "The Gymnast" "The Soup" "The Mom & Pop Store" "The Secretary" "The Race" "The Switch" "The Label Maker" "The Scofflaw" "The Highlights of 100"† "The Beard" "The Kiss Hello" "The Doorman" "The Jimmy" "The Doodle" "The Fusilli Jerry" "The Diplomat's Club" "The Face Painter" "The Understudy"
Season 7	"The Engagement" "The Postponement" "The Maestro" "The Wink" "The Hot Tub" "The Soup Nazi" "The Secret Code" "The Pool Guy" "The Sponge" "The Gum" "The Rye" "The Caddy" "The Seven" "The Cadillac"† "The Shower Head" "The Doll" "The Friar's Club" "The Wig Master" "The Calzone" "The Bottle Deposit"† "The Wait Out" "The Invitations"
Season 8	"The Foundation" "The Soul Mate" "The Bizarro Jerry" "The Little Kicks" "The Package" "The Fatigues" "The Checks" "The Chicken Roaster" "The Abstinence" "The Andrea Doria" "The Little Jerry" "The Money" "The Comeback" "The Van Buren Boys" "The Susie" "The Pothole" "The English Patient" "The Nap" "The Yada Yada" "The Millennium" "The Muffin Tops" "The Summer of George"
Season 9	"The Butter Shave" "The Voice" "The Serenity Now" "The Blood" "The Junk Mail" "The Merv Griffin Show" "The Slicer" "The Betrayal" "The Apology" "The Strike" "The Dealership" "The Reverse Peephole" "The Cartoon" "The Strongbox" "The Wizard" "The Burning" "The Bookstore" "The Frogger" "The Maid" "The Puerto Rican Day" "The Chronicle"† "The Finale"†
† Indicates two-part episode