By Kathryn Olsen
Lyrical Opera Theater in Taylorsville has been providing virtual and live performances during the pandemic and their production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly continues the trend as they perform it at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center as well as on Facebook Live. This1904 work is based on John Luther Long’s short story “Madame Butterfly” and recounts the love story that surmounts cultural hurdles, but ends in tragedy. With a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, It is a well-beloved opera as well as the basis for another adaptation, Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil. I have been a fan of both opera and Miss Saigon for decades, yet had never seen this Puccini classic and was thrilled when given the opportunity to attend.
As the opera opens, B.F. Pinkerton (Daniel Perez/Austin Toney) is preparing his new home for the geisha Butterfly (Melissa James/Felicia Lundie), who is to become his bride that same day. Both Pinkerton and Butterfly have secrets–he plans to divorce her once he finds an American wife and she has converted to Christianity. Her uncle, the Bonze (Ricky Parkinson) or a Buddhist monk, arrives after the ceremony and curses the couple because of Butterfly’s conversion. Nevertheless, the newlyweds promise their love to each other. Things become more complicated when, after a three-year absence, Pinkerton returns with his wife Kate (Jessica Benson), unbeknownst to the wife who has been raising his child and looking for a sign of his ship’s return.
James (Lundie) is most in her element as a vocal powerhouse. While she is flirtatious and sweet as the 15-year-old geisha, she is resolute in her faith in her long-absent husband and adamant that she will do whatever it takes to see her child raised in love. Her mid-act 2 aria “Un bel di vedremo” (“One fine day we shall see”) is a powerful assertion of the love that she still has for Pinkerton and which she believes he still has for her. With such power, her moments of desperation and desolation are even more striking.
Perez (Toney) is a vacillating character. He considers the marriage to be a farce, but does find himself in love. He is unable to face the chaos he has created at first, but still tries to help in the end. While James’ strongest element is in her musicality, Perez magnificently fulfills the need for a changeable, yet sometimes likeable, character..
The American Consul Sharpless (Bennett Chew/Bretton Floyd) is another man torn between two choices. Chew, in one of the opera’s more benevolent roles, frequently portrays a man who is trying his best to prevent further harm from being done. The performance is, at times, a gentler one and it is captivating as he is friends to both sides of an unenviable situation.
Of course, one of the most important players on the stage is the American wife as played by Benson. She appears as a very passive antagonist at first, seeming to be the woman who doesn’t want to get involved, but her efforts to extend charity and compassion to the woman her husband abandoned are expressed with great heart.
Goro (Anthony Buck), the marriage broker who is responsible for the initial marriage and tries to impose unwanted suitors on Butterfly in the second act, is played skillfully. Buck portrays him with affability and skill at the start, but he becomes a more relentless figure as the opera progresses, which makes him the most memorable of the supporting cast.
Briefer roles are of no less note. Parkinson renders the Bonze’s almost histrionic curses as righteous fury while the Commisario (Matthew Castleton/Averi Li) is a man of admirable composure. The extended family of BUtterfly are whole-heartedly committed to their purpose of both blessing her as a bride and renouncing her as a Chstian.
ONe of the most remarkable changes to the traditional opera is during the “Humming Chorus.” This finale to Act 2 is comprised of several minutes of music as Butterfly keeps vigil throughout the night and waits for the dawn of the day on which her husband will return. In theatrical versions of the short story, this vigil was observed in silence, but Puccini composed the famous chorus to accompany this act of faith. Choreographer Carly Schaub places Butterfly and her sleeping child to one side for the beautiful passing of the night while dancers Constanza Murphy and Peter Larsen take center stage to perform a pas de deux. The interlude is breathtaking in its romance and elegance, while its culmination drew literal gasps of awe from the audience. It perfectly sets the stage for what is inevitable in Act 3.
The sound and artistic design by Lyrical Opera Products is simple, yet extremely effective as a simple home and its grounds are set before screens with various backgrounds depicting nature. Wigs and Makeup are under the direction of Perez. The choreography throughout the opera seems to be an extension of natural human interaction and plays well with the tensions of the characters. Stage Manager Bri Bold and Stage Hands Sydney Leavitt and Kate Hales keep everything moving smoothly.
Madama Butterfly is an emotional journey into a beloved classic and can be enjoyed by people of many backgrounds. As there is a depiction of suicide on-stage and the themes are sometimes mature, it would be advisable to consider the effect it will have on younger audiences. There are only two performances left, but it is well worth it to attend in person or through the September 17th broadcast on Facebook. Hurry to the box office before this opportunity flies away.
Lyrical Opera Theater Presents Madama Butterfly; By Giacomo Puccini, Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center, 2525 Taylorsville Blvd Taylorsville, UT 84129
Sep 11-19, 2021, 7:00 PM; Broadcast on Facebook September 11 and 17, Matinee on September 19 at 3:00 PM.
Tickets: $15-30
Contact: (801) 641-6984
www.lyricaloperatheater.com
Lyrical Opera Theater Facebook Page
Madama Butterfly Livestream Facebook Event
Madama Butterfly Facebook Event Page
Hello. Anthony Buck who sang Goro in this performance. My name is listed here as Anthony Brown instead of Anthony Buck. Could you please change it so that it links to my other reviews on your lovely site? Thanks!
Done!