By Terry Neff
Just the thrill of entering the beautiful and historic Ellen Eccles Theatre in Logan gave me a rush of anticipation. I was not disappointed. Madama Butterfly is a well know opera still performed all over the world, and for good reason. The musical drama of Giacomo Puccini’s operas exceeds all other Italian opera.
Puccini was an Italian composer of operatic realism. With his death in 1924, Italian opera breathed its last breath. He composed La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, which was left unfinished due to his death. When I think opera, I think Puccini.
Madama Butterfly is the story of an American Naval officer, B.F. Pinkerton (Nelson Ebo), who arranges for a temporary wife while in Japan. The 15-year-old Japanese girl, Cio-Cio-San (Kristin Vogel) is unaware of the impermanence of it and believes the marriage is for life. She dedicates herself to her new husband and renounces her religion, accepting his. When her family learns of this, they disown her. But her love for her new husband overcomes her grief. Acts II and III are three years later. Cio-Cio-San faithfully awaits the return of her beloved husband, B. F. Pinkerton. Those around her try to persuade her to remarry, speaking of abandonment. She refuses. When she learns of Pinkerton’s return and betrayal, she sends him a message of his child, hoping that he will remember their love and stay. But, tragically, Pinkerton has returned with an American wife and comes to take the child. Butterfly is left without honor and in the Japanese tradition, ends her life.
Vogel sings Butterfly with precision and stunning elegance. She seized the audience with her first note and held us fast in our seats. While she sang, the world only existed in 1900 Japan. Ebo’s Lt. Pinkerton would please Puccini. The dynamics and tenor of his voice echoed through the hall with command. I, along with Butterfly believed he loved her and longed for his faithful return. Holly Sorensen (Suzuki), Errik Hood (Sharpless), and Drian Clonts (Goro) equaled their leads’ performances. Director Valeria Rachelle and Conductor Nicolas Giusti brought Madama Butterfly to life with exquisite candor, brilliance, and perfection.
As the curtain rose, the backdrop and set (Jack Shouse) transported me to a high mountain top above Nagasaki Harbor. Throughout, the choreography (Rachelle) was seamless—it helps so much when the director is also the choreographer—there is no disconnect on how they want blocking and movement to flow and appear. The lighting (Chris Wood) was marvelous—it created such mood and tone in the highs and the lows of the piece. In any opera, the costumes are such an important component of the work and Steven G. Schmid’s designs were incredible. The wig design/makeup (Melyssa Swesen) were also perfection. Who needs to go to the Met when we have the Utah Festival Opera right here in Northern Utah?
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My sister and I went on short notice to the opening night of Butterfly. Being very amateur singers ourselves and hoping that we can be opera singers in our next lives, we held back from singing along with the cast, a few of whom we know. Being from Logan, the Ellen Eccles Theater is part of our heritage. It was built in 1923 after a fire destroyed the Thatcher Opera House. It became a movie theater for many years and in 1991 Michael Ballam and scores of volunteers and personal friends restored it to its magnificence. Italian opera is not written with young people in mind. The length and pacing of this show are slow and dramatic. We waited through her long night with Cio-Cio-San as the sun set and rose again. The conductor masterfully led the professional orchestra through the familiar sweeping and tragic melodies. There wasn’t a nuance missed.
As it ended, we were subdued. The mourning then suicide of a young mother over the loss of her child is very sobering. With sorrowful melodies replaying in our heads, we were quiet and somber on the way home; often as we do in life, we yearned for the ending to be different. However, I highly recommend Madama Butterfly at the Eccles Theater in Logan. I encourage opera lovers lovers of beautiful drama to come experience this remarkably moving performance.
Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre presents Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini
Ellen Eccles Theatre, 43 S. Main, Logan, Utah 84321
July 13, 21, 27, August 5, 8 7:30 PM Matinees 1:00 PM (check website for times)
Tickets: $64, $94, $134,$138, $148, $165, $196, $253, $278, $308, $323
Contact: 435-750-0300/800-262-0074
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