Naples Florida Weekly
Loading...

‘Madama Butterfly’

Beloved opera coming to three Southwest Florida stages



 

 

“It’s exquisite music,” says Andrew Kurtz. “Heart-wrenching music.”

The maestro is talking about Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” and why he’s looking forward to conducting his Gulf Coast Symphony for one of Gulfshore Opera’s three performances of the beloved opera.

“Puccini wrote realistic music,” Mr. Kurtz explains. “It’s very emotionally present and powerful. It really draws you in and makes you just feel like you’re living and breathing the pathos of these people.”

“Madama Butterfly” is coming to three venues in Southwest Florida, from Punta Gorda in Charlotte County to Bonita Springs and Fort Myers in Lee County. It’s a full production of the timeless romance, presented in Italian, with full costume, orchestra and chorus and with English surtitle projections.

Korean soprano Seon Duk Kim makes her American debut as Madama Butterfly, playing opposite American tenor Cody Austin as Pinkerton.

Korean soprano Seon Duk Kim makes her American debut as Madama Butterfly, playing opposite American tenor Cody Austin as Pinkerton.

The Gulfshore Opera orchestra will play the first two performances — at the Charlotte Performing Arts Center (March 31) and St. Leo Catholic Church (April 2) — under the direction of guest conductor Greg Ritchey of Palm Beach Opera (Paul Nadler, who typically conducts GO’s shows, had a conflict). For the third performance, Mr. Kurtz will direct his Gulf Coast Symphony at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall (May 6).

KURTZ

KURTZ

The opera is one Steffanie Pearce, general director of Gulfshore Opera, has wanted to present to Southwest Florida audiences for a long time. As co-producers, she and Mr. Kurtz collaborated on casting and have made decisions together on all aspects of the production throughout the rehearsal process.

“It’s one of the top five frequently performed productions,” Ms. Pearce says about “Madama Butterfly.”

The opera tells the story of Cio Cio San, whose father committed suicide. She needs to do anything to survive, so at 15 she becomes a geisha. It’s not long before Pinkerton, an American sailor, buys her as a bride.

“She gives up her culture, her religion, everything, and is ostracized by the community,” says Ms. Pearce. The young geisha, nicknamed Butterfly by the others geishas, clings to the belief that her arrangement with the naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage, “But we as the audience realize from the beginning that (for him, she’s just) a rent-a-bride,” Ms. Pearce adds.

PEARCE

PEARCE

Pinkerton, of course, leaves his innocent bride. She waits for him to return, and when he does, years later, she strews the courtyard with flower petals and puts on her wedding dress. But he has returned with his American wife to take the child he fathered with Cio Cio San.

Butterfly kills herself.

Long history

Why is this opera so popular?

“It’s really tragic drama. Nobody shows the passion and emotion of that better than Puccini, with his music, his beautiful lyrics and melodies,” Ms. Pearce says. “It’s a combination of Puccini, the story and of course the mystique the beautiful backdrop, with the costumes and wigs and geisha makeup.”

“Madama Butterfly” does have its detractors, however.

“Some people feel it’s racist,” says Vincent Connor of Opera Orlando, who is stage directing the Gulfshore Opera production. “We have American actors trying to be Japanese.”

Also, some may question whether this is another story about a white man fetishizing and using an Asian woman for his own pleasure while not seeing her as a person.

This popular story of unrequited love has a long, complicated history. It’s based on an 1898 short story by John Luther Long, from stories told to him by his sister, Jennie Correll, and the semi-autobiographical 1887 French novel “Madame Chrysantheme,” by Pierre Loti. David Belasco transformed it into a one-act play, which Puccini happened to see in London. Inspired, he then wrote his opera.

But the story doesn’t stop there. There are numerous adaptations over the years, including at least three silent film versions, a 1940 Japanese silhouette animation and a Mexican comic book and telenova. The film “Fatal Attraction” with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas is said to be based on the opera (an aria of it plays during the movie), as is the Broadway musical “Miss Saigon,” which is set in Vietnam.

David Henry Hwang’s 1988 Tony Award-winning play “M. Butterfly” is based on the opera as well as on a a real-life couple, relaying the story of a married French diplomat who has a 20-year affair with a Peking opera singer, not realizing he’s a male. “M. Butterfly,” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, was adapted into a 1993 film. A revival of the play, directed by Julie Taymor, is supposed to open on Broadway in October.

And Weezer’s 1996 album, “Pinkerton,” is said to be based on the opera.

International cast

Soprano Seon Duk Kim makes her American debut in the title role of Gulfshore Opera’s “Madama Butterfly.” The Korean singer lives in Paris.

“This is a big deal for this part of the country to have such a huge singer,” Mr. Connor says. “It’s just beautifully sung. She is probably the best Butterfly I’ve heard.”

Considered one of the most gifted sopranos in France, Ms. Kim has played Mimi in “La Boheme,” Liu in “Turandot,” Fiordiligi in “Cosi fan Tutte” and Donna Anna in “Don Giovanni,” among other roles.

“She is a beautiful, petite Asian woman with a big Puccini voice,” says Ms. Pearce. “You can’t believe the voice that comes out of this little lady.”

This is the third time Ms. Kim has sung the role of Butterfly. This time, she plays opposite American tenor Cody Austin as Pinkerton.

“There’s a sexual energy between Pinkerton and Butterfly, who has a completely different mindset,” Mr. Connor says. “Japanese men and women don’t touch unless it’s behind closed doors,” he explains. “She has to learn how to become a new person.”

A 2009 graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, Mr. Austin made his professional debut in that same year with the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Roderigo in “Otello.” He was invited to return the following season to perform Edmondo in “Manon Lescaut.” He made his debut as Pinkerton with the Northern Lights Festival this past summer and has also sung the role of the “Madama Butterfly” lieutenant with Pa Skaret Opera in Sweden.

Argentinean baritone Gustavo Feulien plays the role of Sharpless. He launched his American career with a Carnegie Hall debut in Faure’s Requiem and with DiCapo Opera was part of a United States tour singing Silvio in “Pagliaci.” One of his signature roles is Escamillo in “Carmen,” which he has performed with companies in New York, Virginia and Montreal, Quebec.

Tears and smiles

Ms. Pearce warns that “Madama Butterfly” is a tearjerker.

“Everyone has a tear in their eye when it’s over,” she says.

Even if you’ve never been to the opera before or don’t know the story of this one in particular, she adds, “You won’t be clueless about what’s happening,” thanks to the English surtitles.

Mr. Kurtz describes opera as a heightened, dramatized story set to music. “The emotion is so ramped up that they need to be able to express it through singing, rather than just speaking. The combination of the music and singing and accompaniment heightens the overall dramatic effect.”

An aria might be eight lines long, but take 4½ minutes to sing, he says. “That’s far more powerful than just reading those eight lines of text. It’s that complete synthesis of music and words.

“That’s what I love about opera.”

Though “Madama Butterfly” is a sad story, there are many moments where you can’t help but smile, Mr. Connor says. For example, he describes the scene of a child playing with a boat, dressed in a sailor outfit like his father. And when Pinkerton and Butterfly sing a romantic duet, he adds. “You can’t help but give your heart to that.” ¦

‘Madama Butterfly’ by Gulfshore Opera and Gulf Coast Symphony

In Punta Gorda
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 31
>> Where: Charlotte Performing Arts Center
>> Cost: $28-$68
>> Info: 529-3925 or www.gulfshoreopera.org

In Bonita Springs
>> When: 4 p.m. Sunday, April 2
>> Where: St. Leo Parish Life Center
>> Cost: $28-$88
>> Info: 529-3925 or www.gulfshoreopera.org

In Fort Myers
>> When: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6
>> Where: The Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
>> Cost: $22-$59
>> Information: www.gulfcoastsymphony.org


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *