Puccini's hauntingly beautiful "Madame Butterfly" has been a mainstay in major opera houses since its premiere in 1904. The Skylight Opera Theatre now makes this quintessential work its own using a minimalist, straightforward and intimate style.
The story is of a young, philandering American naval officer, B.F. Pinkerton, who pays a marriage broker to find him a wife in Japan. Matrimony is merely the means to different kind of union for the pleasure-seeking Pinkerton, who plans on finding his real bride back in America.
A young, financially stricken geisha, Cio Cio San, marries Pinkerton despite warnings that his intentions may be less then genuine. Cio Cio San falls hopelessly in love and faithfully waits for her western husband after he has left for the States. When Pinkerton finally returns to Japan with his American wife, what he finds is unexpected, and the lives of two young lovers will be forever changed.
This production of "Madame Butterfly," shows that less is, indeed, more. Performed in English and set in the intimate setting of the Skylight theater, emotional nuances in this tragic opera seem magnified. A small but capable orchestra performs the musical score with an eastern percussive flair.
{INSERT_RELATED}Scenic designer Takeshi Kata sets the dramatic mood with a vibrant red floor and large, translucent white shoji screens that slide across the stage. A black backdrop with a thick strip of changing color further intensifies the set's linear design while conveying the emotional mood of the scene.
Soprano Tanya Kruse makes her Skylight debut as Cio Cio San, and her unfaltering, passionate arias carry the show. Emily Martin will also play the part of Cio Cio San during select performances. Scott Bosier, as the carefree but later remorseful Pinkerton, also delivers a powerful performance and his seasoned, tenor vibrato is a perfect complement to Kruse.
The contrast between Western and Japanese cultures comes through not only via the dialogue but also by costume designer Kate Voyce. A core ensemble of geisha singers, for example, wear traditional Japanese kimonos. But Voyce gives their look a Western flair using blond wigs for the geishas' distinctive shimada-mage hairstyles.
"Madame Butterfly" can be seen through Sun., April 6 at the Skylight Opera Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For ticket information call the box office at (414) 291-7800.
