![]() ![]() Madama Butterfly is a moving performance for both newcomers and aficionados of the opera – and this production, picturesque in both location and staging, furthers the reputation of Handa Opera on the Harbour as a world-class Sydney experience. (And for the most part, the surround-sound audio quality of this outdoor performance could rival that of some of Sydney’s indoor theatres!) ![]() Despite some mild technical glitches on Opening Night, Honeyman’s performance is unwavering, much like Sharpless’s moral code. Michael Honeyman as Consul Sharpless is a notable highlight, whose vocal range naturally complements each duet and trio he executes. Despite this occasional imbalance, the chemistry between the leading actors is brilliant, with Son and Pinkerton comfortably building from each other. ![]() ![]() It is hard to hear the passion and love of Butterfly against the lustful desire for possession from Pinkerton. Whilst Torre carries the gravitas of a business mogul in both action and voice, his duets with Son become, at times, imbalanced. When Son performs an aria, the magnificence of the set, lighting, and costume all become invisible – she alone embodies the visceral heartbreak and beauty of Butterfly. The prima donna’s range of timbre evokes the emotional depth of Butterfly’s hope and longing. Son effortlessly depicts Butterfly’s vulnerability and fragility in her movement and stage presence, but it is her vocal gusto and determination that her husband will come back which is a spectacle to behold. As her circumstances grow increasingly more grim, she refuses all other offers of marriage, hopeful that her true love will return. Pinkerton leaves Cio-Cio San alone in Nagasaki with no one but her servant Suzuki (Sian Sharp) for support, along with a living momento of her American husband. Meanwhile, Pinkerton does not take their marriage so seriously, intending to return to the United States for a “real American bride”. A lovestruck Butterfly happily weds Pinkerton, renouncing her traditional religion and being cast away by her family along the way. Pinkerton receives the hand in marriage of a former geisha, the young and naive Cio-Cio San (Karah Son), also known as Madam Butterfly, as part of a property agreement. Whether he is talking about property or women is unclear, and that is precisely the repertoire that Pinkerton keeps up throughout the performance. The advantageous Pinkerton learns that in Japan he can lease for 999 years whilst also having the power to evict and expel with one month’s notice. Pinkerton (Diego Torre), originally written as an American naval officer, is transformed into a ruthless businessman and developer. In this contemporary staging, which employs cultural consultant Mayu Iwasaki, B.F. Watching the reconstruction of the set in real time, from a natural landscape into a dilapidated construction site – a spectacle in itself – speaks volumes about our own reality unfolding in front of us. Despite this duality, both of Alfons Flores’ sets could seamlessly fit as part of the Sydney landscape providing a self-actualising reminder about the beauty of our own natural world whilst reminding us of what is at stake if we continue to develop land on mass (all while ironically being set in one of the few areas of the city not yet sold to developers). The minimalist and nature-esque set design in the first act – a beacon of hope, tranquillity and delicacy – contrasts with the jarring construction of over-development and urbanisation created in the second and third act. Set against the twinkling cityscape of a stunning Sydney Harbour, Mrs Macquire’s Chair on the edge of the Royal Botanical Gardens is transformed into the coastal town of Nagasaki. Under Ollé’s vision, revived by Susana Gómez, this performance provides a prism into a classical tragedy which refracts a multitude of interpretations while still staying true to Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa’s libretto. Innovative Spanish director Àlex Ollé’s interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera is back after it first ran on Sydney Harbour in 2014. You can’t help but watch in awe at the poignancy of the location But as it turns out, not soon enough! Madama Butterfly is a moving performance for both newcomers and aficionados of the opera. How soon is too soon? With the raised eyebrows which confronted Opera Australia’s most recent production of Madama Butterfly in 20 – not to mention the contested use of “yellowface” in a recent production of Turandot – Opera Australia’s latest production of Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour opened with bated breath. ![]()
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