Story. See prior post.
Conductor - Joseph Colaneri; Cio-Cio San - Eri Nakamura, Lt. Pinkerton - Eric Taylor, Suzuki - Michelle Mariposa, Sharpless - Troy Cook, Goro - Randy Ho, Prince Yamadori - Joseph Park, The Bonze - Woosik Nam.
This is our second year coming to the Glimmerglass Festival, making good on my remark "I rate our return next season as likely" from last year. Ticket prices have remained the same (assuming the seats are in the same category), which is quite noteworthy.
Our seats were quite close to the stage, so all the voices came across well, especially those of Butterfly, Pinkerton, and Suzuki. Last year it was quite warm in the balcony; this year our seats are in the orchestra section, and we are having a reprieve from the warmer than usual summer season. So it was a comfortable viewing experience - indeed Anne had to get a sweater at intermission.
[They were talking about having to move last night's performance indoors; it wasn't the heat or power outage, but the "Canadian fog" due to wildfires in Ontario. Which also affected NJ last week.]
The set is adapted from Francesca Zambello's 1998 production. A web search indicates she was working at the Washington National Opera at the time, and that the production "offers a nuanced, visually elegant look at the cultural collision and power dynamics between the United States and Japan." To me they were simply simple sets. The two major sets are best described as consular offices with the pledge of allegiance and the America flag as the backdrop; and a series of semi-transparent screens for the interior of a Japanese dwelling. Butterfly commits suicide on stage, and as she puts the knife on her neck, the stage turned red with lighting and a sheet; which I thought was effective (and better than seeing fake blood). Many scenes happening in a Japanese setting now happen in the Consular offices. An example is when Bonze comes on to condemn Butterfly: it happens inside the Consular office. It doesn't not work, but certainly does nothing to highlight any cultural collision or power dynamics. Not nuanced, not elegant.
The role of Madama Butterfly is very demanding. Once she appears on scene, she gets very little break until the Humming Chorus. Vocally Nakamura delivered, splendidly. In her acting she was a little wooden. I do wonder if the costumes limit how she can move. When she first came on I was worried that her kimono would trip her up, and she couldn't take big strides. Also, the hump in her back (probably from an obi) made her look crunched over, and made her stature even smaller. At some point her wish to adopt an American lifestyle had her wearing a western dress and heels; and she was fine.
To "pass the time" during the Humming Chorus where Butterfly, Suzuki and Sorrow wait for Pinkerton, the three first circulated the stage a couple of times with lanterns, and then Pinkerton and Kate mimed their marriage. That did the job.
Sorrow's role is played by a young boy. Despite not having a speaking role, he is quite active in the play. I do wonder how he is counseled so he can manage his emotions and issues such as suicide properly.
We saw this opera about 6 months ago at Opera Australia. I wrote how cultural sensitivities are center-stage nowadays. The Festival's Program Book also felt the need to weigh in. For this performance, I felt Butterfly came across as a less sympathetic figure, not because she was less oppressed or less taken advantage of, but because she was too stubborn with her misdirected faith.
Mixed in the applause for Pinkerton was some booing - which is a compliment, I guess. It's one of the few times a "villain" gets booed in my experience.
We woke up early this morning to do the 4-hour drive to the 1 pm performance. I was surprisingly awake for the show. We will stay at a local hotel tonight (well, it's 45 minutes away), and return for tomorrow's Cosi Fan Tutti.
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