The Central City Opera 2019 Festival is set to open its festival with “Madama Butterfly.” The new production is set to be directed by up-and-coming director, Alison Mortiz, who previously directed the one-act performances of “Gallantry and Cabildo” during the Central City Opera 2017 Festival. The production will star tenor Cody Austin, mezzo-soprano Annie Rosen, baritone Troy Cook, tenor Joseph {…}
Opéra Grand Avignon has announced its 2019-20 season. Opera The opera season will kick off with a new production o Offenbach’s “La Périchole,” directed by Eric Chevalier. Marie Karall stars in the title role, alongside Pierre Derhet as Piquillo, Philippe Ermelier as Viceroy of Peru, Enguerrand de Hys as Don Pedro of Panatellas, and Ugo Rabec as Don Pedro of {…}
In Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1881 operetta “Patience,” the Oscar Wilde parody character Reginald Bunthorne boasts “I do not care for all one sees – that’s Japanese.” At the end of the Victorian era, the Land of the Rising Sun was an object of immense curiosity all over Western Europe and it seemed no occidental nation was immune to the craze {…}
Central City Opera has announced details of its 2019 Festival, which will run from Jul. 6 – Aug. 6, 2019. Performances will be held in the company’s historic 550-seat jewel box theatre. The lineup includes two main stage operas, a double-bill production, and a musical revue. Free pre-performance talks will take place before every main stage opera (except on Jul. 30). {…}
Pacific Opera Project’s “Madama Butterfly,” presented recently in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo, was acclaimed for presenting Puccini’s opera in Japanese and English, the languages the characters would actually have spoken. But one of the other talking points around town was the “last-minute” assumption of the title role by Melbourne-born soprano, Janet Szepei Todd. OperaWire caught up with Janet at Cafe {…}
Twice on Saturday night at the opening of Pacific Opera Project’s “Madam Butterfly” at the Aratani Theatre in LA’s Little Tokyo I thought, “This could be the start of something big.” “Thought One” related to the production; “Thought Two” to a singer. But first, let’s discuss the elephant in the room. Cultural Appropriation? Puccini’s “Madam Butterfly” has excited controversy over {…}
Irish National Opera and RTÉ, in association with the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and in partnership with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, will launch a new RTÉ Player Exclusive: Irish National Opera’s production of Puccini’s tragic opera “Madama Butterfly.” Opera fans will be able to watch Ben Barnes’ thrilling production exclusively on RTÉ Player via their smartphones, tablets or TVs starting {…}
Writing a review can be a rather unique experience. Often we make a statement about a performance, expecting it to blanket an entire run of shows. After the first performance or second, we might be tempted to make the claim that either it was a mediocre performance with “decent” singers or we were impressed by the evening that exceeded any {…}
The Nashville Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which will feature four operas. The season opens with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” featuring soprano Elizabeth Caballero as Cio-Cio San. The performances are set to take place at TPAC Jackson Hall. Performance Dates: Oct. 10, 12, 2019 In time for the holidays, the company will produce “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” with two {…}
Opera in the Heights (OH) is set to present “Madama Butterfly” in a co-production with Pacific Opera Project. The opera translates its original Italian libretto into Japanese and English and will feature Japanese-American singers in the Japanese roles. OH Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Eiki Isomura, who conducts all performances, has adapted the libretto for the Japanese-speaking characters, and Pacific {…}
Opera San José will conclude its 35th season with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” directed by Brad Dalton. The production, which features set design by Kent Dorsey and costumes by Alyssa Oania, will run for six performances at the California Theatre in downtown San José. Maria Natale will star in the role of Cio-Cio-san, alongside Dane Suarez and Derek Taylor, who will {…}