Pacific Opera Mission, affectionately nicknamed “POP,” has been offering hungry opera lovers with extremely theatrical and experimental productions since 2011. They’re devoted to presenting opera that’s accessible, inexpensive, and entertaining, in accordance with their promoting, and on this they actually ship.
I’ve heard inform a few Mozart’s Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serial that was staged as an episode of “Star Trek” and a Zauberflöte that mimicked the video video games Mario Bros. & Donkey Kong (while hilariously skirting all copyright points, to the viewers’s delight). Their modern-day Los Angeles staging of La bohème “AKA The Hipsters” is pretty legendary now and incessantly revived. Due to my lengthy affiliation with the Verdi Refrain, I’ve additionally identified fairly a couple of singers who’ve labored for POP over time to nice success. They carry out a variety of repertoire in very inventive venues all through LA and its environs, most of that are sadly exterior of my Uber/Lyft radius. Once I heard they have been reviving their 2019 manufacturing of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, I, the decided lepidopterist I’m, made a degree of attending.
I used to be attempting to assume again as to if I’d really seen a conventional staging of Butterfly and the reply isn’t. Having turn into an opera fan earlier than LA really had an opera firm places me at a drawback. The primary efficiency I ever noticed was televised by the New York Metropolis Opera in a revival of a manufacturing from 1967 directed by Frank Corsaro (who was a nasty, unhealthy, boy in his day). It was a scandal due to how far he had the title character Americanize herself (bobbed haircut) and embrace the West.
Shortly thereafter, I noticed the traditional 1974 movie directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle which was far more of the identical. It, too, performed with and modified Puccini’s storytelling to make an even bigger impression on its viewers. Mirella Freni’s Cio-Cio San had a fever dream through the orchestral vigil the place her American household was Uncle Sam, Buffalo Invoice, and Whistler’s Mom. And who remembers the Met telecast from 1994 the place on the finale of the primary act, the tenor, Richard Leech, uncovered Catherine Malfitano’s bosom (very discreetly) on PBS?!? They virtually needed to name emergency companies for Licia Albanese.
So, as I wended my approach to Little Tokyo and the Aranti Theater within the Japanese American Cultural & Neighborhood Middle, I used to be sure I may deal with no matter ‘POP’ was smoking. In any case, Butterfly isn’t rather more than “Stella Dallas” with a dagger and a aspect of sushi. So, you’ll be able to think about my shock at encountering an virtually wholly conventional staging with one teensy distinction.
The principle conceit of this manufacturing is that the American characters sing in English. The Japanese characters sing in their very own language and the Consul Sharpless and the wedding dealer Goro are bi-lingual. This labored (principally). Although it necessitated these two characters to function silent interpreters through the course of the motion, which didn’t essentially illuminate any plot factors.
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Creative Director Josh Shaw and Music Director Eiki Isomura supplied the brand new singing translation. Nonetheless, the supertitles, all in Japanese and English as properly, have been uncommonly detailed and involving (from the English aspect–I’ve solely restaurant menu Japanese) and went a good distance in the direction of participating the viewers to a better diploma than standard. Plus, the readability of Mr. Shaw’s staging actually bolstered lots of the colonialisms already introduced ahead by Puccini’s librettists that usually get glossed over within the grand sweep of Italian romanticism (for gosh sakes she’s fifteen years previous…that doesn’t land prefer it used to).
It’s ridiculous to say, however at this level in my opera-going profession, a conventional staging of Madama Butterfly is so distinctive it qualifies as avant-garde.
The set, which was quaint and charming in one of the simplest ways, additionally courtesy of Mr. Shaw, had all the pieces you’d require. The home with shoji screens, an outside dwelling area, an elevated lookout stage proper with a picturesque entry upstage through bridge and stairs. Bo Tindell was liable for the very atmospheric lighting plot which at all times enhanced the onstage motion, most particularly within the Act III vigil which was very properly finished.
Costumes have been by Sueko Oshimoto and Kentaro Terra of SK Kimono which is the go-to firm for the movie and tv trade out right here. The element was phenomenal and I truthfully don’t assume I’ve seen a Butterfly solid that seemed this good.
Among the supporting gamers have been mayhap just a little shaky. Steve Moritsugu’s Yamadori may use a tad extra confidence, as may Paul Chew Minchulan’s Bonze, however they each hit their marks and their notes. Taka Komogata was a Goro that any firm can be proud to have and he managed to play it straight (in two languages) with out descending into broad caricature, which was a refreshing change.
Kenneth Stavert was a wonderful Sharpless and he introduced compassionate understanding and a tremendous baritone to a task that he additionally performed in two languages. His warnings to Pinkerton in Act I have been particularly poignant as soon as the story performed out and his resignation over the occasions unfolding confirmed in his dramatic efficiency.
Peter Lake made a really spectacular Pinkerton on this context. Good-looking sufficient to move as the main focus of a younger lady’s crush, his muscular tenor opened up fantastically on prime. If his phrasing tended to be a tad sq. right here and there, I’d blame the English textual content greater than the singer. He did make a tremendous present of regret in his final outburst. It’s humorous, however you already know you’ve actually succeeded as Pinkerton whenever you get booed at your solo name.
The Suzuki was Kimberly Sogioka and he or she has a fluent, straightforward, mezzo with simply the precise oboe-ish tinge to it. The Flower Duet, and her harmonizing, was an absolute spotlight of the efficiency, nevertheless it was her devastation within the final act that was essentially the most poignant. As Sharpless defined to her what was about to occur she held the collective coronary heart of the viewers in her fingers.
However nobody captured the viewers’s coronary heart greater than Janet Szepei Todd as Cio-Cio-San with one of the crucial fantastically positioned voices I feel I’ve ever heard. She touched the Db on her entrance with virtually no effort and I made myself snug in my seat. She constantly rose to every vocal problem with a number of the healthiest and most properly supported tone I’ve heard in a really very long time. Definitely not a ‘large home’ Butterfly however in a theater, with a balcony, seating just below 900, it carried fantastically. Her “Che tua madre” was particularly shifting in context, as was the presentation of her younger son, Hassle. The one remorse I’ve of her efficiency is that I don’t know Japanese and I’d love now to listen to her parlare italiano, particularly on this intimate setting.
Mr. Shaw is to be particularly counseled for his staging greater than anything. I wish to use the phrase ‘conventional’ as the very best customary of praise right here. I stated to pals on the intermission it was virtually like one had traveled again in time to Italy in an area theater the place they have been utilizing the unique manufacturing ebook. The opera works properly sufficient when it’s imaginatively and theatrically staged and not using a bag of methods. You possibly can see Mr. Shaw’s purposeful blocking of all of the characters of their interactions all through. Butterfly’s entrance along with her retinue and their parasols along with her solely being revealed to the viewers on the final was one such lovely second. In Act II in the midst of the Flower Duet, there was a sudden bathe of cherry blossoms from the flies all the way down to the stage and it was such solid-gold kitsch it certified as close to genius. It’s what you’ve at all times needed at that second however you’re simply too rattling jaded to confess to it. The younger boy taking part in Sorrow shouted, “Mama!” after being pushed onto the stage by Suzuki for the ultimate moments and I feel it virtually killed all of us. Plus, in one of many few diversions, the ultimate moments have been excellently timed out for max suspense.
Maestro Isomura presided over an orchestra which I consider numbered simply over twenty within the pit. They did a tremendous job and though there was hardly any doubling of devices save for a number of the strings and the winds on this intimate setting; I truthfully didn’t miss a bigger sound when caught up within the drama. He additionally managed a very good job of retaining all the pieces collectively through the wedding ceremony scene they usually mustered a mighty sound when it was warranted.
There are two extra performances this coming weekend.
Pictures: Kathryn Mueller
