Classic, timeless and stylish, Sir David McVicar’s Madama Butterfly has been a firm favourite since it was first staged in 2000. Read more …
Brought to life through a cast of very human characters, this hugely atmospheric production lays bare a poignant story that still has the power to affect, over a century after it was first performed.
Cio-Cio-San, a young girl living in Nagasaki, has fallen for Pinkerton, a reckless American naval officer stationed near her home. Despite her family’s objections, she gives up all she has to marry him, but he soon abandons her to return to America. When he returns three years later she is still patiently waiting, willing to do whatever is needed in the name of love. But ahead lie only betrayal and heartbreak.
Overall this was crowd-pleasing performance with some memorable musical high spots, and excellent emerging artists to watch out for.
Even in this second Scottish Opera revival, Sir David McVicar’s 2000 production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is a fresh and arresting experience.
From its melodramatic tone to its setting, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is a tricky proposition for a modern audience and in this production, Scottish Opera have just about got the balance right.
A production, then, for those who want to hear this opera sung well; but not for those who hope for an innovative staging of a painfully enduring story.
This production of Madama Butterfly is nonetheless a triumph, one that is worthy of the fame that Madama Butterfly commands as a revered piece of opera.
Festival Theatre, Edinburgh from Thursday May 8, 2014, until Saturday May 17, 2014. More info: http://www.edtheatres.com/festival
Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Wednesday May 21, 2014, until Saturday May 31, 2014. More info: www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyalglasgow/
Eden Court Theatre, Inverness from Thursday June 5, 2014, until Saturday June 7, 2014. More info: www.eden-court.co.uk
His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen from Thursday June 12, 2014, until Saturday June 14, 2014. More info: www.hmtaberdeen.com
Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Tuesday July 29, 2014, until Sunday August 3, 2014. More info: www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyalglasgow/