Utah Arts Review

Utah Opera closes out its season with a rather unique and unusual staging of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. The brainchild of stage director Matthew Ozawa, it sets the opera as a virtual reality game played by the character who becomes Pinkerton in the game. 

The curtain rises before the music begins, showing a bored Pinkerton in his present day apartment. He wanders from his living room to the kitchen, where he grabs a beer from the fridge. He looks through his collection of video games, then decides on playing his virtual reality game that transports him to Japan of a century ago. 

The music then begins as the set changes into a traditional modest Japanese home that Pinkerton has rented for himself and his bride-to-be, the beautiful young geisha, Cio-Cio San. It is at this point where Madame Butterfly begins.  

Ozawa’s goal in reimagining the opera in this fashion was to present the story from the Japanese perspective rather than from a Western view. This isn’t immediately obvious, however; it’s only towards the end of the story that can one see how Pinkerton’s callousness in regard to Japanese customs and Cio-Cio San’s innocent love for him affect him — he shows true remorse at the fatal consequences of his earlier dismissive behavior towards his Japanese marriage. 

This dichotomy between reality and fantasy works surprisingly well, and in an unexpected twist, Ozawa blurs the separation of these two worlds at the very end when Cio-Cio San, dagger drawn, enters the present day and approaches Pinkerton. He’s sitting in his gaming chair and recoils in horror thinking she will stab him, only to be shocked as he sees her kill herself. 

Utah Opera has assembled a first-rate cast for this production. Leading the ensemble is Hiromi Omura, who has made Cio-Cio San her signature role. She has a crystalline voice that lets her project her feelings vibrantly. She sparkles with youthful enthusiasm as Butterfly sings of her love for Pinkerton, and she plumbs the depths of despair as she finally realizes her dream of a life with him that will never happen. 

At Saturday’s opening night performance, Omura brought depth and emotional power to her portrayal. Her love scene with Pinkerton was filled with a sincerity that captured her innocence and unbridled excitement at being the dashing naval officer’s bride. And her singing of the opera’s most famous number, “Un bel dì, vedremo,” was poignant and heart wrenching as she tells her maid Suzuki and the American consul, Sharpless, that Pinkerton will indeed return and take her to America. 

Eric Taylor as Pinkerton was the perfect vocal partner to Omura. He has a fine voice in all registers, expressive and fluid, and he also gave his character emotional scope and dimension. Their love duet was filled with passionate, yet tender, lyricism, and was a powerful expression of love. 

As an actor, Taylor was excellent in showing his anguish over how his lack of understanding of Cio-Cio San’s true feeling towards him affected her. He was a silent witness in Act II as she steadfastly insisted that Pinkerton will return and refused to listen to the pleas of Suzuki and Sharpless to forget him.

Nmon Ford gave a strong performance as Sharpless. His rich baritone blended well with Pinkerton’s tenor and Omura’s soprano. He brought an impassioned urgency to his characterization, as he tried to warn Pinkerton not to take his marriage to Cio-Cio San lightly and as he tried to explain to the young woman Pinkerton’s current circumstances.

Nina Yoshida Nelson, as Cio-Cio San’s faithful servant Suzuki, gave a stirring portrayal of her role. With her warm mezzo-soprano she balanced Omura’s brilliant soprano well, blending well with her while offering a grounded support to Omura’s soaring vocal lines. Nelson captured Suzuki’s character with an understated approach that showed her to be Cio-Cio San’s protectress as she unobtrusively stays in the background, but nevertheless offering the young woman the moral support she needs as Cio-Cio San’s dream collapses.

Martin Bakari gave a strong account of the marriage broker Goro, bringing some needed comic relief to the story, particularly as he tried to introduce suitable suitors to Cio-Cio San.

Kevin Nakatani as the suitor, Prince Yamadori was wonderful as were Zaikuan Song as the Bonze and Sarah Scofield as Kate Pinkerton.

The Utah Opera Chorus were in fine voice again, particularly the women. They sang the Humming Chorus with nuanced lyricism as they accompanied Cio-Cio San’s overnight vigil waiting for Pinkerton to come to her.

Members of the Utah Symphony under the baton of Benjamin Manis played with well balanced precision and clarity. 

This staging is certainly thought provoking and has a lot to offer an audience, and is definitely one of Utah Opera’s best productions in a long time.

Utah Opera’s Madame Butterfly runs through May 11. utahopera.org