Wow…what a night! Madama Butterfly opened last night at Overture Hall to a capacity crowd that simply loved it. The audience was with Butterfly for every note, every joy, and every heartache, and the spontaneous and prolonged ovation that came with Maria Kanyova’s bow only confirmed this. Jun Kaneko’s designs drew “oohs” and “ahhs” throughout the night and set the stage for truly magical music making.
Don’t just take my word for it. The reviews are in, and here’s what the critics are saying:
“This story lives and dies in the body of Cio-Cio-San, played marvelously by soprano Maria Kanyova.”
“Kaneko’s costume and set design is unavoidably stunning…At times seeing the set change is like watching an abstract painting being made.”
“…there is no doubt Rawls has the tenor chops for the role [of Pinkerton]. Even while carrying Kanyova, he hits massive high notes that spin and soar into the hall.”
“Baritone Grant Youngblood is a fine Sharpless, Pinkerton’s older and wiser friend, infusing the role with believability and gravitas. As Suzuki, mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson is also a pleasure, notably in her gorgeous second act duet with Kanyova.”
“Maestro Leonardo Vordoni’s conducting is expressive and responsive…”
“Leslie Swackhamer’s direction creates an image of the East that is no longer exoticized, but instead, a kind of imagined place where moons drip blood and silent, black-clad dancers move in stylized patterns across the stage.“
-Lindsay Christians,The Capital Times
“Friday night’s Madison Opera performance in Overture Hall had that outstanding singer–and actress–in Maria Kanyova…Her “Un bel di” was striking.”
“…the gorgeously colored, geometrically inspired, minimalist set had a striking impact, as did the colorful costuming and computerized special effects…The set design by Jun Kaneko…was beautiful.”
“…Arnold Rawls was consistently strong, with a sure, strong top of the range.”
“Grant Youngblood’s Sharpless…had vocal warmth.”
“Heather Johnson was fine as Suzuki…”
“…musicians of the Madison Symphony Orchestra were nearly faultless.”
-John Aehl, Wisconsin State Journal
There’s only one more performance of Madison Opera’s Madama Butterfly: tomorrow, Nov. 23 at 2:30 pm!
Click here to watch General Director Allan Naplan’s Madama Butterfly preview, filmed at Opera Up Close on Nov. 16 in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. (Scroll down the linked page to find the video). This is a great way to enhance your operatic experience, with fascinating history on Puccini’s life and works, hints on what to listen for in the opera, a detailed exploration of designer Jun Kaneko’s aesthetic, and discussions with our conductor Leonardo Vordoni and director Leslie Swackhamer. You can also watch Opera Up Close on Madison City Channel 12 (analog basic channel 98 and digital channel 994) the following dates and times:
Sunday, Nov. 23 at 10 pm
Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 2 pm
Friday, December 5 at 8 pm
Opera Up Close: The Cosi fan Tutte Preview will take place on Sunday, March 1, 2009 from 4-6 p.m. in the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art.
Soprano Maria Kanyova is singing Cio-Cio-San in the Madison Opera production of Madama Butterfly this weekend. I caught up with her before last night’s rehearsal to hear what she thinks of the opera, the role, and what it means to her now that real-life daughter Elisabeth Kania is playing Cio-Cio-San’s son in Friday night’s performance.
Carafes for Pinkerton’s whiskey, amongst other servant/cook platters
This is a really cool looking book that I’m sure there is a story behind. It’s used in the wedding scene. (Apologies the photo isn’t rotated, Blogger won’t let it!)
Keely Futterer
Rosina, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Dover, AR Madison Opera Debut: Léontine, The Anonymous Lover (2024)
Recently: Anna Sørenson, Silent Night (Wolf Trap Opera); Musetta, La Bohème; Armida, Rinaldo; Charlene, Service Provider; Jazz Trio, Trouble in Tahiti (Minnesota Opera);
Armida, Rinaldo; Vanderdendur, Candide; Angostura, Tenor Overboard (Glimmerglass Festival);
Rodelinda, Rodelinda (Hudson Hall); Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Opera Memphis);
Upcoming: Marcellina, Leonora (Chicago Opera Theater);
Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Virginia Opera); Verdi Requiem (Erie Philharmonic)
Weston Hurt
Baritone, Opera in the Park
Hometown: Spring, TX Madison Opera Debut: Germont, La Traviata (2019)
Recently: Sharpless, Madama Butterfly (Houston Grand Opera, New Orleans Opera);
Britten's War Requiem (Opera Roanoke); Scarpia, Tosca (Arizona Opera);
Germont, La Traviata (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Nabucco, Nabucco (Seattle Opera)
Upcoming: Rigoletto, Rigoletto (English National Opera)
Joshua Sanders
Tenor, Opera in the Park
Hometown: Plain, WI Madison Opera Debut: Giuseppe, La Traviata (2011) Also at MO:Tobias Ragg, Sweeney Todd; Inmate, Dead Man Walking; Ensemble, Acis and Galatea
Recently: Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville; Romeo, Romeo and Juliet (Opera San José);
Tamino, The Magic Flute (Nashville Opera); Sam Clay, The Amazing Adventures of
Kavalier & Clay workshop (Metropolitan Opera)
Upcoming: Victorin, Die tote Stadt (Boston Symphony Orchestra)
Sachie Ueshima
Zerlina, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Wakayama City, Japan Madison Opera Debut Former Madison Opera Studio Artist
Recently: Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly (Virginia Opera); Violetta, La Traviata;
Krystyna Zywulska, Two Remain (UW-Madison)
Hometown: Twin Cities, MN Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2017 Also at MO: Belmonte, The Abduction from the Seraglio
Recently: Ferrando, Così fan tutte (Princeton Festival); Ramiro, La Cenerentola (Toledo Opera);
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (North Carolina Opera);
Frederic, The Pirates of Penzance (Opera San Antonio); Filippo, Deceit Outwitted (Sarasota Opera)
Upcoming: Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Minnesota Opera); Candide, Candide (South Florida Symphony);
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Livermore Valley Opera)
Emily Fons
Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2012 Also at MO:Opera in the Park 2024; Rosina, The Barber of Seville (2015)
Recently: Nicklausse, The Tales of Hoffmann (Palm Beach Opera);
Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Cincinnati Opera, Santa Fe Opera);
Woman, Ghosts (San Diego Opera); Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro (Canadian Opera Company);
Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera)
Hometown: Madison, WI Madison Opera Debut: Acis & Galatea (2013) Recently at MO: Florencia en el Amazonas; Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins
Lisa Thurrell
Choreographer, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: Madison, WI Madison Opera Debut: Florencia en el Amazonas (2018) Recently at MO: The Anonymous Lover, Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins Co-Artistic Director of Kanopy Dance
Recently: Director and Choreographer, Winter Fantasia: Reimagined; Polaris + Revelations;
The Next Generation; Confluence: A Prelude; Graham: In Her Voice; Shades of Light (Kanopy Dance); Choreographer, Bluebeard's Castle (Des Moines Metro Opera)
Upcoming: Director and Choreographer, Inner Passages (Kanopy Dance);
Choreographer, The Cunning Little Vixen (Des Moines Metro Opera)
Kirstin Chávez
El Duende, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Albuquerque, NM Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2006
Recently: Glenda, We Shall Not Be Moved (Pittsburgh Opera); Verdi's Requiem (Pensacola Symphony);
Carlotta de Obragón, Zorro (Fort Worth Opera); Suzuki, Madama Butterfly (Dallas Opera);
Mozart's Requiem (Paducah Symphony); Carmen, Carmen (St. Barth's Music Festival)
Upcoming: Carmen, Carmen (Kentucky Symphony Orchestra); Carmen, Carmen Inside Out (the film)
Ryan Nash
Sergeant, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Longmeadow, MA Madison Opera Debut
Madison Opera Studio Artist
Recently: Gherardo, Gianni Schicchi (American Gothic Performing Arts Festival); Frederic, The Pirates of Penzance (Madison Savoyards);
Mercurio, La Calisto; Gastone, La Traviata; Albert Herring, Albert Herring (UW Madison Opera);
Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi (La Musica Lirica USA); Alfred, Die Fledermaus; Monostatos, The Magic Flute (UMass Opera)
Upcoming: Tamino, The Magic Flute (Opera for the Young)
John DeMain
Conductor: Opera in the Park, The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Youngstown, OH Madison Opera Debut: The Magic Flute (1995) Recently at MO: Candide, Tosca, Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins, Salome
Rebecca Herman
Stage Director, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Austin, TX Madison Opera Debut
Recently: Carmen (Austin Opera); Don Giovanni (Opera Colorado, Cincinnati Opera);
Un Cuento de Luces y Sonmbras (LOLA); La Bohème (Glimmerglass Opera); The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Utah Opera, Calgary Opera)
Upcoming: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Washington National Opera); New Opera Workshop,We Might be Struck by Lighting (LOLA)
Fenlon Lamb
Stage Director, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Madison Opera Debut: La Traviata (2019) Recently at MO: Lucia di Lammermoor
Recently: La Fanciulla del West (Central City Opera); The Elixir of Love, Così fan tutte (Palm Beach Opera);
The Marriage of Figaro (Portland Opera); Carmen (Opera Santa Barbara); Charlie Parker's Yardbird (Dayton Opera); La Bohème (New Orleans Opera); Mozart and Salieri (Opera San Jose)
Kamna Gupta
Conductor, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: St. Genis-de-Puilly, France Madison Opera Debut
Recently: The Pearl Fishers (Vancouver Opera); In Our Daughter's Eyes (LA Opera / BMP); Number Our Days (Perelman Performing Arts Center); Glory Denied (Cleveland Institute of Music); Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera); The Rip Van Winkles (Glimmerglass Festival)
Upcoming:Ruinous Gods (Spoleto Festival USA)
Frances Rabalais
Stage Director, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: New Orleans, LA Madison Opera Debut: Tosca (2023)
Recently: Macbeth (Resonance Works); Hansel and Gretel (Opera Birmingham); The Magic Flute (North Carolina Opera); The Barber of Seville (Pensacola Opera)
Charles Eaton
Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Storrs, CT Madison Opera Debut: Moralès, Carmen (2017) Recently at MO: Count Malcolm, A Little Night Music
Recently: Ponchel, Silent Night; Brother, The Seven Deadly Sins (Wolf Trap Opera); Schaunard, La Bohème;
Sam, Trouble in Tahiti; Masetto, Don Giovanni; Argante, Rinaldo (Minnesota Opera);
Fedorov, The Christmas Spider (Opéra Louisiane, Marble City Opera);
English Ambassador, The Ghosts of Versailles (Royal Opera Versailles);
Marcello, La Bohème (Imperial Symphony Orchestra)
Recently: Marcello, La Bohème; Beau, Service Provider; Jazz Trio, Trouble in Tahiti;
Hortensius, The Daughter of the Regiment; Mago, Rinaldo;
Abilenes's Father / Bryce's Father, Edward Tulane (Minnesota Opera);
Colline, La Bohème (Lyric Opera of the North); Lackey, Ariadne auf Naxos (Lakes Area Music Festival); Charlie, Three Decembers (South Bend Lyric Opera); The Villains, The Tales of Hoffmann (Union Avenue Opera)
Ashraf Sewailam
The Commendatore, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Cairo, Egypt / San Francisco, CA
Madison Opera Debut: Captain, Florencia en el Amazonas (2018)
Recently: Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (Des Moines Metro Opera, Seattle Opera);
Dr. Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro (New Orleans Opera); Sparafucile, Rigoletto (Opera San Jose);
Giove, La Calisto (Opera Memphis)
Upcoming: Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (Lyric Opera of Kansas City);
Dulcamara, The Elixir of Love (New Orleans Opera)
Andrew Stenson
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Rochester, MN Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2021
Recently: Pong, Turandot (Metropolitan Opera); Bill, Flight; The Steersman, The Flying Dutchman (Dallas Opera);
Pang, Turandot (Houston Grand Opera); Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Seattle Opera);
Nemorino, The Elixir of Love (Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera);
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Opera Colorado, Garsington Opera);
Nikolaus Sprink, Silent Night; Tamino, The Magic Flute (Utah Opera);
Fadinard, The Italian Straw Hat (Minnesota Opera); Danny Chen, An American Soldier (Opera Theatre of St. Louis)
Hailey Cohen
Berta, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Edgemont, NY Madison Opera Debut: Dorothée, The Anonymous Lover (2024) Also with MO: Paquette, Candide Madison Opera Studio Artist
Recently: Zita, Gianni Schicchi (Finger Lakes Opera); Hattie, American Gothical (Cedar Rapids Opera);
Sally, The Boy Who Wanted to be a Robot; K., Would You Eat Me? (Thompson Street Opera)
Lifan Deng
Fiorello, The Barber of Seville Masetto, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Shenzhen, China Madison Opera Debut Madison Opera Studio Artist
Recently: Voce 2, Il Nostro Posto nel Mondo (Thompson Street Opera Company);
The Police Agent / Mr. Kofner, The Consul (Third Eye Ensemble);
Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte; Kaiser Overall, Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Northwestern Opera Theater);
Old Adam Goodheart, Ruddigore; Carpenter's Mate, H.M.S. Pinafore (The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company);
Olin Brett, The Music Man (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre)
Upcoming: Papageno, The Magic Flute (Opera for the Young)
Laureano Quant
El Payador, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: Barranquilla, Colombia Madison Opera Debut
Recently: Schaunard, La Bohème (Wolf Trap Opera); Foreman, Jenufa; Dancaïre, Carmen;
Count of Lerma, Don Carlo (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Escamillo, Le tragediedeCarmen;
Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (The Opera Next Door); Betto, Gianni Schicchi (Ópera de Colombia);
Demetrius, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Captain / Ragotsky, Candide (Orquestra Filarmónica de Bogotà)
Upcoming: Belcore, The Elixir of Love (New Orleans Opera);
Bill, Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahgonny (Staatsoper Stuttgart)
Kelly Guerra
María, María de Buenos Aires
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Madison Opera Debut
Recently: María, María de Buenos Aires (Kentucky Opera); Lupita, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna; Carlotta de Obragón, Zorro (Opera Santa Barbara); Renata, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (West Edge Opera);
Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Princeton Festival); Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Scalia/Ginsburg (Chautauqua Opera);
Luisa Fernanda, Luisa Fernanda (Opera Hispánica, Opera Williamsburg)
Upcoming: Una Niña, Ainadamar (Metropolitan Opera); Jo, Little Women (Fort Worth Opera);
Isabella, L'Italiana in Algeri (Opera in the Heights); Mrs. Fox, Fantastic Mr. Fox (Opera Omaha)
Alex Taylor
Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Beloit, WI Madison Opera Debut: Mother, The Seven Deadly Sins (2023)
Recently: Green Shirt Guy, Mel Rides the Bus Alone (Pittsburgh Opera);
Sarastro, The Magic Flute; Dr. Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro (Carnegie Mellon University)
Levi Hernandez
Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: El Paso, TX Madison Opera Debut: Papageno, The Magic Flute (2006) Recent at MO: Alvaro, Florencia en el Amazonas; Opera in the Park 2018
Recently: Diego Rivera, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (Opera Omaha);
Tonio, Pagliacci (Hawaii Opera Theatre); Dandini, La Cenerentola (Boston Lyric Opera);
Peter, Hansel and Gretel (Opera San Antonio); Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (North Carolina Opera)
Upcoming: Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (Washington National Opera); Benoit/Alcindoro, La Bohème (Lyric Opera of Chicago);
Alvaro, Florencia en el Amazonas (North Carolina Opera)
Benjamin Taylor
Figaro, The Barber of Seville
Hometown: Waldorf, MD
Madison Opera Debut: Silvio, Pagliacci (2018)
Recently: Bello, La Fanciulla del West (Bayerische Staatsoper); Moralès, Carmen (Metropolitan Opera);
Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (Princeton Symphony); Jan Nyman, Breaking the Waves (Detroit Opera);
Silvio, Pagliacci (Austin Opera)
Upcoming: Marcello, La Bohème (Arizona Opera); Jake, Porgy and Bess (Washington National Opera);
Schaunard, La Bohème (Charleston Opera Theater)
Katerina Burton
Donna Anna, Don Giovanni
Hometown: Ocean City, MD Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2024
Recently: Mimì, La Bohème; Verna/Young Lovely/Evelyn, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); JFK: The Last Speech
(National Symphony Orchestra); Britten’s War Requiem (Strathmore Music Center);
Russian Chamber Art Society; Postclassical Ensemble Concert (The Kennedy Center); Girlfriend 2, Blue;
Micaëla, Carmen (Washington National Opera); Alice Ford, Falstaff (Aspen Music Festival);
Wow…what a night! Madama Butterfly opened last night at Overture Hall to a capacity crowd that simply loved it. The audience was with Butterfly for every note, every joy, and every heartache, and the spontaneous and prolonged ovation that came with Maria Kanyova’s bow only confirmed this. Jun Kaneko’s designs drew “oohs” and “ahhs” throughout the night and set the stage for truly magical music making.
