So, I just spent 4 hours of my life absolutely *glued* to the television as PBS presented Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Live from the Lincoln Center.



Now, let me start off by saying that I love operatic vocals, and while I want so badly to love operas themselves, some vocalists make it difficult. Often times I see operas when they're overdone or being...how to say...almost over-acted? Unescessary arias that border on the ludicrous (I first encountered this when PBS aired Die Fledermaus) make it difficult for the experience to be taken seriously, and not just as an abuse of melodies, almost.

But this opera? With this cast? Was, in every sense of the word, phenomenal. Not once did I feel like I had to pry my attention from unescessary trills to follow the story, or strive to take it seriously. I think the actors themselves were the cause of this.

James Valenti was B. F. Pinkerton, and though I knew that his role was going to call for him to be a careless bad guy, he was so amazingly charming that I didn't mind. And at the end, when he realizes what he's done, there is genuine remorse. He was so...somehow pleasant all throughout. I really don't think I could have enjoyed this character with many other actors (which is important because he's very central to the story, and if you have a distaste for him up-front, it could sidetrack you). Not to mention that his voice was stunning.

The "minor" characters (I say that in quotations because I kinda hate addressing anyone as a minor anything) were also really great.

Michael Chioldi was Sharpless, the Consul from America, and did a fantastic job. He was so empathetic for Butterfly that I nearly thought he may have loved her too!

Jennifer Tiller was Suzuki, Butterfly's maid, and while she was the only one that clearly looked to be a different race than their character (she was very American, yet her character was Japanese), her performance was amazing. Her voice was lovely and her emotion made me definitely see why she was chosen.

Erin Elizabeth Smith played Pinkerton's American wife, Karen. I was sort of on the fence about her, though. While her voice was lovely, the way she was introduced (I think it was the look in her eyes) made me almost instantly dislike the character, as she seemed to be looking down on Butterfly in her home, almost like she had some false sense of entitlement. Of course that was until she "spoke" and was clearly sympathetic towards Butterfly. That made up for the first impression, I think.

The name of the actor that played the child, named Sorrow, escapes me. He gets an automatic A for awesome. Most kids can't sit through an opera, much less be in one. Major props to him for actually being able to not only be on stage while it's being televised, but to not freak out when someone is loudly singing right near him.

I can't find the names of the players that performed Butterfly's uncle, the suitor that was interested in Butterfly or a few others, but they were really great too. The uncle just flat-out looked *amazing*. Almost kabuki-esque. The suitor was very well played, and looked almost as though he could have been either Chinese or Hispanic. It was a really exotic mix, perfect for his part, I think.

And Goro. Goro Goro Goro. The marriage broker that set up the whole thing. His actor was very talented, but the character wasn't one that I particularly liked (especially after spreading a rumor about Butterfly's child). Of course, this makes no reflection onto the actor, who carried out the role very well!

And now, for Butterfly herself. What can I say about Shu-Ying Li? Honestly, I don't know where to start. If it were anyone else, I don't think I'd of loved her as much as I did. I think the fact that she grew up in China and is very clearly of oriental descent added authenticity, which is more or less a must for Butterfly in my eyes (To clarify, this doesn't mean that I think every incarnation of Butterfly has to be Asian, simply that she must have an authentic feel). Her voice was absolutely beautiful, too.

I should stop here and explain that I'm...not really "picky" so much as "particular" about the operatic voices that I enjoy. I don't really enjoy the overly-throaty soprano sound that's so popular in opera. However, Miss Li's voice had a perfect balance of throatiness and clarity, if that makes any sense? And even when it was on the throaty side, it wasn't overly so.

As for the character herself? I'm in love with her. Especially Li's portrayal of her. As described here, her role really is a stronger version than the one that you'd expect. I agree that you see it the most in her death scene (which was absolutely heartwrenching, by the way. I wasn't moved to tears tonight because it's so late and I've been sick, but had I been in the audience, I know I'd of been a mess). While there are some aspects of her personality that I don't agree with, I can chalk it up to the time that the story was set in and her age (Butterfly was only supposed to be 15 when the opera started, and about 18 when it ended). I don't think, as I've said of James Valenti, that I would of been so taken with her part if it were any other actor. She was the perfect actress to introduce me to Madame Butterfly, and will forever remain in my heart as the first actress that I truly and completely adored in the role.

What was amazingly striking about this performance, though, were the wardrobe and the set.

The set designer, I belieeeve was Michael Yeargan. When it is said that the set was minimalistic, it isn't an exaggeration. Literally, the set consisted of a giant shoji screen in front of a backdrop, a large set of stairs, and another (giant) shoji screen for the end of Act II. But, as it's been said, because of the simplicity of the set, your attention is on the actors. I'd bet that that helped along my love for this particular production. Especially due to the fact that I'm in love with the Japanese culture anyway, so shoji screens make my heart happy, even if that's the only thing there. Of course there were props and extras, but they were few and far between.

The costume designer was Constance Hoffman, if I'm not mistaken. Now, I'm sure it doesn't take much to make Ms. Li lovely, but she was *absolutely stunning*. I caught myself countless times exclaiming out loud to myself "She is just gorgeous." A lot of this had to do with the surreal way that her kimono draped, or the red and white kimono set that she had during a majority of the production, or that her hair fell in just a particular way that really spoke to the costume (A main example of this was the scene from her wedding night, where Suzuki takes the top layer of Butterfly's kimono off and takes down two or three twists of her hair, so that there are two or three absolutely gorgeous flowing sections of her hair against the costume). Also, in her very first scene, Butterfly has kanzashi (hair ornaments) in her hair that are long, streaming American flags. I thought that was a beautiful touch! More than that, they flowed so fluidly when she turned, which accentuated the grace that's expected of her character.

The music was produced by a very talented orchestra, as well! The conductor's name escapes me, but he spoke for a while to a host (that I didn't care much for) about the music of the opera, and it's significance in the next scene (Act III). From my understanding, they actually brought in real birds to re-create the breaking of the dawn? Either way, they were great!

I placed a call to PBS within the first half hour of the production, leaving a message with an inquiry of where I can purchase this exact performance. I really want it! Not only because I'm in love with it, but because I really want to make icons and/or a layout from it.

I still can't believe that was only (almost) 4 hours. I could have easily watched 6 or 8 hours of that particular production. I'm already looking to see if it'll be performed around here any time soon!

That was truly a fantastic way to spend my morning.