How soon is too soon? With the raised eyebrows which confronted Opera Australia’s most recent production of Madama Butterfly in 2019 and 2022 – not to mention the contested use of “yellowface” in a recent production of Turandot – Opera Australia’s latest production of Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour opened with bated breath. But as it turns out, not soon enough!
Madama Butterfly is a moving performance for both newcomers and aficionados of the opera... You can’t help but watch in awe at the poignancy of the location
Innovative Spanish director Àlex Ollé’s interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera is back after it first ran on Sydney Harbour in 2014. Under Ollé’s vision, revived by Susana Gómez, this performance provides a prism into a classical tragedy which refracts a multitude of interpretations while still staying true to Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa’s libretto.
Set against the twinkling cityscape of a stunning Sydney Harbour, Mrs Macquire’s Chair on the edge of the Royal Botanical Gardens is transformed into the coastal town of Nagasaki. The minimalist and nature-esque set design in the first act – a beacon of hope, tranquillity and delicacy – contrasts with the jarring construction of over-development and urbanisation created in the second and third act. Despite this duality, both of Alfons Flores’ sets could seamlessly fit as part of the Sydney landscape; providing a self-actualising reminder about the beauty of our own natural world whilst reminding us of what is at stake if we continue to develop land on mass (all while ironically being set in one of the few areas of the city not yet sold to developers). Watching the reconstruction of the set in real time, from a natural landscape into a dilapidated construction site – a spectacle in itself – speaks volumes about our own reality unfolding in front of us.
In this contemporary staging, which employs cultural consultant Mayu Iwasaki, B.F. Pinkerton (Diego Torre), originally written as an American naval officer, is transformed into a ruthless businessman and developer. The advantageous Pinkerton learns that in Japan he can lease for 999 years whilst also having the power to evict and expel with one month’s notice. Whether he is talking about property or women is unclear, and that is precisely the repertoire that Pinkerton keeps up throughout the performance.
Pinkerton receives the hand in marriage of a former geisha, the young and naive Cio-Cio San (Karah Son), also known as Madam Butterfly, as part of a property agreement. A lovestruck Butterfly happily weds Pinkerton, renouncing her traditional religion and being cast away by her family along the way. Meanwhile, Pinkerton does not take their marriage so seriously, intending to return to the United States for a “real American bride”.
Pinkerton leaves Cio-Cio San alone in Nagasaki with no one but her servant Suzuki (Sian Sharp) for support, along with a living momento of her American husband. As her circumstances grow increasingly more grim, she refuses all other offers of marriage, hopeful that her true love will return.
Son effortlessly depicts Butterfly’s vulnerability and fragility in her movement and stage presence, but it is her vocal gusto and determination that her husband will come back which is a spectacle to behold. The prima donna’s range of timbre evokes the emotional depth of Butterfly’s hope and longing. When Son performs an aria, the magnificence of the set, lighting, and costume all become invisible – she alone embodies the visceral heartbreak and beauty of Butterfly.
Whilst Torre carries the gravitas of a business mogul in both action and voice, his duets with Son become, at times, imbalanced. It is hard to hear the passion and love of Butterfly against the lustful desire for possession from Pinkerton. Despite this occasional imbalance, the chemistry between the leading actors is brilliant, with Son and Pinkerton comfortably building from each other. Michael Honeyman as Consul Sharpless is a notable highlight, whose vocal range naturally complements each duet and trio he executes. Despite some mild technical glitches on Opening Night, Honeyman’s performance is unwavering, much like Sharpless’s moral code. (And for the most part, the surround-sound audio quality of this outdoor performance could rival that of some of Sydney’s indoor theatres!)
Madama Butterfly is a moving performance for both newcomers and aficionados of the opera – and this production, picturesque in both location and staging, furthers the reputation of Handa Opera on the Harbour as a world-class Sydney experience. You can’t help but watch in awe at the poignancy of the location, especially in scenes such as where Butterfly looks out towards the ocean singing out for Pinkerton to return, only for a ferry, as if orchestrated, to sail right past her pleas.
The orchestra, conducted by Brian Castles-Onion and hidden beneath the floating stage, amplifies the whole performance. The orchestrations do not only evoke a transcendental melody with a wide emotional range – but also smoothly facilitates the transition of time with the help of Alexander Koppelmann’s lighting. The stunning music, especially for newcomers to opera, bridges the dissonance of reading the English subtitles whilst also watching the performance in Italian.
The costume designs by Lluc Castells take cues from both Japanese and Western attire, reflective of the cultural milieu. Castells’ costuming provides its own story of Butterfly’s transformation from the timid cocoon of a shiromuku (a traditional Japanese bridal outfit); to a free flowing gown which waves like a flag in salute and admiration to her new husband and his American culture; until finally she is stripped of her wings, and what is laid bare is the beauty of the foreign destroyed by the intoxication of the United States and its blood thirsty capitalist tendencies (all whilst being draped in an American flag singlet and fishnet stockings). A special mention must go to the costuming of Yamadori (Alexander Hargreaves), who is transformed into the most mismatched and unfavourable but willing suitor (who you can’t blame Butterfly for rejecting!).
Opera has historically been an artform which relishes at violence against women. In Opera Australia’s 2022 outdoor production of Carmen on Cockatoo Island, the attempt to subvert opera’s sexist and racist tropes was not received favourably by everyone. Yet here in Madama Butterfly, the restraint used in depicting this violence censures traditional glorification whilst simultaneously satiating the opera purist. This is not an easy balance, and is skilfully executed without detracting from the greater themes of the performance.
The performance stays true to what is originally a simple story, but uses this simplicity to subtly (and at times more overtly) provoke questions about our perspective on beauty and destruction. The genius of its subtlety empowers the audience to decide how they view this performance: as a simple opera performance, or, a reflection on modern-day capitalism, misogyny and orientalism. And the best part of it all is, it’s entirely up to you if you choose to see it.
Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour is playing at Fleet Steps, Mrs Macquaries Point, until April 23, 2023. Tickets start at $99 and you can snap yours up over here.
