Opera Theater of Connecticut will present the opera in its original setting of 1900 Imperial Japan and, said General Director Kate Ford in an email, "Our costumes and other stage items are specialty items from Japan that are theatrically authentic and incredibly sumptuous."
The opera is based on a play by David Belasco, rooted in a short story by John Luther Long, points out Ford. Madama Butterfly's father was a Samurai and by birth, so is Butterfly.
Ford says the costumes and some props are from a private collection in Japan.
"The costumes, wigs, sets, and production are a stunning depiction of that period, brought to life and made real in this OTC presentation," writes Ford.
No worries about understanding the Italian words or story. The opera will feature English supertitles prepared by Artistic Director Alan Mann.
Of course, ultimately, it comes down to the quality of the singing and the orchestration, no easy task with this show.
"These singers have a triple challenge," Ford writes, "singing in a foreign language, in this case Italian, wearing heavy and intricate costumes which in many cases are 4-5 layers, working and managing the intricate gestures of the period in history, all the while singing beautifully with other singers and acting the part."
Starring are Shannon Kessler Dooley, who sang in the company's "La Boheme," as the tragic heroine Cio-Cio San; Joshua Kohl as Lt. Pinkerton; tenor Stefan Barner as Goro, mezzo Evanna Lai often seen at Yale in recent years) as Suzuki; and John Dooley as Consul-General Sharpless. OTC also introduces Andrew Potter and Zachary Johnson as The Bonze and Prince Yamadori, while Carly Callahan as Kate Pinkerton.
