Organization

Conductor

José Luis Moscovich

Stage director

Richard Harrell

Set designer

Peter Crompton

Costume designer

Callie Floor

Sound designer

Giselle Lee

Singer

Soprano

Olga Chernisheva

Cio-Cio-San

Tenor

David Gustafson

B.F. Pinkerton

Mezzo-soprano

Kristen Choi

Suzuki

Baritone

Igor Vieira

Sharpless

Michael Desnoyers

Goro

Ryan Bradford

Prince Yamadori

Bass

Kiril Havezov

Uncle Bonze

Carolyn Bacon

Kate Pinkerton

Silent

Zoe G. Lai

Sorrow

Chorus master

Bruce Olstad

West Bay Opera

Others

West Bay Opera Chorus

Orchestra

West Bay Opera Orchestra

Shirley Benson

Toni Marie Palmertree

Tom Mulder

Mariya Kaganskaya

Daniel Cilli

Arthur Wu

Alexander Hahn

Michael Orlinsky

The imperial commissioner

Nia Lewis

Madama Butterfly -  (Madame Butterfly)

Palo Alto

United States

Lucie Stern Theatre

Public

Madame Butterfly

Approved

Madama Butterfly Puccini

Un bel di: Cio Cio San's aria from the second act of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Sung live on 10/22/23 at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto by Toni Marie Palmertree. West Bay Opera orchestra.  Mariya Kaganskaya as Suzuki.
José Luis Moscovich, conductor
Richard Harrell, stage director

In early 1900’s Nagasaki, an American naval officer weds a young Japanese woman. Months later he leaves her, unaware that she is pregnant with his son, and promises to come back. Three years later, she is nearly destitute and shunned by her family for becoming a Christian, but she is steadfast in her conviction that he will return. He does return, with a new American wife, remorseful but ready to take his son back with him. Devastated, Butterfly gives up the child and commits suicide.  Madama Butterfly is based on the play by David Belasco, which was very popular when it premiered in 1900. The play's success reflected the shock waved sent around the world by the American triumph in the Spanish-American war, as a result of which the once mighty Spanish Empire lost Cuba and the Philippines. The young and socially awkward Pinkerton serves as an allegory for the nascent American empire, well meaning but not fully aware of its impact on the ancient cultures with which it came into contact.  This is considered Puccini's dramatically most effective and powerful score.  It is one of the 10 most performed operas in the repertoire.

English

Madame Butterfly by Puccini, From (2023/2023), Directed by Richard Harrell,, Conductor José Luis Moscovich, Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto, United States

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

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