On Tuesday I went to the Opera Pacific production of Madame Butterfly. I’d seen this particular production in San Diego, but was very pleasantly surprised by some of our innovative additions.

Butterfly is touted as the “warhorse” of opera, and like anyone who attends opera regularly, I’ve seen it more times than I’ve kept track of. I suppose opera companies stage it when they want to bring people in…I don’t imagine modern operas can pack a house quite like Butterfly or Boheme or Barber. (I almost said Carmen, but I liked the whole alliteration thing I had going. And personally, if I have to sit through another Carmen I really think I’ll lose my mind.)

Despite having seen a flock of Butterflys, Pinkertons and Troubles, I still enjoy the show; the only problem I have with it is that the entire opera takes place on one set, and it’s usually not even a very interesting set. Looking at the same thing for 3 hours always makes the show drag a bit for me. Happily, Opera Pacific combated that problem by having set changes, which worked extremely well. That broke up the visual monotony beautifully.

I was sitting in the front row, which was a bit distracting because my friends were on stage 12 feet away from me so of course I watched them instead of the principals! Everyone did a great job, especially all the brand-new Asian supers. They were onstage for an awful lot of the show, and they performed like old veterans. Who, in this production, were Michael and Rom! Ah yes, I was there when they both started out…

It was nice to see a lot of supers in the audience, as well!

I have to say, in all of opera my least favorite character is Pinkerton. I don’t like his character and I don’t like his music. But in this production there was a moment in Act One when Pinkerton was standing on an empty stage, far upstage, and he was silhouetted against a blue backdrop. It made him look like he was in the middle of the ocean or a cloud of fog. And something about that image stuck me so forcibly…it evoked a sense of sympathy for him that I’d never had before. It showed a vulnerability and isolation that I’d never seen under his bluff and swagger. It certainly made the rest of his scenes more interesting.

I did think it odd that the audience laughed raucously at the “At what time of year do robins build their nests?” exchange. I was pretty horrified, actually. I think those are some of the most beautiful, touching lyrics in any opera…it was a little disconcerting that people were laughing at Butterfly instead of feeling incredibly sorry for her! I saw a little flick of surprise across the soprano’s face; I guess she wasn’t expecting it, either.

All in all, a wonderful production. I love that I belong to an opera company that isn’t afraid to push the “traditional” envelope a bit, but doesn’t usually cross the line into taking artistic license for the shock value. It’s a rare blend.