Madame Butterfly

There was much to like in this touring production of Madame Butterfly, though it didn’t always hit the mark. The simple set, with sliding walls, worked well and looked appropriately second-hand in the second act. The small orchestra generally did well, though the strings were sloppy.

The title character is one of the most demanding in opera and the company was lucky to have Chinese soprano Sharon Zhai. Petite and beautiful, she looked just right and her anguish at the end was heart-wrenching. Unfortunately her beautiful voice is not yet ready for such a demanding role. She often couldn’t be heard over the orchestra in the lower register, which was more of a problem as it was sung in English, and did not have the size of voice required for the final aria, though few have. It was a nice touch to have her in Western dress in the second act, showing her rejection of her heritage.

I had encountered Matthew Reardon in the German-Australian Opera Grant final and was delighted to see his career taking off. A good-looking young man, his robust tenor was a delight and his top notes thrilling. He still needs to develop as an actor as he did not convincingly portray the anguish Pinkerton feels at the harm he’s caused Butterfly in the last act.

Andrew Moran was a solid, but young-looking Sharpless and Russian mezzo Anna Yun a lovely Susuki. Michael Petruccelli sang more beautifully than one expects of the slimy Goro, while Steven Gallop was an outstanding Bonze.

The chorus was made up of mainly local school children, which was a wonderful experience for them.

The audience certainly enjoyed it.

Graham Ford