Madama Butterfly at the Opera House Manchester Review
Madama Butterfly
The Opera House, Manchester
22 March 2015
Reviewed by Lucy Knight
I was privileged to have the opportunity to review Ellen Kent’s award winning production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Opera House in Manchester last night. My mum is a huge Puccini fan so she was delighted when I asked her to accompany me to see this spectacular show. As a young girl of 13 her father had promised to take her to see Madama Butterfly, but had not fulfilled his promise so she had waited around 50 years to see the show, although she had seen it many of times on TV.
Madama Butterfly is set in Nagasaki, Japan in 1904. A young geisha Cio-Cio-San is promised to marry a handsome American naval officer FB Pinkerton, unbeknown to her that he only looking for a temporary arrangement.
Coi-Coi-San falls deeply in love with Pinkerton and renounces her religion and family to devote herself to being an American wife.
When Pinkerton is recalled to America he promises Madama Butterfly he will return in the spring. Three years later she is left destitute with only her maid and her young son for company as her family want nothing to do with her. She has been offered many marriages but her heart stays true to Pinkerton.
When Pinkerton returns he brings his new American wife with him, which then leads to a tragic finale.
The show as a whole was absolutely spellbinding; I was captivated by the magnificent performances by Cio-Cio-San, Suzuki and Pinkerton. I was moved to tears by the thought and emotion, which was put into each character.
The set was visually stunning, using a traditional Japanese garden set up, exquisite lighting and burning incense (which could be smelled throughout the audience), and it thoroughly set the scene.
The opera was performed in Italian with English subtitles, which made it easy for people who unaware of the storyline to follow the plot. The highlights for me were listening to the beautiful Humming Chorus and Cio-Cio-San’s rendition of One Fine Day, as she waited in vain for her lover to return, which brought tears to my eyes.
I absolutely loved everything about this wonderful performance. It is definitely a must-see, ideal for die-hard opera fans and novices alike. If you get the chance to see this production, you really must go.
Rating: 5/5 
For other show and performances at the Manchester Opera House visit www.atgtickets.com/operahouse.
Opera House Manchester. 3 Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3HP | 0844 871 3018
