Madama Butterfly at the Buxton Opera House Review
Madama Butterfly
Buxton Opera House
1 March 2015
Reviewed by Debbie Lowndes
My husband and I very given the privilege to attend Buxton Opera House to review the splendid opera performance of Madama Butterfly.
The performance commence at 7.30pm. Upon arrival we parked on a street close by, which was within easy walking distance of the Opera House. Furthermore it cost us nothing to park the car. Upon our arrival at the Opera House the whole building was buzzing with the general public. The performance was obviously in high demand. The ticket office was efficiently manned, with tickets being quickly distributed. The staff located in the entrance were selling programmes, these were reasonably priced at £5.00. These members of staff were also directing the general public to the correct seating areas, all of which were clearly marked. Toilets and bar areas were also marked and signposted well. We easily found our seats. Which were located on the ground floor in the stalls area about four to five rows from the stage. I must say we had excellent seats. However, there were no seats which appeared to have restricted views. Turnout for this performance was in high numbers, age ranges were vast and ranged from around 20 to 80 old.
The curtain lifted and the performance commenced bang on cue. Madama Butterfly and the cast tell the story in Italian song. The story is of a young Japanese girl (aged 15) who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant. There was a small visual screen above the stage setting which provided subtitles throughput the performance allowing you to grasp the storyline. This was very cleverly positioned allowing you to obtain the storyline and fully appreciate the quality of opera singing being delivered. The atmosphere in the room was amazing. The orchestra performance throughout was outstanding and could not be faulted in anyway. I was carried along a special emotional journey with excellent opera singing and fantastic acting skills.
Madama Butterfly was nothing short of breath-taking from the moment she arrived on stage. She and Suzuki stood out for me as cast members. However, this could have been due to the fact that they were key cast members. Madama Butterfly’s voice was amazing and gave me goose bumps on a number of occasions. Pinkerton was played by a good character and I felt that he played the part well. The lighting effects during the performance were second to none, one of my favourite moments was the silhouette scene which was used whilst awaiting the return of Pinkerton. Another scene which springs to mind is Sharpless attempting to tell Madama Butterfly the bad news in relation to Pinkerton. The blind love and innocence of Madama Butterfly in this scene is heart-breaking and utterly devoting. The end sequence is so tragic yet it really stirs your emotions. Mark my words you will definitely be moved by this performance.
This is our first opera experience and wow what an incredible way to stage this Puccini classic. The setting was stunning, with the Japanese water garden being totally believable. It was almost like looking down from the sky onto a real life drama unfolding. Every fine detail had been taken into consideration. The romance was captivated from the onset in a truly magical way. This then allowed the whole story to build to the ultimate ending point and the death of Madama Butterfly. Which for me was the ultimate sacrifice of such a devoted mother and lover.
Truly amazing I highly recommend this whether you are a opera novice or not. I will definitely will not hesitate to see productions of this nature in future they are so captivating.
Low down on Buxton Opera House.
The Opera House was a good choice of venue for this production. It is an old building with magnificent architecture and sculpturing. The location is easy to find and it is very clean well maintained and tidy. At the interval there are a couple of bars to choose from both of which were reasonably priced. Staffing levels were excellent and very effective. All staff encountered were pleasant and polite and nothing was too much trouble. Toilets were very clean and well stocked. Tickets were reasonably price at just £33.00 per adult.
This was one truly great night, what a moving performance. My rating is 5 out of 5, quality at its best.
Rating: 5/5 
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN | 0845 127 2190
