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ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT MARCH 16, 2023
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Raquel González stars in Sarasota Opera’s “Madama Butterfly.”
Becoming T ‘Madama Butterfly’
EMILY LEINFUSS CONTRIBUTOR
Sarasota Opera cast learns the fine art of being a geisha.
he deepness of an ojiji (bow). The way a geisha holds her sensu (folding fan) to giggle behind. How high her arms lift in a gofuku (kimono). The way feet move across the stage wearing uwabaki (traditional Japanese slippers) and tabi (socks). These are some of the actions studied by cast members while training for the Sarasota Opera’s 2023 production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Sarasota Opera Stage Director Stephanie Sundine brought New York City-based movement coach Yoko Yamashita to Sarasota for a three-day training session with the opera. Sundine wanted to make sure that the character Cho Cho San (Butterfly), the chorus of geishas and others in the production would have an accurate Japanese movement vocabulary to draw upon while performing the iconic opera. Sundine, who was an opera singer for 25 years and has been a stage director for about 25 more, had worked with Yamashita before. She knew that Japanese movement training would go a long way toward establishing the authentic-
ity of a revered work that has been performed worldwide for nearly 120 years. ‘MADAMA BUTTERFLY’ REDUX
From its 1904 premiere at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala to the Sarasota Opera’s 2023 Winter Festival, “Madama Butterfly” has emerged as one of the most beloved and recognized operas in the world. The plot revolves around Cho Cho, a young geisha also known as Madama Butterfly, who falls in love with American naval officer B.F. Pinkerton, only to be so tragically betrayed that she takes her own life. As one of the most frequently performed operas in the world, “Madama Butterfly” is an enduring success story. The Sarasota Opera alone has staged it nine times since 1968. Five of those seasons — 1994, 2007, 2011, 2017 and now in 2023 — have featured Maestro Victor DeRenzi as conductor. With great achievement, however, often comes controversy. Problems with public and critical perception of “Madama Butterfly” surfaced after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. At that time, the opera was deemed to be inflammatory — especially given its depiction of American SEE BUTTERFLY PAGE 2
IF YOU GO ‘MADAMA BUTTERFLY’ When: Through March 24 Where: Sarasota Opera, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets: Start at $33 Info: Visit Sarasota Opera.com.
Photos courtesy of Rod Millington
Sarasota Opera cast members prepare for their roles in “Madama Butterfly” by taking a three-day training session in Japanese movement.