Handa Opera Hires International Cast for Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY

On 21 March a cast of 60 international and local artists will converge on the purpose-built 1276sqm stage on Sydney Harbour to breathe life into Opera Australia's (OA) strikingly modern adaption of Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

Along with the Principal Artists announced last year, the full Madama Butterfly company hails from 11 different countries. The cast joins the company of 626 staff and crew that come together to make Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour happen. The Principal Artists will alternate between the 'Butterfly' cast and the 'Pinkerton' cast.

Spanish creative powerhouse La Fura dels Baus will artistically lead the production, including Director Àlex Ollé, Set Designer Alfons Flores and Costume Designer Lluc Castells. Having such an international cast and creative team means that when rehearsals start on 17 February, there will be six different languages spoken between the principal cast alone. "Opera is often said to be the universal language, and for this Madama Butterfly it will certainly come in handy," joked Opera Australia's Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini. "We're thrilled that each year Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour's reputation grows internationally and we have been able to attract such a superb cast. Of course we're particularly proud of our Australian emerging artists featured in this production, such as Michael Honeyman, who will join Madama Butterfly fresh from playing Escamillo in OA's Carmen."

Madama Butterfly also features a full orchestra, meaning that for every performance over 150 artists will be working either on stage or in the rooms hidden beneath the stage and grandstand.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour has become one of the most accessible and inclusive opera events ever staged in Australia, with over 44% of the near 41,000 people who saw the production in 2013 (Carmen) having never attended an Opera Australia event.

Site Designer Eamon D'Arcy will again transform Mrs Macquaries Point for the event, this year into a slice of Japan, complete with five different dining venues on site. Cuisine ranges from simple Japanese-inspired snacks at the Adina Garden Bar to a full 3-course luxury dining experience at the Platinum Club. New South Wales 2013 'Caterer of the Year' and 'Best Caterer for a Major Event' winner Fresh Catering is the exclusive caterer for the event and will manage all venues.

"Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour is more than a show - it is a complete event experience, that is unique the world over," said Executive Producer Louisa Robertson. "The site is open every show day from 5pm, so ticket holders can immerse themselves in the world of Madama Butterfly, enjoy some great food and wine, fireworks, the Harbour view and of course, La Fura dels Baus' stunning interpretation of this timeless love story."

Madama Butterfly comes to Sydney Harbour 110 years after it was first performed at La Scala in Milan, Italy.

THE STORY: A US property developer Pinkerton is in Japan in the early 1900s, and takes a Japanese wife (Cio Cio San) whom he nicknames 'Butterfly'. Pinkerton tells his confidant Sharpless that the marriage is purely of convenience, and that he intends to take an American bride as soon as feasible. However, Butterfly is in love with Pinkerton, and despite her friend Suzuki's warning, her loyalty is steadfast. After an extended absence, Pinkerton returns to Japan where love and heartache unfold.

Madama Butterfly features some of the opera world's most iconic arias including Cio Cio San's Un bel dì vedremo (One Beautiful Day). The story has been the basis of several other works including musicals Miss Saigon and Cho Cho, Broadway play M. Butterfly, 5 screen adaptations, Malcolm McLaren's 1984 electro-opera hit Madame Butterfly and even Weezer's alternative rock album Pinkerton.

The Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour performances of Madama Butterfly will be sung in Italian with English subtitles.

The show runs for approximately two hours and forty minutes with an extended interval of thirty-five minutes (plenty of time for champagne!).

TICKETS: Madama Butterfly plays March 21 to April 12, 2014. Tickets $79 - $350. All performances 7.30PM. Site gates open 5.00PM. Tickets via opera.org.au 02 9318 8200 or ticketmaster.com.au 1300 723 038. Flight and accommodation packages showbiz.com.au/butterfly 1300 361 936

Photo Credit: Lluc Castells

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