Mihoko Kinoshita News

Vancouver, BC ~ Demand is high for Vancouver Opera's upcoming production of Giacomo Puccini's beautiful story of honour, love, heartbreak and sacrifice: Madama Butterfly. 

Vancouver, BC ~ Demand is high for Vancouver Opera's upcoming production of Giacomo Puccini's beautiful story of honour, love, heartbreak and sacrifice: Madama Butterfly. 

Vancouver, BC ~ A powerful and current Canadian premiere, two favourites of grand opera and a modern classic of musical theatre are highlights of Vancouver Opera's 56th season. The 2015-2016 season will open with Giuseppe Verdi's dark and tragic Rigoletto (September 26 - October 4, 2015), followed by the Canadian premiere of Oscar-nominated composer Nico Muhly's Dark Sisters, a thought-provoking exploration of polygamy in a renegade Mormon community (November 26 - December 12, 2015, at the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre). VO then presents Giacomo Puccini's heartbreakingly beautiful Madama Butterfly (March 5 - 13, 2016) and closes the season with a treat for lovers of musical theatre: the company premiere of Evita, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (April 30 - May 8, 2016).

Houston Grand Opera (HGO)'s 50th World Premiere Opera had its first public performance last night at Asia Society Texas Center. This enchanting chamber opera is a gorgeous and stirring piece that examines the power and necessity of memory for the advancement of the human species. It opens with rollicking thunder and a stunning, breathtaking image that is representative of the destruction of Japan in wake of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. As a woman sings about various terrible and destructive moments from Japan's rich history, the scene shifts to the tea room in Houston's Japanese garden. Here the non-linear opera explores how such tragedies affect Japanese-Americans and immigrants from Japan, deftly playing on the emotions, sympathy, and empathy of the assembled audience. The compelling opera elicited several gasps of sorrow, pain, and understanding from the opening night audience as the beauty of the piece spoke to our hearts, minds, and souls.

It is the most produced opera in North America - and with good reason. The heartbreaking story and the sumptuous music make Madama Butterfly one of the most beloved operas of all time. The Opera Company of Middlebury will bring Puccini's classic to Middlebury in a semi-staged concert version at Town Hall Theater tonight, October 5 and tomorrow night, October 7.

It is the most produced opera in North America - and with good reason. The heartbreaking story and the sumptuous music make Madama Butterfly one of the most beloved operas of all time. The Opera Company of Middlebury will bring Puccini's classic to Middlebury in a semi-staged concert version at Town Hall Theater on October 5 and 7.

During the month of June, Houston Grand Opera (HGO) in conjunction with Asia Society Texas produced and premiered a fantastic and newly commissioned opera New Arrivals, featuring a libretto by Catherine Filloux and music by John Glover. As a whole, New Arrivals is a sensational new opera that will hopefully be performed many more times around the world, presenting a story that deserves to be told, received, and appreciated.

Opera Omaha proudly presents Madama Butterfly, Sunday, April 17, at 2:00pm. Back for an encore performance after achieving nationwide success, this wildly-popular 2006 Omaha production features the original breathtaking designs from world-renowned Omaha artist Jun Kaneko.

Opera Omaha proudly presents Madama Butterfly, Friday, April 15 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 17, at 2:00pm. Back for an encore performance after achieving nationwide success, this wildly-popular 2006 Omaha production features the original breathtaking designs from world-renowned Omaha artist Jun Kaneko.