Madame Butterfly

Utah Opera

Capitol Theatre - Salt Lake City, Utah

October 18-26, 2008

Barbara Shirvis, Cio-Cio San (Butterfly)

Scott Piper, Pinkerton

(I have opted not to include a synopsis of this opera. Please follow this link.)

I found out at the later end of of the 2007/2008 season that Scott Piper would be singing the role of Pinkerton, the lead tenor from Puccini's Madame Butterfly. I was very disappointed. You see, he also sang the role of Cavaradossi in Utah Opera's production of Tosca (January 2008). I went there ready to cry during E lucevan la stella. Cavaradossi's aria while he awaits execution. Everytime I hear it, if it is sung well, I end up in tears. It is so emotional. He sings of his love, Floria Tosca, and the sweet times they shared together. So the time of the famous aria (one of my favorites!) comes and Mr. Piper ruined it for me. I didn't sense any emotion in his voice. It was kind of "dry," boring. (The rest of the opera was great, especially the murder in the second act [I love it when baritones are killed] and Tosca's suicide was phenomenal.)

So I went into Madame Butterfly, expecting the worst from Mr. Piper, but you know what? Of course you don't, but I'll tell you...I realized, I didn't know any of the tenor arias from this opera (Butterfly). So how could he ruin it for me, I had nothing to compare his performance too. So needless to say Mr. Piper didn't ruin it for me. I still don't like his voice, but, well anyway. I'm very critical of tenors, probably because I am one myself. :)

Barbara Shirvis as Cio-Cio San was amazing. One could hear the hope in her voice as she sang Un bel di (One fine day). She expresses her hope that Pinkerton will return to her "when the flowers bloom." Despite the fact that they have already "bloomed" three times.

I was deeply touched by the devotion she showed to her husband. She gave up everything to be with him. Even to the point of be cut off from her family. She left her religion for the "American religion" (Christianity).

Another of the most famous pieces of music from this opera is the Humming Chorus. During this chorus, Cio-Cio San, Suzuki (her maid), and Dolore (Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton's son) gather flowers and spread them all around the house in preparation for Pinkerton's return. His ship has arrived, after three years! While they gather flowers, the chorus is heard (offstage) humming. It sounded exactly like the duet from the end of act one of La Boheme and Bring Him Home from Les Miserable by Claude-Michel Schonberg (composers always steal...er...I mean "borrow" from other composers. I do it to.) This song was very powerful.

The final act, Pinkerton arrives with his new "American wife." Which he had promised to have at the beginning of the first act before he and Butterfly (Cio-Cio San) were even married. (The jerk! He's one of the most hated tenors in all of opera. Maybe that's why I wasn't bothered by the role being sung by Scott Piper. [Don't get me wrong, he does a lot better than I could do. I just want to make that clear] The other most hated tenor, in my opinion, is Judge Danforth from Robert Ward's The Crucible.) Anyway, Cio-Cio San and the new Mrs. B.F. Pinkerton meet. Mrs. P. promises to take care of Dolore. (Which by the way, means sorrow. Cio-Cio San named him that to remind herself of the sorrow she felt during Pinkerton's absence. She planned to rename him when Pinkerton returned.) Pinkerton is not present during all of this he decided he couldn't handle being in that house. (The idiot realized how dumb he had been three years before.)

Did I fail to mention Cio-Cio San was only 15 years old when they were married?

So Cio-Cio San agrees to let Mr. and Mrs. Pinkerton take her son on the condition that Pinkerton, the jerk of a tenor, comes to get him. (Remember the coward left because he couldn't handle being in that house . C'mon, man up, ya punk!) Cio-Cio San sends Suzuki outside to play with Dolore after she says goodbye to him. She grabs the knife (the same knife her father used to kill himself. The knife was a gift from the Mikado. [Unrelated to the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta]. Her father obliged by killing himself.) and prepares to kill herself.

Now here is where I actually kind of found Scott Piper's voice somewhat nonrepugent. He runs up to the house (it's on a hill, probaby to discourage family members from visiting :)...) singing "Butterly, Butterfly, Butterfly." He enters just as she stabs herself. Dolore enters, followed closely by Suzuki as Cio-Cio San dies in Pinkerton's arms.

The curtain came down as the cast got ready for curtain call. (That means the show is over and it's almost time to go home.) As the curtain rose Barbara Shirvis was alone on stage. She recieved a standing ovation. Her performance was magnificent! After a moment she exited and the rest of the cast came out and took there bows. Than the priniciples and Scott Piper. Than Barbara Shirvis came out again, this time with the boy who played Dolore. Who also received "loud applause." The show was a smash hit.

I saw it again the following Friday. I loved it so much I had to see it again. This time, I was in the back of the orchestra level. I had a large woman who smelt of BO on my left and a couple on my right. I was leaning a little to my right trying to breath. I think I annoyed the couple, as I was sitting rather close to the woman trying to get as far away as possible from the big woman. The show was sold out. I didn't see any empty seats, otherwise I might've talked to someone about changing my seat. The performance was still amazing however despite the company around me.

I did however get a compliment from one of the ushers as I walked into the theatre. He commented on me wearing a tuxedo. Not many people do that anymore. It's sad.

Next time, my review of Hale Theatre - Orem's production of Aida the musical Elton John and Tim Rice.

2008 Recital - Nampa

Here is my review of the Nampa concert. I ended up having to work Monday morning (the11th) so I didn't leave Salt Lake (Lehi/Lindon actually) until noonish. Our dress rehearsal was scheduled for eight. So I had plently of time. I stopped every chance I could for gas. Not that I needed it. I just wanted to get out of the car. I got to the church about 7:30 and waited for Sean and Jennie, who had gone out to dinner. We rehearsed. Okay, okay, so there's more to it than that. Michal, Jerusha, and Dani were also there. We started rehearsal with the end of the program. "You have nothing to fear..." And than went backwards. Skipping my solos.

Than we got to A Hand of Bridge. Michal, Jerusha, and Dani decided to veto my decision of standing on the stage and deciced that we would sit around a table as of we were playing bridge. (That is what I wanted to do in the first place, but it cost money to do a "staged"version of the opera. And I wasn't feeling confident with the music, so I wanted to cheat and have my music with me, hence the "concert" or unstaged version.) We ran it back to front, front to back and various sections of the ten-minute opera several times. Everytime it got worse! Than Sean suggested to call it, "I think the more we try to perfect it right now, it's just gonna get worse. We're all tired..."

So the three of them left. Sean, Jennie, and I were the only ones left. Jeannie and I worked out the bugs from our set. And than I discovered I was counting Erlkonig wrong. Damn you Schubert! (Don't get the wrong impression, I love that song. It's just rather difficult.)

About eleven I got to my parents house. It had been a long day. I had a lot to the next day, so I went to sleep after going over Erlkong and A Hand of Bridge again and again.

Tuesday morning. I got all my errands done. Picking up refreshments, program inserts, the hat for the Carousel set. Studying music. Cards for A Hand of Bridge...

The entire day, I was not feeling good about the concert. I really did not want to get up there and do it. Than I started thinking about my hero, Canio. And I thought, if he can perform while he's "out of [his] mind" than so can I.

So I did. Overall it was a great performance. We went out for A Hand of Bridge. I forgot one of my lines, (despite that fact that we had copied and pasted our music onto the playing cards :)...) A Hand of Bridge was not received well. Sean said he looked out at the audience a couple of times and saw quite a few shocked faces. My parents and grandma didn't like it. I was telling a friend of mine, Mark Walters, about that and he said , "well you can't please everyone." (Okay, so that's not exactly what he said, but that's the main idea.)

The Schubert set went fairly well. Erlkong was still fun. And I think I got my timing issues fixed. Anyway, it felt better to me.

Michal sang. His song was really good. The spirituals went better than Saturday. At least I thought they did. Well I was in the choir room (backstage), I was going over the words to Goin' Home. I couldn't remember them I tried all during Michal's song and Jennie and Sean's piece. But the words weren't coming. So I knelt down and said a quick prayer. I felt better and instantly the words came to me. Prayer is such an amazing thing.

Jerusha sang Girl in 14G. I love this song.

The time for Carousel came. I had "changed." I lost, my jacket and tie, unbuttoned my vest and put on a hat. And Dani and I sang, If I Loved You. This song was my mom's favorite.

I had the music out for Soliloquy thinking I would need it. But I didn't. I opened it up to a section that I kept messing up on and got through that spot and forgot to continue turning the pages to get to the next spot I needed. So when I got to the next trouble spot, I kept thinking, "I hope I get the words right. I hope I get the words right." I did. And I stepped away from the music stand and finished the song. Than I left and changed again and Michal, Jerusha, and Dani started You'll never walk alone. I came out for the repeat and the four of finished it. Than of course, Sean and I finished with "You have nothing to fear from the journey..." Kind of a fitting "benediction," as I was I "fearful" of performing that evening.