ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. ¾ Opera Pacific presents its opening opera of the 2003-2004 main-stage season, November 11 - 16, 2003 at The Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, with Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. Opera Pacific’s production will be presented in Italian with English Supertitles.
Conductor John DeMain leads the Opera Pacific Orchestra and a world-class cast in Puccini’s masterpiece. The timeless beauty of Puccini’s music underscores the tragedy of love betrayed in this immortal classic. Caught in the magical spell of innocent love, our hearts ache for faithful Butterfly, the child bride, rejected and betrayed by her American husband. For him, it was a moment of passion, but for her, a lifetime of love as she chooses to die with honor rather than live with disgrace. Internationally acclaimed Chinese Soprano Xiu-Wei Sun (11/11, 11/13, 11/15) and Metropolitan Opera regular Marie Plette (11/12, 11/14, 11/16) who appeared in The Marriage of Figaro in 2000, alternate as the abandoned Butterfly. As Pinkerton, the young Ukranian tenor Misha Didyk (11/11, 11/13, 11/15) returns to Opera Pacific after his stellar debut with the Company in 2002 as Rodolfo in La Bohème, alternating with the Mexican tenor sensation Rafael Suàrez (11/12, 11/14, 11/16) who makes his Opera Pacific debut. Other notable cast members include the Company debut of Japanese mezzo-soprano Mika Shigematsu as Suzuki, Bristish Baritone Ashley Holland as Sharpless, Taiwanese tenor Oscar Zhang as Goro, and Opera Pacific Resident Artist Alumna Stephanie Woodling as Kate Pinkerton. This international roster of artists will appear in this breathtaking Francesca Zambello production directed by renowned director Garnett Bruce with sets designed by Michael Yeargan and costumes by Anita Yavich.
Short Synopsis:
One of the world's most popular operas, Madame Butterfly passionately explores the consequences of obsessive devotion. Pinkerton, a U.S. Navy officer in Japan, contracts what he considers a temporary marriage to Cio-Cio San, called Butterfly, who renounces religion and family in her adoration for him. When Pinkerton leaves for America, Butterfly blissfully ignores warnings of his unfaithfulness and awaits his return, even turning down a marriage proposal from Yamadori, a rich Japanese businessman. With all avenues of escape closed to her, she is shattered when Pinkerton returns with an American wife. Butterfly ends her unbearable misery with her father's sword, thus preserving her honor.
OPERA PACIFIC, one of America’s top 10 opera companies, presents a full season of professional productions at The Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. The 2003-2004 season opens in November 2003 and includes Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, November 11 - 16, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Così fan tutte, January 20 - 25, Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, March 2 - 7, and concludes with the double billing of Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana April 20 - 25. All operas are performed with English translations projected above the stage.
All Opera Pacific performances are held in the Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, Ca. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. for all performances running Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. for all Sunday matinees. Single tickets for Madame Butterfly are on sale and range from $40 - $185. Season subscriptions for the 2003-2004 season are currently on sale and range from $140 - $900.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 1 800 34 OPERA
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