Past Performances
Madama Butterfly
Presented at the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre, October 17 and 18, 2009Story and Photos by Brad Bird, Oceanside Star
The audience gave Vancouver Island Opera's opening performance of Madama Butterfly a standing ovation Saturday night and praised the "incredible" singing of Szu-Wen Wang in the lead role. "It was wonderful," said Lois MacCulloch, moments after the final bows about 10 p.m. in the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre. "The soloists were marvelous."
The Oceanside resident said Wang in particular was "incredible" and perfect for her role as the young Japanese wife abandoned by her American naval-officer husband. Some audience members were in tears. This was Vancouver-resident Wang's first time on a VIO stage, and Artistic Director Tatiana Vasilieva, who chose her for the role, was more than pleased with her protege, praising her presence, singing and acting.
Even an Opera Canada magazine reviewer was impressed. "She's going to the top," said Hilary Clark, who has reviewed all five previous VIO operas. "She owned the stage." "Quite a voice," said John Hewgill of the audience. But the whole cast did well. Suzuki (Leah Field), Butterfly's servant, sang beautifully and was convincing in the distress she felt for her friend.
Tenor John Arsenault as B.F. Pinkerton came through with another solid job, one of many this man has delivered for VIO over the years. Reviewer Clark said the sensitivity established between Arsenault and Wang, Pinkerton and Butterfly, gave the opera a degree of plausibility and depth not always achieved in this popular work by Puccini. "John has an incredibly beautiful tenor voice - great range, great control and sensitivity," Clark said. "An incredible singer."
Vasilieva praised the 19-member local chorus, which has worked so hard. "The humming chorus was exquisite," she said, while the family scene was "perfectly executed," with the women looking elegant on the bridge. The chorus consisted of Christina Barker, Noreen Conway, Aileen Fabris, Nicole Greeve, Lois Hayes, Carol Nixon, Lu Suarez, Albert Davies, Jo-Anne Finley, Caroline Hammill, Carmen MacLean, Hugh Sinnott, Brigitte Stefani, Larissa Tchernova, Suyi Zhuo, Dahliea Greeve, Carolyn Hateley, Rick Murrell and Karen Stewart.
We are a local opera company with national recognition as evidenced by the following excerpt from the December 2009 issue of Opera Canada: "Madama Butterfly was Vancouver Island Opera Artistic Director Tatiana Vasilieva's first leading role some 50 years ago, and the opera has remained close to her heart since. For her October production in Qualicum Beach, she chose a youthful, believable cast backed up with superb orchestral accompaniment conducted by Gerald van Wyck to make the beloved piece fresh again."
