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The Glasshouse Arts, Conference and Entertainment Centre is proud to present the Oz Opera production of Puccini's Madame Butterfly at Panthers Port Macquarie on Tuesday 16 September and Wednesday 17 September 2008 at 8pm.
To celebrate, the Glasshouse has engaged the services of Vicki Carnes from Victoria’s Costume Hire to create a Madame Butterfly exhibit at Settlement City, for the community to enjoy.
The centre piece of the exhibit is a magnificent Wedding Kimono valued at over $3,000, generously on loan from The Players Theatre, Port Macquarie. The kimono was originally donated to The Players Theatre by a local family, and due to its value is only used for very special events.
"This beautiful kimono is evocative of the style and period depicted in Madame Butterfly, which combines traditional Japanese design and modern Western influences of the time. We are most appreciative of The Players Theatre making this valuable costume available for the display," said Margret Meagher from the Glasshouse.
Also featured in the display are other significant pieces representative of characters from the Madame Butterfly storyline including a geisha headpiece, geisha fan and American soldier’s hat.
“Settlement City is delighted to support the Glasshouse and the upcoming Madame Butterfly production,” says Kate Byrne, Marketing Manager at Settlement City. “We hope the display in Settlement City will whet the appetite of theatre goers for this wonderful cultural experience.”
One of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the world, Madame Butterfly is sung in English and has been directed by Australia's renowned John Bell, from The Bell Shakespeare Company.
The tragic love story is set in 1946 in the historic city of Nagasaki, where Cio-Cio San, a beautiful young geisha meets Lieutenant Pinkerton from the victorious American Navy. They instantly fall in love, but when it's time for Pinkerton to return home, his thoughts are on the promise of a future back in the States. Pinkerton returns to Japan after three years, this time with an American bride, and discovers that his 'Butterfly' is the mother of their young son. Their reunion has tragic consequences.
The Oz Opera production of Madame Butterfly is accompanied by a chamber orchestra of 11 musicians, conducted by Simon Kenway and Chris Van Tuinen, and performed by a stellar cast of 11 opera singers including Jane Parkin and Elisa Wilson singing in alternate roles as Butterfly and David Corcoran and Jason Wasley taking the joint role of Pinkerton. The exquisite set and costume designs from Jennie Tate have been realised by Julie Lynch.
According to The Daily Telegraph’s Troy Lennon, who reviewed this production at Riverside Theatres Parramatta (18 August 2008): “For those who haven’t experienced opera, this is as good an introduction as any. It’s warm, fresh and vocally marvellous.”
The Madame Butterfly display will be on view in Centre Court at Settlement City until mid September.
Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, a new production from Opera Australia’s Oz Opera Tuesday 16 September & Wednesday 17 September 2008 at 8pm Panthers Port Macquarie.