2h 53min | Musical | Episode aired 7 March 2009
On shore leave in Japan, Lt. Pinkerton is ready for action and finds it in a wedding broker. Cio-Cio-San naively believes the marriage is real. Wait until the real Mrs. Pinkerton hears about this: there's sure to be a Little Trouble ahead.
Director: Gary Halvorson
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Stars: Patricia Racette, Marcello Giordani, Dwayne Croft, Maria Zifchak.
Time: about 1900
Place: Nagasaki
First Performance: 1904
The choice of dvd cover is silly. They should show the puppet (see below), which is the reason I bought this 3rd performance of Butterfly. Here are the other 2: (1997), 8 and (1975), 9.
"Normal", non-puppeted performances have a distracting child in the part of Butterfly's son. The kid has no lines, and children cannot act as well as this puppet moves. His face never changes, but his posture and movements are extremely evocative. In closeups, we could see the face of one or two of the three puppeteers (the 3rd operates the feet), and those guys are acting behind their veils.
I also like the origami cranes on poles used for flying birds.
I had seen a different cast in this production, but I don't know when or who; perhaps the 2016 b'cast. The first Met production of this design was in 2006 by Anthony Minghella (1954-2008).
This Butterfly is rather old to play 15yo, but her voice is good, as are the others in the cast.
Rated 7.9 (18)
MetOpera, cond. Summers; 8+
