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Golden Gate Opera presents the Company’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9, at Marin Civic Center. The cast features Olga Chernisheva, Miwako Isano, David Gustafson,.and Gabriel Manro with Geoffrey Gallegos conductor and Edna Garabedian stage director.
Golden Gate Opera presents the Company’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in two performances, Saturday, November 8, at 7:30pm and Sunday, November 9, at 2:30pm at Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, Marin Civic Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, CA 94903. This is a Re-mounting of Golden Gate Opera’s premiere production of Madama Butterfly created for the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium and presented first at Marin Center in 2005.
Edna Garabedian’s production features sets designed by Paula Langhoff Barton, with Olga Chernisheva, Miwako Isano, Anna Yelizarova, Alexandra Jerinic, Erina Newkirk, Gabriel Manro, John Minagro, Michael Mendelsohn, Monti Zanetti, Eric Levintow, and Kenady Thistle as “Sorrow.”
This production is directed by Edna Garabedian, scenic designer Paula Langhoff Barton, lighting design by John Jacobs, and conducted by Geoffrey Gallegos with extraordinary pianist Andrew Dixon. Set in 1900 Nagasaki, Japan, the production’s classical design is inspired by Japanese architecture and gardens researched by GGO’s production team.
Russian soprano Olga Chernisheva stars in the title role on November 8th and Japanese soprano Miwako Isano on November 9th, opposite Oregon tenor David Gustafson as B.F. Pinkerton (SF Opera).
Gabriel Manro, baritone of Los Angeles is Sharpless, the American Consul in Japan who becomes the reluctant communicator with Madama Butterfly about Pinkerton’s return.
Michael Mendelsohn, noted character tenor, is Goro the realtor and slimy marriage broker who sets up the fake arranged marriage.
Bass-baritone John Minagro (Phantom of the Opera National Tour) is The Bonze, Butterfly‘s irate uncle who disrupts her wedding, cursing her for renouncing her Japanese ancestors by marrying an American.
Eric Levintow is Prince Yamadori and Uncle Yakuside and Erina Newkirk is Kate Pinkerton.
Russian mezzo soprano Anna Yelizarova portrays Butterfly’s faithful friend Suzuki alongside Ms. Chernisheva on November 8th and San Francisco mezzo Alexandra Jerinic is Suzuki opposite Ms. Isano on November 9th. 3-and-a-half-year-old Kenady Thistle is Butterfly ‚s Child, „Sorrow.“
French Japanese professional dancer and choreographer Monique Tajiri dances a Geisha dream sequence of friends of Butterfly from her past life. She adds to the production authentic Geisha movements of feet, fans, and body. The cast is joined by members of Golden Gate Opera Chorus as Cio-Cio San’s family and friends, guests attending her wedding who curse her for marrying the American and run away from the wedding. The Chorus also performs the world famous humming chorus in Act II.
Sung in Italian, the two performances of Madama Butterfly are scheduled for November 8 (7:30 p.m.) and November 9 (2:30 p.m.), 2014. Arrive early for a FREE Pre-performance talk in the theatre one hour before the performances (6:30 on Sat and 1:30 on Sunday) .
Tickets range from -0 (0 Gold Circle Seating includes a VIP reception). Discounts for students and groups. Purchase tickets online at http://www.goldengateopera.org or http://tickets.marincenter.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=148 or call Marin Center Box Office at 11am-6pm weekdays at 415-473-6800. The box office is not open on Saturday or Sunday and tickets may be purchased at the door.
For more information call 415-339-9546 or email info(at)goldengateopera(dot)org
Posted On: San Rafael, CA November 07, 2014
