Saw Production of Madama Butterfly

[I<3bway]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:19pm

I have to say I really enjoyed seeing Madama Butterfly. This was actually my very first opera that I have gone to. I had pretty good seats, but since it was close it was kind of hard to watch the stage and see the subtitles at the same time! But it was great overall. Also, being a musical fan, I sat there realizing that this reminded me of another musical, Miss Saigon. Now I have to see Miss Saigon.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:28pm

Reminded you? Miss Saigon is adapted from Butterfly.

[I<3bway]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:31pm

I know that. I said while watching the opera it reminded me of Miss Saigon. Then I looked up Miss Saigon on Wikipedia and found out that it was adapted from Madama Butterfly.
Updated On: 2/6/07 at 12:31 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:40pm

You found out on Wikipedia?

I always thought that was common knowledge...

[I<3bway]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:43pm

I heart Wikipedia.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 12:52pm

The title of this thread made me think how interesting Madame Butterfly would be if done like the SAW movies.

Glad you liked the opera!

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 1:01pm

Where did you see it? (aka....which production?

Akiva

[mallardo]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 1:45pm

To me Miss Saigon is a travesty of Madama Butterfly. Music aside - obviously there's no comparison there - Puccini's dramatic genius ensures that everything in Butterfly works like clockwork, every emotional point is made. Miss Saigon is all over the place, a structural mess.

I have no problems with stealing opera plots. Rent is a wonderful take on La Boheme. But Miss Saigon misses completely.

[Piercemn]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 1:59pm

Congratulations on seeing your first Opera. Mine was Marriage of Figaro when I was in High School. I am now a season ticket holder at the Minnesota Opera, who did a lovely Butterfly two years ago. I don't ever need to see it again, it was so good. I see Grapes of Wrath in two weeks, and will be in NYC for the Met's Trittico in April.

Forget all the stuff about Miss Saigon and pursue some of the other operas. You can skip the Wagner, although do listen to Anna Russell talk about them. It's really funny when she says "I'm not making this up, you know." You may want to see the Bergman film of The Magic Flute, which is lovely, or Zefferelli's gorgeous film of La Traviata.

If you ever get to see an opera at the Met, don't miss the chance, because no one can do spectacle onstage like they do. Try to see their Manon or their Dialogues of the Carmelites, because those are magnificent. The 2005 staging of A Masked Ball was incredible, too.

You never start out to be an Opera fan, it just overtakes you and you can't help it. You become obsessed with it, because as great as musical theatre is, Opera will always do it better. I have been a musical theatre fan since I was in sixth grade, and I'm now middle-aged, but I am passionate about the Opera!!

[chrrymn]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 2:22pm

Madama Butterfly was my first, too. I saw it with a tenor named Dinyar Vania. Anyone else familiar with him? He's back this season with La Boheme. I started working props on the show last night, actually. I'm in awe having Dinyar walk past me. It's great. And there's a good chance I'll get to do props again for Carmen in a few months. I'm excited!

Updated On: 2/6/07 at 02:22 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/6/07 at 5:10pm

The MADAMA BUTTERFLY performance was proabably at NYC Opera. They have the supertitles above the stage and are hard to read from the first rows of the orchestra. The Met has their titles on the backs of seats.