Kuala Lumpur City Opera (KLCO) is proud to present one of the most popular and most performed opera in the world, Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on 22-25 November 2018 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).
The opera is based on a french novel, Madame Chrysanthéme by Pierre Loti which was later adapted into a one-act play by David Belasco, which premiered in New York in 1900. The play travelled to London and won Puccini over. He wrote the music with libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa and the opera premiered in 1904 at La Scala, Milan.
KLCO established since 2012, is the only active opera company in the country presenting and promoting western operas. Some of KLCO’s past productions include Puccini’s La Bohème, Bizet’s Carmen, Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, La fille du régiment, Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mozart’s masterpiece, The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) and in May this year, staged Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel.
Conducting an orchestra ensemble of 23 players is renowned Colombian Conductor, Juan Montoya. Mr. Montoya has been the recipient of several scholarships and prizes as a Pianist and Composer. He has been the principal conductor at KLCO in Malaysia since 2014. KLCO welcomes back award winning stage director, actor and lighting designer, Amelia Tan who had previously directed KLCO’s productions La fille du régiment.
KLCO’s production of Madama Butterfly will feature a double cast for the leading roles of Cio Cio San and B.F. Pinkerton. Cecilia Yap, award-winning soprano who was recently awarded the Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy by His Excellency Ambassador of Italy Cristiano Maggipinto will sing the role of Cio Cio San on 22, 23 & 25 November with tenor, Solomon Chong as Pinkerton. Evelyn Toh, soprano and musical theatre performer, notable for her performance as Princess Wen Cheng in Asia Musical Production which was staged in Kuala Lumpur and toured to Taiwan, China, Korea, will perform the role on 24 November with tenor, Yap Jin Hin.
Making her debut with KLCO, Samantha Chong, award-winning mezzo soprano from Sabah who now resides and performs professionally in Hong Kong will sing the role of Suzuki. Shawn Liew will perform the role of Sharpless, Pinkerton’s confidant; Peter Ong, reprises the role of Goro, which he has previously sung with Singapore Lyric Opera and Siam Opera and Tan Jong Hann, sings the role of Prince Yamadori.
Madama Butterfly is in 3 acts and is sung in Italian with English and Chinese surtitles . The opera is set in Nagasaki, Japan, year 1904. A US Naval officer, B. F. Pinkerton marries a 15-year old Japanese wife, Cio Cio San out of convenience and left her to return to America. Three years later, Cio Cio San is still waiting for Pinkerton to return. The American consul, Sharpless brought news that Pinkerton is returning to Japan but can't bear to tell her that he is returning with his American wife. Cio Cio San was overjoyed with the news and revealed that she has given birth to a child after Pinkerton left. A story of love and heartbreak. A Puccini master piece.
Date and time:
Thu 22 November, 2018 8:00PM
Fri 23 Novemeber, 2018; 8:00PM
Sat 24 November, 2018; 8:00PM
Sun 25 November, 2018; 8:00PM
Sat 24 November, 2018; 3:00PM (Family Fun Day – abridged version; duration approximately 1 hour only)
Venue
Pentas 1, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)
Jalan Strachan off Jalan Ipoh
51100 Kuala Lumpur
Production & Artistic Team
Executive Producers - Danny Chen & Ho Soon Yoon
Conductor - Juan Montoya
Stage Director – Amelia Tan
Chorus Master - Chi Hoe Mak
Concert Master – Wong Lu Ee
Répétiteur – Soon Kun Ming, Hong Sze Ern
Costume Design - Dominique Devorsine
Casts
22, 23, 25 November
Cio Cio San Cecilia Yap
Pinkerton Solomon Chong
24 November & 24 November Family Fun Day
Cio Cio San Evelyn Toh
Pinkertion Yap Jin Hin
Suzuki Samantha Chong
Sharpless Shawn Liew
Goro Peter Ong
Prince Yamadori Tan Jong Hann
Kate Pinkerton YiLing Chaing
Bonze Adam Oakley
Imperial Commissioner Aldwin Lee
Uncle Yakuside Goh Cher Hau
Mother Kelly Park
Cousin Rachel Liu
Featuring
KL City Opera Chorus
Orchestra Ensemble of KL City Opera
Children from KLCO Opera for Kids and Teens workshop
