The American director made the most of what he was given, and was given a spectacular set of singers of both veteran and newbie status. Melancholyīlakely, who passed away 2017, was succeeded by Matthew Ozawa. Though Blakely’s concept has a traditional backbone, there are a few modern updates that make it more bearable to sit through for the umpteenth time. With an opera as popular as “ Butterfly ,” which is seen multiples times per season across all the top opera houses around the globe, one may assume they’ve encountered all there is to experience of this Puccini masterpiece - if you’ve seen one production, you’ve basically seen them all. ” It’s a treat reserved specifically for the New Mexican audience.ĭirector Lee Blakely’s melancholy production of “ Madama Butterfly” returned to Santa Fe Opera on July 30 with a fresh set of singers.

Though intimacy may not be the word in mind for the over 2,000 seat semi-outdoor theater, it was magical to watch the setting sun as the backdrop for Puccini’s “ Madama Butterfly. The two socialize over the meal that was prepared for Vanessa and her lover.There is something so intimate about the theater at Santa Fe Opera. The Baroness hurries after her to console her, which leaves Erika and Anatol alone. After telling him she doesn’t recognize him, he confesses that he is Anatol’s son and goes by the same name as his deceased father. After he replies he loves her still after all these years, Vanessa uncovers her face. When he arrives, she tells him that if he still loves her she will remove her veil.

Before he arrives, Vanessa covers up her face so that he does not see her. On this day, Vanessa with her niece Erika, and the Baroness (Vanessa’s mother) wait impatiently for Anatol’s return. Only when Anatol returned home would she remove the covers. In grief, Vanessa covered all the mirrors in her home so as not to look upon her aging face. Before the two lovers could be united, he was called away. For twenty years, Vanessa has awaited the return of her only love Anatol.

Santa fe opera 2016 season