Natalie Rodriguez | staff writer

Classic stories don’t always resonate with modern audiences, especially when the stories are told in a completely different language, but Pittsburgh Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly” adapts Giacomo Puccini’s original 1904 opera into a show anyone can enjoy.

“Madama Butterfly” premiered Saturday night at the Benedum Center to a packed house with audience members of all ages. The story as told today is known for its contemporary interpretation and accessible elements, is set in Japan and unfolds completely in Italian. Non-fluent audience members could watch the story alongside English subtitles projected above the stage.

The show subverted expectations as soon as the curtains opened, opening with a world that was familiar to audiences: In B.F. Pinkerton’s (Eric Taylor) modern apartment.

To escape reality, Pinkerton donned a VR headset to transport himself to Nagasaki, Japan, during the turn of the 20th century, where he embodied his digital avatar as a U.S. Navy lieutenant. Once he settled into his virtual world, he met his soon to be wife Cio-Cio-San (Karah Son), also known as Madama Butterfly. The rest of the opera focused on Pinkerton and Butterfly’s tragic love story.

In the second act, set three years later, audiences see Butterfly patiently waiting for Pinkerton to return to the virtual world while in reality, he had already married someone else. While the opera has a tragic ending, audiences are left to ponder the roles of both gender and identity across time periods as well as the sentience of digital families.

While this adaptation included present-day technology, Puccini’s original Italian score remained unchanged.

The set was uniquely designed to tell the story because it had to frame the subtitles projected above the actors. The stage acted as one moving piece and came to life with each actor’s presence. The intricate and colorful costumes also helped progress the story and build emotion.

The scenic design juxtaposes Pinkerton’s dull, modern apartment with the blooming, virtual world. In one of the opening scenes, the video game characters emerge from the “portal” in Pinkerton’s kitchen, and before the set completely transforms into the Japanese countryside.

In order to adapt the classic story for modernity, creative teams from across the country worked together to reimagine the new world. Matthew Ozawa conceived and directed the Pittsburgh Opera co-production with Cincinnati Opera, Detroit Opera and Utah Opera, who described his challenges to OnStage Pittsburgh.

“One of the key differences between my production and most others is that I haven’t changed any of the text or the music,” Ozawa said. “I wanted to ensure this production could translate across different cities and over time, knowing it would be a co-production with many cities, spanning several years.”

Another challenge was updating the story. The original opera included harmful stereotypes that incorrectly portrayed Japanese communities. Ozawa worked closely with an all-Japanese creative team to both honor the story and update it.

While the story’s themes blended seamlessly into a modern narrative, some elements got lost in the adaptation. At certain points, it was unclear whether or not characters were interacting in the real or virtual world, partly because audiences divided their attention between the stage and the captions above, but also because the original text was never changed.

Although the choice to include virtual reality and video games was unexpected initially, the performers told a story that could resonate with audiences of all ages. Every actor gave a standout performance.

The singers were able to balance difficult vocal stunts with expressive physicality. Traditionally, opera singers do not use microphones. While the Benedum Center had mics hanging from above the stage, each actor was able to project their sound without.

Operas have been part of pop culture for centuries, and while many have stories rooted in the past, stage director Melanie Bacaling believes in the importance of timeless productions.

“Opera is the height of storytelling,” Bacaling said to The Tartan, “the athleticism of singers, the branching of the score, the grandiosity of the set and costume design and the collaboration of it all.”

The final performances of “Madama Butterfly” will take place March 28 and 30 at the Benedum Center. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased at pittsburghopera.org/butterfly. Student rush discounts are available for purchase two hours prior.