Alumni Engagement Events

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[PAST EVENT] W&M Richmond Pre-Opera Brunch - Madama Butterfly

March 31, 2019
12pm - 2pm
Location
Dominion Energy Center | 600 East Grace Street Donor Lounge - 2nd Floor, Richmond, VA 23219
Access & Features
  • Registration/RSVP

On Sunday March 31, join your fellow W&M alumni and friends for a fabulous brunch at the Dominion Energy Center to celebrate the majestic finale of Virginia Opera's 44th Season: Madama Butterfly with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra!

The matinee begins at 230pm. Prior to the show, from 1200pm-200pm, W&M will host a delightful brunch in the Donor Lounge on the 2nd floor of Dominion Energy Center's historic Carpenter Theater.

The W&M brunch is FREE to attend. Guests may purchase individual tickets to this world-famous opera online by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/y2wq7znl

Use the special code WMBUTTERFLY to get 10% off of your ticket!

Madama Butterfly is Puccini's three-act tale of love and sacrifice set against a clash of cultures that continues to resonate with audiences today. Taking its narrative from a series of fin de siècle sources—in particular the one-act play Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan—which, after premiering in London just after the turn of the century inspired the composer to adapt it for operatic treatment. This is the third of Puccini's triumvirate of operas (including La Bohème and Tosca) and is one of the ten most-performed operas in the world!

This production will employ the long-held tradition of using Japanese thematic elements, staging, and costuming that, combined with Puccini's soaring Italian lyricism, evoke powerful responses from audience members familiar or otherwise with its heart-rending plot. Its legendary score—and, in particular, the aria "Un bel dì vedremo" ("One fine day")—remains just one of the primary reasons soprano vocalists yearn to perform the title role of Cio-Cio san (Madama Butterfly). 

Soprano Danielle Pastin, who sang Liù in the Virginia Opera's 2016–2017 production of Puccini's Turandot, sings the lead role opposite tenor Matthew Vickers, former Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera who sang in The Seven Deadly Sins and Pagliacci that same season, who performs as the American naval officer who loves but inevitably leaves her. Baritone Levi Hernandez returns to the Virginia Opera stage as the sympathetic American consul, Sharpless, reprising the role he sang with the company in 2011. In addition, former Virginia Opera Herndon Emerging Artist, mezzo-soprano (and audience favorite) Kristen Choi returns to Virginia Opera as Cio-Cio san's devoted servant, Suzuki. Bass, Hidenouri Inoue, is the unforgiving Bonze and tenor, Julius Ahn, plays the wicked marriage broker, Goro. 

New York-based director Richard Gammon directs. Virginia Opera Artistic Director Adam Turner takes the podium to lead the Richmond Symphony Orchestra for this fourth and final 2018-2019 season production. Madama Butterfly will be sung in Italian with English Supertitles.

Contact

Justin Ayars '03 | (703) 244-4973 | justin.ayars@gmail.com