Butterfly Takes Flight

And we thought you didn't notice the SMART Pics photo booth at Madama Butterfly!

Beautiful opera people! You dressed up, you were cheeky, you were cute, you were funny and y'all looked like you had a blast closing out our last opera of the season!

Our Golden Anniversary season this year has been one for the books! You all came out in droves to help celebrate our 50th anniversary and for that, we'd like to thank you:

Thank you for coming to check out Norma, Nixon in China, The Marriage of Figaro and Madama Butterfly!

Thank you for subscribing to VO.

Thank you for your donations.

Thank you for all the awesome feedback we've received.

Thank you for telling everybody and their mailman about us.

Thank you for all the love and support.

We couldn't have done it without you!

And with that, a pictorial look back at unforgettable Butterfly...







See you all down at the theatre in October! Just wait to you see what we have planned for you next season!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Patron Alert: Butterfly Thursday June 10

Coming to Madama Butterfly on Thursday June 10th?

PLEASE COME EARLY

We have experienced unprecedented sales for our closing show of the Golden Anniversary Season. At last count, we expect over 1,000 people to be lined up to pick up their tickets tomorrow night.

This may mean long waits to pick up your tickets before the show.

Show starts at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:15.

We have a great pre-show talk about the show starting at 6:30 that you could come to.

We also have a bar. You can pre-order your drinks for intermission and save yourself having to wait in that line too!

CLICK HERE FOR PARKING TIPS

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

We still have some tickets left for our final performance and you can buy them online ******HERE******

Come join us for what looks to be an amazing closing to our Golden Anniversary Season!

Last Chance To See This “Once In A Lifetime” Production!

James Valenti and Mihoko Kinoshita. Photo by Tim Matheson.

There are only 2 performances remaining of Madama Butterfly!

“A Madama Butterfly like this wings its way into town once in a lifetime"
– Georgia Straight

Read some of the other rave reviews. The Vancouver Sun says Madama Butterfly “soars anew”. The Globe & Mail exclaims that the production “lifts this opera to a new level".

“I had tears.” “Fabulous! Maybe the best opera we have seen.”
Click here to see what our audiences said of the production.

Good seats are still available! Get your tickets now!

Call the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222 or buy online.

Tuesday June 8th & Thursday June 10th
Performances @ 7:30pm
Queen Elizabeth Theatre


James Valenti and Mihoko Kinoshita. Photo by Tim Matheson


Mihoko Kinoshita. Photo by Tim Matheson

Let's Be Famous For 15 Minutes

The last opera of the season! And what better way to remember being at the opera than with a photo booth picture?

The SMART Pics photo booth will be at Madama Butterfly's June 8 AND June 10 performances. Take a picture, "love it" or "try again", then email it to yourself as a souvenir.

The SMART Pics photo booth will be situated by the east end lobby staircase and bloggers table, just waiting for your smiles and poses.

And voila, a thank you from us for making our Golden Anniversary season such a success!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Audiences Love Madama Butterfly!

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

“absolutely loved it.”
“I had tears.”
“one of a kind piece of art on the stage.”
“the most beautiful production I’ve ever seen!”

Audiences agree with the critics that Madama Butterfly “soars anew" – Vancouver Sun

Click here to see what other audience members had to say!

The Globe & Mail exclaims that the production “lifts this opera to a new level".

The Georgia Straight agrees and says “A Madama Butterfly like this wings its way into town once in a lifetime".

There are only 3 Performances Remaining! Saturday is sold out, but great seats are still available for Tues. June 8th and Thurs. June 10th! All Performances at 7:30pm at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

For tickets, call the VO Ticket Centre at 604-683-0222 or buy online here.

The Draw Of Opera

So not only are opera fans and bloggers liking our operas, but now illustrators are digging on what we do.

On the night of dress rehearsal, artist Paul Zeke was invited to sketch the Madama Butterfly performance. Paul was set up just off the side of the stage with his easel, pencil crayons and charcoals, sketching by the light in the orchestra pit. He was quite the draw that night!

Here's a couple of sketches from his blog:


Portrait of James Valenti


Portrait of Maestro Darlington

At Thursday's performance, artist Val Nelson did one better. Val, seated with her husband Michael Cox (who created the awesome schematic of the story of Figaro), drew in the dark of the theatre, what was playing out onstage. She was so low-profile that people seated around her did not even notice.

Here are Val's sketches:


Act I


Act II

Can we just say WOW to theses 2 illustrators? Colour us impressed at yet another way to be inspired by opera.

Thank you Paul and Val for sharing!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

I Want My Tickets!

(Pagliacci) Sad face indeed!

Our apologies people, but our online ticketing website is down right now. (darn technology!)

But never fear, to get your Madama Butterfly tickets for tonight, please call the good folks at our ticketing department at 604.683.0222 and they'll make sure you get tickets to tonight's performance.

Alternatively, if you want to get 50% off regular price tickets, please go down to see our box office folks at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, located at 600 Hamilton Street. Half price tickets for tonight's performance will be on sale from noon - 4pm only.

A Butterfly Fan Night

Everyone clap your hands! Butterfly Fan Night is this Thursday!

If you're coming to Madama Butterfly on Thursday June 3, come a little earlier to enjoy the pre-show talk with Assistant Stage Manager Theresa Tsang in the uber-exclusive VIP lounge.

We're going to treat you right for our last Fan Night of the season. We have coffee, tea and bite sized nibblies for you. Oh, and access to the VIP restroom. (no sharing with the people 'out there')

See you in the VIP lounge! 630pm sharp!

Twitter/Facebook Fan Night sponsored by The Georgia Straight:



~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Overwhelmed By A Butterfly

Wonderful. Beautiful. Magnificent. Overwhelming. Loved it. To be told these words over and over again leaves no doubt that we knocked it out of the park with Madama Butterfly.

I thought it was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.

Very entertaining. Very beautiful to look at.

Fabulous. May be the best opera we have seen and we've seen many good operas in Vancouver.

I don't even know where to begin. The emotions that it has brought out in me is just overwhelming.

Absolutely loved it. I think it's a wonderful production.

The set was magnificent. I struggled with it at first because it was so non-traditional, but it totally won me over.

Really, really great interesting set. Modern, very colourful, very eye-popping. It makes thematic sense as well. Towards the end, you really got the idea of a woman absolutely and emotionally abandoned, lost on a little rock in the middle of an ocean. So it works very, very well for that.

I loved the costumes. I thought they were fantastic. The whole stage was beautiful.

The orchestra was really terrific.

Very original. Unbelievable. This was just a one-of-a-kind piece of art on the stage.

It was extremely well done visually. The music was impeccable.

It was wonderful. I had tears.

This is the opera of the season. It was the most beautiful production I've ever seen.

Press play to hear what everyone had to say. Or double-click the video to see it directly on VO's Youtube channel.


Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinlay

Get your tickets now! Only 5 performances left! (and next Saturday is already sold out!) Call 604.683.0222 to speak to our box office or order online!

See you down at the theatre!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Madama Butterfly: Final Thoughts

From left: Gus Fosarolli, John Biehler, Stacey Robinsmith, Kelsey Dundon

A HUGE thank you to all our bloggers who have joined us this past year in celebrating our Golden Anniversary season! What a way to go out! Madama Butterfly made an impact on everybody at opening night, including our bloggers. It may well be the first Blogger Night at the Opera where our opera left our bloggers all misty-eyed.

But don't take our word for it...

What a way to end the season. Vancouver Opera’s take on Puccini’s classic Madama Butterfly is beautiful and brilliant, not to mention, brightly coloured. - Kelsey Dundon

Mihoko Kinoshita’s portrayal of Madama Butterfly was amazing. Singing some of the classics that I’ve heard before were sung with passion and the chemistry between her and James were amazing. You can see the love she has for the naval officer and though the first Act is filled with flirting between the two, you wonder what would happen if their relationship did work out in the end. - Gus Fosarolli

One final thing that still surprises me that happens during the final bows at the end of both Opera’s I’ve attended is the extended ovation that gradually builds as the performers come out. For Butterfly, it went on for a long time and it was cool to see the passion the audience had for these performers. It’s not often you see an older gentleman hoot and holler while wearing a tux. - John Biehler

I have seen Madama Butterfly before but this time…the tears were streaming down my face. The ending of this opera was made all the more poignant due to the fact that at home are our two precious little angels. I cannot imagine being forced to relinquish my sweet little ones…the agony I felt as I sat there watching a woman’s child being stolen away…unbelievable. If you have not yet bought your ticket to this opera, do so as soon as you can. So exquisite. - Stacey Robinsmith

Thank you bloggers for helping to make Blogger Night at the Opera such a success. We look forward to seeing you all at the opera next season!

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

A Guy's First 'Madama Butterfly': Weep or Sleep?

The Tyee held a contest to find a reader who would accompany writer and opera buff David Tracey to Madama Butterfly on opening night. All entrants were opera newbies and had to explain why they wanted to go and why they feared the opera. Funny and heart-tugging responses came flooding in and the winner by random draw was Michael Bean.

Here's his winning email:

"I don't 'get' opera. The last time I went with a friend was years ago. She cried, I tried to stay awake. I'm a sensitive guy. I feel things. I watch chick flicks and occasionally cry. But I am completely unmoved by opera, despite my best efforts. I appreciate the musicality, I have some pieces in my music library that I love, I just don't understand the emotional engagement that seems to go with people's experience of watching it live. I end up reading subtitles and then getting drowsy.

"It's possible I just had lousy seats. I have no desire to be a philistine. I want to like capital-O Opera, I really do. Help a guy out. Michael Bean"

So after the curtain came down on Saturday, what did The Tyee's Tracey think of Madama Butterfly?

I didn't flood the lower bowl with tears, but I thought the singers were excellent, and the orchestra under conductor Jonathan Darlington just seems to get better with each production offered. I happen to like Puccini, enough to forgive him his flaws which include being too emotionally manipulative at times, but when the talent is up to his score, the results, as in this production, are admirable. - David Tracey
And opera newbie Michael?

With the second act, though, all the exposition from the beginning came together. That's when I got it. I thought the whole thing came to life, and even some of the set designs made sense. I really enjoyed it. A few moments I found genuinely moving. I can see now how opera is unapologetically art. I want to see more. - Michael Bean

Chalk it up to the art form that is opera! We have another convert!

To read more from The Tyee, click here.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

A Madama Butterfly Like This Wings Its Way Into Town Once In A Lifetime

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

The Vancouver Opera is closing its golden-anniversary season in high drama, with a production that’s not just a visual feast—a giant, constantly shifting piece of contemporary art—but boasts the kind of vocal star power you’d expect on one of the world’s more famous stages.

To read more from the Georgia Straight, click here.

A Butterfly That Soars In Style

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Take away Jun Kaneko’s spectacular sets and costumes for Vancouver Opera’s current production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and you would still have a sublime performance, with some of the best singing that has graced the Queen Elizabeth Theatre’s stage. But the visual component of this production is so compelling, and so intelligent, that it lifts this opera to a new level.

To read more from the Globe & Mail, click here.

Madama Butterfly Soars Anew In Unconventional Production

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

Butterfly always risks coming across as a highly effective series of great vocal numbers. What makes this Butterfly something to see and to treasure is how well it holds up as theatre. Without any sense of over-busy fussiness, every moment is filled with meaningful detail.

Click here to read the Vancouver Sun review.

Madama Butterfly: The Trailer

Here's your peek at the visually stunning Madama Butterfly, conceived and designed by visual artist Jun Kaneko and directed by Leslie Swackhamer.

Press play or double-click the video to see it directly on VO's Youtube channel.


Video by Bombshelter Productions & Mike McKinley

Tickets going fast! Both Saturdays are already sold out!

Get yours today! Call 604.683.0222 or purchase online!

Madama Butterfly: The Book

When you're at Madama Butterfly, stop by the subscribers table in the main lobby to check out Jun Kaneko's book, Madama Butterfly.

This 125 paged souvenir book documents the story of how artist Jun Kaneko collaborated with Opera Omaha to design a contemporary look to the traditional opera. The book is filled with sketches and pictures of the whole creation process, along with a great backgrounder on Puccini, the Madama Butterfly opera and Japan in the early 1900s.

To order your copy, call 402-341-3800 (USA) or e-mail info@thekaneko.org and mention Vancouver Opera. All proceeds from book sales go to benefit Vancouver Opera & KANEKO. For more information on Jun Kaneko, visit his website here.

An awesome keepsake of a visually stunning opera that you won't soon forget.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Puccini’s Madama Butterfly Tells A Timeless Story Of Tragic Miscommunication

Photo credit: Tim Matheson

How can a contemporary production offer all of Butterfly’s considerable traditional charms while maintaining interest for seasoned opera goers who may feel themselves to be rather too familiar with the piece?

For the answer to that question, click here for the Vancouver Sun write-up.

Say Cheese!

Photo credit: William C. Shrout

Your opportunity to make funny, squishy faces (or not) is back!

A hit with our Figaro audiences, we're bringing back the SMART Pics photo booth for Madama Butterfly's opening night and June 3 performance. Click here to see all the peeps who took advantage of flashing their pearly whites at Figaro.

Take a picture of yourself. Take a photo with your date. Grab some random peeps in the lobby for one gigantic group shot. (just watch out for those photobombers!)

The best part? (besides the "love it" or "try again" option) You can email it to yourself or you can send it to someone else and let them know what they're missing out on!

The SMART Pics photo booth will be situated by the east end lobby staircase and bloggers table, just waiting for your smiles and poses.

A great souvenir for attending the last opera of the year. And a thank you from us for helping to celebrate our Golden Anniversary season.

~ Ling Chan, Social Media Manager

Sculptor Jun Kaneko Helps Make An Artful Madama Butterfly

The result is, not surprisingly, an artful Butterfly unlike any that audiences have seen before. Vancouver fans can expect a boldly visual and yet minimalistic, abstracted take on an opera that is usually presented in exotic, historical Japanese detail. This lovelorn geisha Cio-Cio-San (highly praised Japanese soprano Mihoko Kinoshita, in her most in-demand role) will wear a contemporary, graphic kimono, and she and her double-crossing naval officer, Pinkerton (tenor James Valenti), inhabit a stylized “house” with a geometrically gridded Japanese screen and a floor that swirls with concentric ovals.

Click here for more from the Georgia Straight.

James Valenti on SAATO

Photo credit: Dario Acosta

Turn on the radio!

James Valenti will be the featured guest on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on CBC Radio 2 with host Bill Richardson - 105.7 FM.