We have tickets this weekend to the Opera Carolina production of “Madam Butterfly.” Ordinarily, I would pass the ads right by. After all, who hasn’t seen “Butterfly” a million times? This staging is special - it’s the one designed by Japanese artist Jun Kaneko.
Kaneko was invited by Opera Omaha to design sets and costumes for its 2007 production of “Butterfly.” The show got rave reviews and tons of publicity in great part because of its artistic originality. The art museum exhibited Kaneko’s sculpture in conjunction with the opera, himself on hand for a lecture and special fund raising event.
The package was a winner – a total sensory immersion. Since then, the Omaha set has moved to stages in other cities and now it’s come to Charlotte. I can’t wait!
I don’t know much about opera in spite of years of piano lessons. Looney Tunes cartoon figures introduced great opera melodies to kids like me. But I totally believe that a city’s value is largely measured by its cultural health. And I don’t believe that vital cultural activity is achieved without risk taking and extreme commitment – even when it’s hard to justify.
“Go big or go home.” The sound bite sounds good but mighty hard to attach these days to non-essentials. Everybody knows that needs are great and somehow, my fellow Americans have turned into tightwads and toads just when it seems to me that the world is bursting with opportunity.
So the next time a start up opera company forms in Rochester, I hope the first thing they consider is asking our beloved painter Robert Marx to design sets and costumes…or Garth Fagan to set the entire trite opera to contemporary movement…or you get the idea. Go out on a limb.
No guts, no glory.
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