An evocative retelling of Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour

Karah Son (Cio-Cio-San) and Diego Torre (Pinkerton)

Karah Son (Cio-Cio-San)

Virgilio Marino (Goro) and Diego Torre (Pinkerton)

The cast of Opera Australia's 2023 production of Madama Butterfly on Sydney Harbour

By Zoltán Szabó, 27 March 2023

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“Karah Son... gave the most heart-warming account of Cio-Cio-San’s tragic life and death”

Reviewed at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, Sydney on 24 March 2023

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Opera Australia

Brian Castles-Onion, Conductor

Àlex Ollé, Director

Alfons Flores, Set Designer

Lluc Castells, Costume Designer

Opera Australia Orchestra

Opera Australia Chorus

Susana Gómez, Revival Director

Karah Son, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Eva Kong, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Diego Torre, Pinkerton

Thomas Strong, Pinkerton

Michael Honeyman, Sharpless

Luke Gabbedy, Sharpless

Sian Sharp, Suzuki

Agnes Sarkis, Suzuki

Virgilio Marino, Goro

Alexander Hargreaves, Prince Yamadori

David Parkin, The Bonze

Jud Arthur, The Bonze

Nathan Lay, The Imperial Commissioner

Gregory Brown, The Official Registrar

Opera Australia’s Eugene Onegin shines musically

Sandra Bowdler, 17th March

Eugene Onegin returns to the Sydney Opera house in Kasper Holten’s slightly awkward production but the singing and orchestral playing are exemplary.

****1

Humperdinck hobbled in Opera Australia revival

Jeremy Eccles, 27th January

Elijah Moshinsky’s 33-year-old production of Hansel and Gretel hasn’t aged well.

***11

A psychological Turandot in Ann Yee's Opera Australia staging

Sandra Bowdler, 15th January

Opera Australia's new Turandot succeeds with musical, dramatic and visual values with a mix of local and imported talent.

****1

Siobhan Stagg leads a strong Marriage of Figaro revival in Sydney

Sandra Bowdler, 31st July

Siobhan Stagg is an outstanding Susanna in a strongly cast and well produced Marriage of Figaro at the Sydney Opera House

****1

Watery magic as Nicole Car makes a triumphant return to Sydney

Jeremy Eccles, 19th July

Nicole Car makes her role debut as Dvořák's Rusalka in a production by Sarah Giles that proves a winner.

****1

Danielle de Niese makes Carmen debut in a colourful new Sydney staging

Sandra Bowdler, 10th July

Danielle de Niese's assumes the title role at the Sydney Opera House, leading an impressive cast with an interesting approach to characterisation with a somewhat over the top blingy setting.

****1

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Zoltán Szabó

Zoltán Szabó is a cellist and musicologist. Having migrated from his native Hungary to Australia in 1985, he worked with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Sydney until 1991, when he became Principal Cello with Opera Australia. In 2017, he was awarded with a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). Currently, he is teaching music history and musicology at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.