Ms Butterfly

An adaptation of Puccini's Madame Butterfly that's set in 2036, these electro-acoustic sounds were conceived, produced and directed by Dennis K. Law, and welcomes electronic organ orchestration by Wu Danxia, and analog synthesizer programming by David Wohl. A DVD that's visually just as stunning as it is musically, the sets are basic but effective, are altered easily but with much charm, and the string interaction is precise and unpredictable alongside the electronic adventurousness. Vocals are handled by Julianne Olson (soprano), Susanne Burgess (soprano), Chen Yongxi (tenor), Li Ting (tenor), Huang Jianan (baritone), Chen Yifan (baritone), Jenna Clark (mezzo-soprano), Pedro Barrera (tenor), Griffen Tracy (bass), and Simona Xiazhu Qi (soprano), and they're powerful, expressive and booming. A very artistic display of musical theater, this re-telling of an old story comes with a contemporary angle that illuminates the composer Jiaojiao Zhou's highly distinct vision.

I thought the production itself quite beautiful. The sets are simple, furniture pieces sliding on and off to indicate scenery changes. Jin Tao's music and video direction adds color and depth to every scene. The costumes by Ah Kuan are a little "out there", but they allow us to transport ourselves to a different world with different aesthetics I enjoyed this production and watched it several times. It will never replace the original, but it doesn't have to: it is unique. Opera lovers who enjoy a new take on an old work should get this.