The Opera Theatre of St. Louis production of Madame Butterfly

On the assumption that honesty is the best policy, let me admit right now that I have never been a great admirer of Puccini's 1904 "Japanese Tragedy" Madame Butterfly. I have always regarded Pinkerton, for example, as the prototypical Ugly American - arrogant, self-centered, and chauvinistic; a sort of seagoing Rush Limbaugh. On the other hand, the Geisha Cio-Cio-San (a.k.a. Madame Butterfly) displays a degree of naiveté which, despite her youth (she's supposed to be fifteen when she marries Pinkerton) borders on the delusional. As a result, the tragedy has always struck me as a bit forced.

That said, even I get a bit choked up in the opera's final moments, as the abandoned Butterfly prepares to take her own life after a tearful farewell to the son she has conceived by Pinkerton. This is Puccini, after all, and for me, at least, the emotional pull of his music is what raises Butterfly above the level of sordid melodrama. And, of course, the moral issues it raises about power and principle are as valid now as they were a century ago, both on the personal and national level.

The current Opera Theater of St. Louis production of Madame Butterfly is essentially a re-mounting of their admirable 1992 version, but with a different cast. Mary Ann Chiment's sets and costumes are as striking now as they were then. The former are especially effective in creating moods and settings with only the most essential set pieces - a screen here, a few pieces of furniture there, and so on. The cast of this Butterfly is also quite capable, if not always as physically right for the roles as their earlier counterparts.

Although she manages to sound appropriately girlish, Soprano Marie Plette lacks the physical delicacy Cio-cio-san ought to have. Still, her acting is convincing and her singing displays an impressive musical and dramatic range. Unfortunately, from where we sat she was frequently rendered incomprehensible during large orchestral passages. This was also a periodic problem for the chorus and for tenor David Corman, who was otherwise very impressive as Pinkerton, but since his voice was strained by illness on opening night I'm inclined to cut him some slack in that area. Hopefully he'll be in full voice by the time this review is broadcast.

Some of the most impressive work in this cast actually comes from supporting roles. David J. Cangelosi makes the marriage broker Goro into a more three-dimensional character than is customary; OTSL veteran Pamela Dillard is compelling and even passionate as Suzuki, Butterfly's servant; and Gerald Dolter is a sympathetic Sharpless - a pivotal role, since he is the only character who seems to know right from wrong.

On the whole, this production is unlikely to win any converts to Madame Butterfly, but if you're already an admirer of the piece I don't think you'll be disappointed by what you'll see and hear on the stage of the Loretto-Hilton center over the next few weeks. Madame Butterfly continues in rotating repertory with three other operas through June 28th; call 314-961-0644 for ticket information.