Madame Butterfly: An adaptation

Madame Butterfly

October 19th

Divaria Productions brings the opera back to Bay Street with Madame Butterfly: An adaptation.

Based on the original opera by Giacamo Puccini

Arguably one of the most popular operas in existence, Puccini’s Madame Butterfly is the story of a woman caught between two worlds who meets a tragic end. It explores the emotions of polarity, the tension between East and West, between love and lust, trust and betrayal, family connection and lonely isolation. In this 100 year anniversary of Puccini's death, Divaria is thrilled to present a multi-disciplinary adaptation of Madame Butterfly featuring an extremely talented international cast including Metropolitan Opera tenor and Grammy Award Winner Errin Brooks as Pinkerton, Michael Nansel as Sharpless, Anna Tonna as Suzuki, John Easterlin as Goro and Ashley Galvani Bell in the title role but also gifted local artists including members of Suffolk Symphonic Choir. This production, directed by Bay Street favorite J.A. Diaz, will explore the historical context behind this work and America's influence in late-19th century Japan.

This event is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by The Huntington Arts Council.

Ashley Galvani Bell

The “delightful” (Opera News) soprano Ashley Galvani Bell (Cio Cio San) has been performing from an early age, debuting as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus at age nine and making her Off-Broadway debut at sixteen in the world premiere of the musical The Golden Touch.  Ms. Bell has since performed as a soloist in the United States, Italy, Spain, France and Russia, where she has been celebrated for her “large voice, dark in her low notes and shimmering in her upper register, with a powerful and overwhelming middle voice and furthermore with world class acting that ignite(s) her entire performance with expressiveness” (La Rioja).
Recent highlights include her debut with ABAO Bilbao Opera as Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, her debut with Seville's La Maestranza as Violetta in La Traviata, singing the title role in Pedro Halffter's Penelope's Dream with Teatro Bretón in Logroño and in Madrid, Mimi in La Bohème with Opera Modesto and McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly in three different venues: Boheme Opera New Jersey, with Daytona Beach Symphony and with Teatro Lirico D'Europa at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This season, she also performed as soprano soloist with the New York City Opera orchestra in Bryant Park in Puccini Anniversary Concert and made her debut with Teatro Pérez Galdos in Gran Canaria reprising the title character in Pedro Halffter’s Klara, a role she originated and has performed at Harvard University and in several venues in Spain. Upcoming performances include debuts in Denmark and Germany as well as her debut in the role of Leonora in Trovatore.

Errin Duane Brooks

Grammy Award-winner Errin Duane Brooks (Pinkerton) is becoming one of the most sought-after tenors in the industry. Recently, Mr. Brooks just finished covering the title character in Verdi's Otello, and also singing the 1st Armored Man in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, the 1st Noble in Wagner’s Lohengrin, and the High Priest in Mozart's Idomeneo, all with the Metropolitan Opera. The summer of 2022 was a summer of debuts for Brooks, who recently made his company and role debut singing Bacchus in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, both with Vashon Opera and Lakes Area Music Festival. Mr. Brooks also sang the role of Robbins in George and Ira Gershwin's Porgy and Bess in his company debut with Des Moines Metro Opera. Before singing the role of Normanno in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with The Met, Mr. Brooks made his off Broadway debut, performing the role of Mr. Charles in Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater. Other roles performed include Mingo in Porgy and Bess, Pinkerton in Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and Canio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci.
An avid fan of new music and great music that is rarely done, Mr. Brooks began the fall of his 2018-19 season as part of an exciting new project, The-Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7’oclock by Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang and acclaimed poets Anne Carson and Claudia Rankine, performed on New York’s High Line. In May 2019 Mr. Brooks made his much-anticipated return to New Amsterdam Opera as Jean de Baptîste in Massenet's Hérodiade. That same month, he made his debut with American Opera Project in their world-premiere production of Stonewall, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots sparked by the late great Marsha P. Johnson.

Michael Nansel

With more than 80 roles to his credit, baritone Michael Nansel (Sharpless) is as comfortable with the classical stage as he is with musical theatre. He has sung in houses across North America and Europe in operas including Macbeth, Otello, The Barber of Seville, and Carmen. Musical theatre productions include Kiss Me Kate, Show Boat, Assassins, Sweeney Todd, Cats, Little Shop of Horrors and possibly his most unique show, Jerry Springer: The Opera. In 2016 he made his Carnegie Hall debut singing the Cantor in Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service and in 2017 he made his Lincoln Center debut in Handel’s Messiah.
His voice has been described as “stentorian”, “rich” with “great vocal and emotional power”. Reviewers have also remarked that his acting “communicates deep humanity”, can be “tender and anguished” and that he is “the top banana”. He is represented by Randsman Artists Management and studies voice with Andrea DelGiudice.

Anna Tonna

Mezzo soprano Anna Tonna (Suzuki) has been described as a “mezzo heroine who knows how to sing Rossini” by the Rossini Gesellschaft, and as “showing off her warm, secure mezzo-soprano to maximum advantage” by the New York Magazine. On the opera stage she has bowed as Rosina, Carmen, Dorabella, as well as in rarer repertoire by Paisiello, Vivaldi, Mascagni, Zandonai and Giordano.
She has appeared with the Casals Festival and Festival Iberoamerican de las Artes in Puerto Rico; El Festival de Segovia, Fundación Juan March, Auditorio Nacional de España and the Museo del Romanticismo in Spain; Teatro Grattacielo, Joy in Singing, Elysium Between Two Continents, Música de Cámara, Americas Society and Hispanic Society in New York City, and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. Of note among the countless recitals of songs are appearances at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the St. Anton Palace in Valletta (Malta), The Palacio Nacional de Ájuda in Lisbon, Teatro 1793 at Villa Adlrovandi Mazzacorati in Bologna, and the ElbPhilharmonie in Hamburg. Her commercial recordings include “The songs of Julio Gómez” (Verso), “España alla Rossini” (iTinerant Records) and “The Unknown Pauline Viardot” (Cezanne Productions) and most recently "1915: A Trip to Granada" with pianist Mac McClure with Klassic Kat Label. www.annatonna.com

John Easterlin

John Easterlin (Goro), a five-time Grammy Award recipient, with four listings in the Guinness Book of World Records, his opera credits include the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, ROH Covent Garden, ENO, Teatro Real, Bolshoi Theatre, COC Toronto, Israeli Opera, Beijing Opera, and the Sydney Opera House; in addition to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington National, Houston Grand, Dallas, and Florida Grand opera companies. Soloist with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and ASO at Carnegie Hall, he created the role of Andy Warhol in Glass’ The Perfect American and Larry King in Turnage’s Anna Nicole. A master puppeteer and certified magician, his additional opera appearances include the Glimmerglass, Ravinia, Spoleto, Saito Kinen, and Merida festivals. Recipient of the Olivier, Gramophone, and Diapason D’Or L’Année awards, he made his Broadway debut as Ubaldo Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera.

Olivia Fromm

Olivia Fromm (Dolore) has danced with Studio 3 for the last three years and has performed with her ballet class each of those years. She has done two summers with Bay Street summer camp and she loves to ride horses. 

Richard Bernstein

A Metropolitan Opera company member since his debut in 1995, acclaimed bass Richard Bernstein (Bonze) has appeared with the MET in over 500 performances, including over 100 Live in HD telecasts broadcast internationally. He returns to the Met for his 29 th season in 2024-25. In 2022, he won a GRAMMY® Award as part of the cast of Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, performing the role of Aye in the Met’s production, which took home Best Opera Recording that year. Following the completion of the 2023-24 Met season, Bernstein made his role debut as Sergeant Sulpice in La fille du regiment at the Opera Company of Middlebury this past summer. He has performed with companies and festivals around the country, including Los Angeles Opera, Dallas Opera, Seattle Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Washington Opera, Ravinia Festival, and Tanglewood in repertoire ranging from operatic classics to contemporary works. He has created roles in two world premieres by Tobias Picker: An American Tragedy and Thérèse Raquin. On his most recent recording, he can be heard in American composer David Shire’s contribution to The Abrahamic Symphony, commissioned and produced by the Abu Dhabi Festival. 

Besides his full performance schedule, Mr. Bernstein enjoys teaching private voice students in New York and New Jersey. He also regularly judges regional and district auditions for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Yumiko Niimi

Yumiko Niimi (Cio Cio San, Dancer) began studying Japanese traditional theater and dance (Kyogen) with Mansaku Nomura and Yukio Ishida in Japan. After moving to NYC, she began studying Japanese folk dance with Minbuza from Founder Momo Suzuki, and became an ensemble member in Minbuza from 1993. Her performances with Minbuza include The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Nippon Club, Disney World Epcot Center and Taikoza’s tour of Europe, featuring choreography by Momo Suzuki. Recent performances include SHINO SHADOWS, a new collaborative performance with choreography by Kevin Suzuki, and Public Policy’s Fall Fashion Show at NYFashion Week. 
Credits outside of Minbuza include the operas NORMA and ALUCHINA, presented by The Washington National Opera and directed by Ann Bogart. She has also performed Baroque Dance in “Garden of love”, directed by Carlos Fittante. She has also performed regularly with NY Theatre Ballet and with many musicians (The King and I, etc.).

Director

J.A. Diaz

Winner in 20 international awards in 2021 including Best documentary and Best director for his biopic “Rival Queens,” J.A. Diaz (Stage Director) was director of the world premiere of the opera “Klara”, in Spain and in United States. He also produced and organized the world premiere of the chamber version of Beethoven´s 9th Symphony, by Pedro Halffter. Since 2011, Mr. Diaz has worked as stage director for Divaria Productions in New York. He is CEO of Sergei Producciones Líricas, He also organizes the festival “Semana Lírica de Logroño”, His work has been recognized by renowned critics such as Opera Wire who called his adaptation of La Voix Humaine “’a magnificent adaptation of an operatic masterpiece” and by Scherzo for his film Rival Queens which was hailed as “a documentary that will entertain and delight lovers of both opera and history.”

Musical Direct/Pianist

Sergio Martinez Zongroniz

Hailed by La Rioja for the “surprising freshness of his interpretation..which contributed to much of the excellence of this performance SERGIO MARTINEZ ZANGRONIZ (Musical Director/Pianist) obtained a Professional Piano Degree with highest honors from Logroño Conservatory, while simultaneously musically directing both Bellini’s I Capuleti i Montecchi & Purcell’s Come, ye Sons of Art. In 2021 he conducted “La voix humaine” at Riojaforum (Logroño) & in 2022, “La Traviata” at the Círculo Logroñés. He is currently completing both Grado Superior in Conducting & Grado Superior Interpretation specializing in Harpsichord at the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Aragón. He has performed concerts as both pianist and conductor at Zaragoza’s Eduardo del Pueyo Auditorium and "Riojaforum"; as a harpsichordist at Logroño’s Semana de Musica Antigua; & as an organist with the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Currently, he is the director of the Enarmonía de Zaragoza Choir & the Andalán Chamber Orchestra. He also maintains a close relationship with New York’s Divaria Productions, whose documentary Rival Queens has already received more than twenty awards at festivals globally.

Choreographers 

Momo Suzuki

Momo Suzuki is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Japanese Folk Dance Institute of NY (JFDINY). JFDINY was created in 1992 to preserve Japanese folk dance traditions and present them to audiences in the U.S. JFDINY’s credits include Disney World Epcot Center, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, annually at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Cherry Blossom Festival, as well as an appearance in Madonna’s music video for “Nothing Really Matters” (featuring Momo Suzuki’s choreography). Momo Suzuki’s traditional choreography can be seen in many of the dances performed by JFDINY.

Kevin Suzuki

Kevin Suzuki serves as Director of JFDINY. His choreography credits include Lan Tsubata’s film “Dancing Joy”, Cobu Taiko’s “Manyo Forest”, Riyo Saito’s chamber opera Dojoji, Ronald Richardson’s play “Kamioroshi” (at Boston University), Public Policy’s Fall Fashion Show at NY Fashion Week, and “Shino Shadows”, a collaborative dance performance with Fort Wayne Dance Collective.
Both Kevin and Momo regularly serve as cultural and movement advisors to performances of Madame Butterfly. They have advised/provided workshops for Portland Opera, Atlanta Opera, Dallas Opera, Sarasota Opera, Heartbeat Opera, and Carolina Opera. They will be consulting on San Antonio Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly in Spring 2025.