Opera "Nabibuin" Set in the Year 2576 Space Background Reinterpreted Through Jeong Guho's Perspective

Creator Jung Koo-ho directs Seongnam Arts Center opera 'Nabibuin'
Puccini's masterpiece reinterpreted with SF imagination
Sopranos Im Se-gyeong and Park Jae-eun star as 'Chochosang'

"If the previous Madame Butterfly was an imperialistic story seen through the eyes of 19th-century Westerners, the newly presented Madame Butterfly will be portrayed as an SF narrative set on a space planet in the year 2576."

On the 20th, director Jung Gu-ho is speaking at the press conference for the opera 'Nabi Buin' held at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by Seongnam Cultural Foundation] [Image source=Yonhap News]

Creator director Jung Guho, who brought a new wave to the performing arts world with experimental directing, is now challenging stage opera.

The Seongnam Cultural Foundation announced on the 20th that it will stage director Jung Guho's opera 'Madame Butterfly' at the Seongnam Arts Center Opera House from October 12 to 15 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Seongnam City's elevation to city status.

Previously, Director Jung directed the special opera performance 'Dongbaekkkot Agassi' at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, but this is his first opera production staged in a theater. In this performance, he is responsible for directing, stage, costume, lighting, and video design.

At a press conference held at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, Director Jung explained, "I had many regrets about the male-dominant character relationships and imperialistic narrative contained in 'Madame Butterfly.' To address these aspects, I moved the stage several hundred years into the future and reinterpreted the work as a story of two men and women in an equal relationship."

'Madame Butterfly' is a work by Puccini, a composer representing Italy, depicting the story of a Japanese geisha, Cio-Cio-San, who waits alone for her husband who will never return, set against the backdrop of Nagasaki port in Japan, ending in a tragic finale.

The reinterpreted 'Madame Butterfly' by Director Jung is set in the year 2576 and tells the story of Commander Pinkerton of the Emporio planet, representing the United Planetary Federation, who is dispatched to Papilio planet for peace negotiations and falls in love with Papilio's princess, Cio-Cio-San. The SF-style stage, featuring a white rotating stage symbolizing the human eye and space planets, lighting, and LED screens, will add visual power to the new story.

However, Director Jung emphasized that although the temporal and spatial settings change, the essence of the work?the story about humans and the eternal message about love?remains intact. He said, "Although this is a new 'Madame Butterfly' never seen before, the emotional line of the characters through music will be directed so that the audience can follow the original sentiment. I want to show that 'Madame Butterfly' can be interpreted in this way."

At the press conference for the opera "Nabibuin" held on the 20th at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, attendees are taking a commemorative photo. From the left: Seo Jeong-rim, CEO of Seongnam Cultural Foundation; Jung Gu-ho, director; Patrick Lange, conductor; soprano Lim Se-gyeong; baritone Lee Beom-ju. Photo by Seongnam Cultural Foundation. Image source: Yonhap News.

Soprano Lim Se-kyung and Park Jae-eun will play the tragic heroine Cio-Cio-San. Lim Se-kyung performed the role of Cio-Cio-San at the Vienna State Opera in Austria in 2015 and has since performed 'Madame Butterfly' more than 150 times on European stages. Park Jae-eun, after winning the 2015 ARD Competition, was a soloist at the Freiburg Opera House from 2018 through the 2022-2023 season.

The role of Cio-Cio-San's lover Pinkerton will be played by young tenors Lee Beom-ju, who gained attention on European stages by winning the Verdi International Competition and Maria Caniglia International Competition, and tenor Heo Young-hoon, known for his delicate tone and beautiful voice. Baritones Woo Ju-ho and Gong Byung-woo will play the role of Consul Sharpless, and mezzo-soprano Bang Shin-je will appear as Cio-Cio-San's maid Suzuki.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.