Madame Butterfly
The Original Play
The inspiration for Puccini's famous opera
plus Japanese DanceA Backstage West Critic's Pick
by David Belasco
Directed by
Mercedes Shirley
Produced by
Mike Rademaekers & Kaz Matamura
Madame Butterfly
Dedicated to the Loving Memory of Mercedes Shirley
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Mercedes Shirley |
Note from the Producers
The first person that Michael and I told that we wanted to build a theatre was Mercedes Shirley - our partner, our mentor, and our best friend.
A week later, she had found us this building that we have since transformed into the Secret Rose Theatre. This was Merce's theatre for her to teach, direct, and act. She even offered to teach classes for free until we started generating income!
We were looking forward to having her follow Madame Butterfly by directing Of Mice and Men, and seeing her perform her dream role of Amanda in The Glass Menagerie at the Secret Rose Theatre.
Merce never saw the theatre completed. On January 28, 1999, she was still directing a rehearsal of Butterfly at 10 pm. Just hours later, her heart stopped in her sleep.
I still have trouble believing that Merce is no longer here with us. She was an inspiration to all. It was her "let's do it!" that led to the production of Madame Butterfly, first at the Stella Adler Theatre in March 1996, and then at the Complex in Hollywood in March 1997. She attended every performance.
She didn't want a suffering, self-pitying, cutesy Butterfly. Her Butterfly was strong-willed, filled with lust for life, living each day with passion and joy while waiting for her lover to return to her. Merce understood that women become stronger when confronted with the difficulties of life. Said she: "The higher she flies, the harder she falls." She knew the essence of drama. Every time she told me, "Oh Kaz, you are so much like me!", I felt honored.
I miss her 1 a.m. calls, saying "Oh, did I wake you up? I just wanted to tell you how much I love you." She was so proud of her family, friends, and students. We cannot let fade all that she taught us. She was too klutzy to be a God, but she was a piece of Heaven to us all.
We hope that this, her last production on this Earth, helps you all to understand what a wonderful person Merce was.
- Kaz Mata-Mura - March 5, 1999
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| The secret to the legendary trim geisha physique revealed! | Japanese Dancers (L to R): Joy Nakagawa; Miki Watanabe; Yako Takahara; Kaz Mata-Mura; and Annie Yoshihara. | Yako Takahara and Joy Nakagawa rehearse the Makuake and Gion ko uta. |
Cast
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Madame Butterfly (ChoCho San)
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Kaz Mata-Mura |
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Suzuki
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Kiko Kiko |
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The Nakodo
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Kenji Nakamura |
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Mr. Sharpless
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Robert Sampson |
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Yamadori
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Keisuke Hoashi Dennis J. Lau |
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Trouble
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Taylor Palushaj Anthony Palushaj Russell Naiditch McElhaney |
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Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton
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Evan Andes |
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Kate Pinkerton
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Mariah Shirley |
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Dancers
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Kaz Mata-Mura Joy Nakagawa Yasuko Takahara Miki Watanabe |
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Koto Soloist
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Miki Watanabe |
Crew
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Producers
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Mike Rademaekers, Kaz Matamura |
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Stage/Production Manager
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Yasuyo –Pea” Chiba |
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Lighting Designer
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John Grant |
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Costume Designer
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Jim Albright |
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Costumes Provided by
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Gilbert Costumes |
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Sound Mastering
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Jim Whiteman, Mayfirst Communication |
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Program and Flyer Design
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Keisuke Hoashi |
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Photographer
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Russell Einhorn |
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Publicity
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Brenda Marshall |
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Keisuke Hoashi (Yamadori) and Joy Nakagawa on the set of "Madame Butterfly." |