[Met Performance] CID:82890



Madama Butterfly
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, January 19, 1923




Madama Butterfly (164)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/ Giuseppe Giacosa
Cio-Cio-San
Florence Easton

Pinkerton
Edward Johnson

Suzuki
Flora Perini

Sharpless
Antonio Scotti

Goro
Angelo Badà

Bonze
Paolo Ananian

Yamadori
Pietro Audisio

Kate Pinkerton
Cecil Arden

Commissioner
Vincenzo Reschiglian

Yakuside
Paolo Quintina


Conductor
Roberto Moranzoni







Review 1:

Review of J. A. H. in Musical America

Johnson as Pinkerton

For the third "Butterfly" of the season, a new Pinkerton was supplied in the person of Edward Johnson who thereby added his eighth rôle although the season is not yet half over. The other members of the cast being familiar their parts, interest naturally centers Mr. Johnson. Only once before has sung the role of Pinkerton in New York, that time being at the Manhattan with the Chicago forces. The performance throughout was of highest excellence, with the sort of finish to the ultimate detail which one has come to associate with Mr. Johnson's work. The outstanding feature of the characterization was one of personal charm. To begin with, he looked and acted like an American, and a young one at that. His love-making at the end of the first act was ardent and in the last scene, for the first time we had a Pinkerton honestly sorry for the sorrow he had wrought, and for the first time his "Io son vil!" really carried conviction. Vocally Mr. Johnson was exceedingly good throughout, and his voice and Miss Easton's blended well in the duet.

Miss Easton's Butterfly had its usual excellences, the dramatic and tragic scenes being the best. The entrance song was better than at the last performance, and both "Un Bel Di" and "Che tua Madre" had great appeal. The remainder of the cast included: Flora Perini, Cecil Arden, Antonio Scotti, Angelo Bada, Pietro Audisio, Paolo Ananian, Paolo Quintina and Vincenzo Reschiglian. The substitution of a doll for the child Trouble nearly brought disaster, as the audience displayed a tendency to titter since even Miss Easton's realistic acting did not succeed in making the doll a convincing adjunct. Roberto Moranzoni conducted.



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