Upcoming: M Butterfly

08/02/2018 12:59:41 PM

The Tony Award-winning play M Butterfly is set to hit the stage this September at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in BGC Taguig.

The classsic masterpiece drama that is inspired by Giaccomo Puccini's opera “Madame Butterfly is loosely based on events surrounding a 1986 espionage trial about a my serious Chinese opera singer who goes by the name of Song Liling, and a French Diplomat named René Gallimard. 

It was an East-meets-West affair in a somewhat defying-the-odds manner that has made this stage play written by David Henry Hwang earn massive raves for years and the accolade for the Best Play at the Tony Awards.

The staging of M Butterfly in the Philippines is produced by Tony and Grammy award-winning producer Jhett Tolentino and FRONTROW Entertainment, and directed by Kanakan-Balintagos.

RS Francisco shall reprise his epic portrayal of Song Liling, the Chinese opera singer and the woman who Gallimard considers the embodiment of the perfect woman, Madame Butterfly. However, Song Liling is also responsible for seducing him through his biases of the East then exploits their intimacy to collect classified information for agents of the Chinese Communist Party. 

French actor Oliver Borten will portray  René Gallimard, a former French diplomat who, from his cell in a Paris prison, relates the story of his passionate yet disastrous affair with Song Liling that led him to serve a long sentence for treason.

Joining the cast as Helga is the highly-regarded actress Pinky Amador, who's known for essaying a variety of roles in a long list of plays, including Cameron Mackintosh's Miss Saigon. In M Butterfly, though, Helga is Rene's wife, and their marriage worked as a matter of convenience; Helga’s father had diplomatic connections that helped Gallimard ascend in his career.

Known UK-based Scottish actor Norm McLeod will essay the role of Manuel Toulon, the French Ambassador to China who also happens to be the dominant and strong-willed superior of Gallimard at the embassy in Beijing. He is also responsible for promoting Gallimard to vice-consul and charges him with collecting information to aid the American war in Vietnam.

Although known for acting on international films, Trilingual American actor LEE O’BRIAN will be hitting the theater stage for the very first time for M Butterfly in two roles. First, he will personify Marc, the sexually unapologetic best friend of Gallimard. He encourages Gallimard to take sexual advantage of the women around him without regard for their feelings or even their consent. Also, he will briefly portray Sharpless.  

Filipino-Chinese perfomer Rebecca Chuansu will also have two characters to work in M Butterfly. The hailed master of Theater Ats and Communication will play the role of both Suzuki and Comrade Chin. Comrade Chin is a member of the Red Guards, a paramilitary arm of the Communist Party in China. Song communicates with Comrade Chin often, to pass on the classified information he gathers from Gallimard. 

Known two-time ALIW Awards Finalist Maya Encila will take the role of the bombshell Renee – a young, sexually liberated Danish woman with whom Gallimard has an affair. Renee’s boldness presents a stark contrast to Song’s modesty, which Gallimard finds both exciting and obnoxious. 

And completing the cast of M Butterfly are the members of the ensemble playing the role of Kurogo are as follows: John Paul Ortenero,  Pheit Lena Ballug, Kay Megan Kierulf, Aira Jay Igarta, Ulysses Basa, and Rica Nepomuceno. 

Meanwhile, M. Butterfly's artistic team is formed by the following: Kanakan-Balintagos (Direction), Jhett Tolentino and RS Francisco (Producers), Eric Pineda (Costume Design), Ohm David (Set Design), Jethro Joaquin (Sound Design) John Batalla (Lights), Gery Penaso (Make-Up Designer for Song Liling).

M. Butterfly will hit the stage on selected Tuesdays to Sundays of September 2018 at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in BGC Arts Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

The restaging of M. Butterfly will be 100% non-profit. Net proceeds from each performance will be dedicated to ONE particular charitable institution or organization geared toward education and the arts. And among the pool of beneficiaries are: Hope for Change - funds the full education (from elementary to college) of children in Tondo; Love Yourself Foundation - cultivates HIV awareness; Teach for the Philippines -  develops leaders for education equity by enlisting some of the country’s most promising young leaders to teach in public schools throughout the Philippines.

Also, a photo exhibit called The Chrysalis will take place at the venue during the stretch of this restaging.

The playdate schedule are as follows.

Sept. 13, 20, 27 – Thursday – 8:00 PM

Sept. 14, 21, 28 – Friday – 8 pm

Sept. 15, 22, 29 – Saturday – 3 pm / 8 pm

Sept. 16, 23, 30 – Sunday – 3 pm / 8 pm

Sept. 18, 25 – Tuesday – 8 pm

Sept. 19, 26 – Wednesday – 8 pm

For tickets, call TICKETWORLD at 8919999.

The ticket prices are as follows:

Zone 1: PhP2,000

Zone 2: PhP1,750

Zone 3: PhP1,500

Zone 4: PhP1,250

Zone 5: PhP1,000

Check out M. Butterfly at their social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), or contact  ISHA GERMENTIL at mobile number 0917 623 3834 for further inquiries.

Author: slickmaster | © 2018 The SlickMaster's Files