Madame Butterfly is the story of a young geisha who was sold to American naval  officer Pinkerton as a bride.   What begins as an arranged marriage and a little more than a onenight-stand for the visiting Pinkerton becomes a profound spiritual bond for the naive Butterfly—who forsakes her culture, religion, and identity only to find herself abandoned with an unborn child.  

Years later, when Pinkerton returns with his American wife, the brave Butterfly is left with only one honorable course of action. She retreats to her culture and gains freedom from her dishonor by committing ritual suicide.

Shown from Sept. 16 to 19 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines,  the Philipine Ballet Theater told  Madame Butterfly’s  tragic tale with great beauty and piercing poignancy.   Opening  night saw Faye Abigail Tan  and Ronaldo Jaynario  in the leading roles. Both being accomplished dance actors,  they effortlessly  brought their characters to life. Jaynario as Pinkerton is an admirable partner to Tan in the climactic pas de deux that completes the first act.

Tan, specially, is magical. The way she executes Butterfly’s delicate steps, the way she uses her eyes and face, even the way she stands demurely and motionless on occasions, convey the characters ethereal frailty. It was impossible not to be moved by her stirring performance.  Tan is an intelligent dancer.  

 The entire company appears in good form doing honor to their company name by skillfully blending dancing and acting.  All the supporting characters are well crafted,  thanks to Coach and Director Maiqui Manosca and Graham Lustig’s well thought-out choreography which  gave  each character its own distinctive steps to work with.

Puccini’s music works well in the hands of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Conductor Eugene Frederick Castillo, with Camille Lopez-Molina (Soprano), Francisco Aseniero (Tenor), Nenen Espina-Alfornon (Soprano) and Ramon Acoymo (Tenor).

The simple sets and the costumes crafted by Ricardo Cruz complement the choreography very well.  It is  authentic enough to have a distinct Japanese feel but light enough to not restrict the dancers in their movements  The lighting design by Dennis Marasigan  is never distracting but rather complimentary in its subtlety, making the entire production  a beautifully blended, enjoyable whole. 
Most definitely, the  PBT do this lovely  Madame Butterfly proud!