English Title: Essence / Madame Butterfly
Japanese Title: おもかげ / 蝶々さん
Romanized Title: Omokage / Chouchou-san

Troupe: Snow
Year: 1946
Performances: Nagoya Takarazuka Theater, 12/12 - 12/20
Shinjin Kouen Performances: n/a

Essence:

Based On:
Author/Director: Takasaki Kunihiro
Composer: Takahashi Ren
Choreographer: Tamada Yuuzou
Conductor (Takarazuka): n/a
Conductor (Tokyo): n/a

Madame Butterfly:

Based On:
Author/Director/Choreographer: Mizuta Shigeru
Composer: Takeuchi Heikichi, Yamane Hisao, Kurahara Kunio
Choreographer: Tamada Yuuzou
Conductor (Takarazuka): n/a
Conductor (Tokyo): n/a

Available on DVD: No
Available on Blu-Ray: No
DVD Scene/Music Cuts: n/a

Essence
Role	Cast
Vincent	Kasugano Yachiyo
Father	Kozue Otowa
Madelaine	Otowa Nobuko
Francesca	Fujishiro Ayako
Andrea	Kodama Haruka
Tonio	Mibu Sakurako
Enrico	Ajiro Makoto
Peora	Aoba Shigeru
Carlos	Furusato Chiaki
Sylvie	Asakura Itoko
Clelia	Yuri Misao
Ada	Azusa Mayumi
Canina	Kusama Kaoru
Sarto	Kojima Isoko
Chico	Midori Yachiyo
Madame Butterfly
Role	Cast
Pinkerton, Lieutenant in the United States Navy	Kasugano Yachiyo
Madame Butterfly	Otowa Nobuko
Gorou, a matchmaker	Fujino Takane
Sharpless, United States consul at Nagasaki	Kodama Haruka
O-Suzu	Tougou Haruko
Prince Yamadori	Toyo Harue
Court Lady	Kusama Kaoru
Noodle-Seller	Miyama Sakura
Kate Pinkerton, Pinkerton's American wife	Kinuta Toone
Geisha	Hanamura Yuriko
Maiko	Asakura Itoko
Rickshaw Man	Kojima Isoko

Other Cast: Terukuni Sachiko, Somekawa Sahoko, Oki Yukiko, Hino Akira, Suzuoka Shouko, Awaji Michiko, Miyuki Fukuko, Hitomi Urara, Asagi Mitsuko, Azumaji Miyoko, Shiradori Utako, Asuka Miyako, Murasaki Fukiko, Yashima Youko, Mayumi Hikari, Yukinoe Reiko^[1], Ashibe Namiko, Masami Aiko, Matsuho Urako

WARNING!! MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!

Music student Vincent works as a tutor to Madelaine, and the two fall in love. Her father disapproves and sends her away. Francesca loves Vincent and tries to help him get over Madelaine, but he can't forget her. He illustrates her essence in a play called "Norma." And then one day her father comes to see Vincent, followed by Madelaine herself....

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Based on the opera story. The text below is a summary of the opera from Wikipedia.

In 1904, a U.S. naval officer named Pinkerton rents a house on a hill in Nagasaki, Japan, for himself and his soon-to-be wife, "Butterfly". Her real name is Chocho (from the Japanese word for "butterfly" (蝶々 chōchō). She is a 15-year-old Japanese girl whom he is marrying for convenience, and he intends to leave her once he finds a proper American wife, since Japanese divorce laws are very lax. The wedding is to take place at the house. Butterfly had been so excited to marry an American that she had earlier secretly converted to Christianity. After the wedding ceremony, her uninvited uncle, a monk, who has found out about her conversion, comes to the house, curses her and orders all the guests to leave, which they do while renouncing her. Pinkerton and Butterfly sing a love duet and prepare to spend their first night together.

Three years later, Butterfly is still waiting for Pinkerton to return, as he had left shortly after their wedding. Her maid Suzuki keeps trying to convince her that he is not coming back, but Butterfly will not listen to her. Goro, the marriage broker who arranged her marriage, keeps trying to marry her off again, but she does not listen to him either. The American consul, Sharpless, comes to the house with a letter which he has received from Pinkerton which asks him to break some news to Butterfly: that Pinkerton is coming back to Japan, but Sharpless cannot bring himself to finish it because Butterfly becomes very excited to hear that Pinkerton is coming back. Sharpless asks Butterfly what she would do if Pinkerton were not to return. She then reveals that she gave birth to Pinkerton's son after he had left and asks Sharpless to tell him.

From the hill house, Butterfly sees Pinkerton's ship arriving in the harbour. She and Suzuki prepare for his arrival, and then they wait. Suzuki and the child fall asleep, but Butterfly stays up all night waiting for him to arrive.

Suzuki wakes up in the morning and Butterfly finally falls asleep. Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive at the house, along with Pinkerton's new American wife, Kate. They have come because Kate has agreed to raise the child. But, as Pinkerton sees how Butterfly has decorated the house for his return, he realizes he has made a huge mistake. He admits that he is a coward and cannot face her, leaving Suzuki, Sharpless and Kate to break the news to Butterfly. Agreeing to give up her child if Pinkerton comes himself to see her, she then prays to statues of her ancestral gods, says goodbye to her son, and blindfolds him. She places a small American flag in his hands and goes behind a screen, killing herself with her father's seppuku knife. Pinkerton rushes in, but he is too late, and Butterfly dies.


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