Over the weekend of 25 and 26 July, the spotlight fell on the next generation of operatic talent at the New National Theatre Tokyo’s Summer Recital 2026—a showcase featuring the rising stars of its Opera Studio. Attended on its opening afternoon, this year’s production saw the current cohort tackle a formidable test: Puccini’s razor-sharp comedic masterpiece, Gianni Schicchi. Guided by conductor Kathleen Kelly and stage director Tara Faircloth, the American creative pair brought an inventive cross-cultural framing device to recontextualise the classic text.
Faircloth introduces an original prologue, Portrait of the Donatis, weaving together modern and contemporary American vocal works by Mark Adamo, Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, John Musto, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti. This structure is a triumph of both staging and vocal pedagogy. Recognising that Gianni Schicchi offers solo arias to only three characters—Schicchi, Lauretta, and Rinuccio—Faircloth crafts a six-part prelude to give every young singer a solo spotlight while establishing the motives of the rapacious Donati clan.
The prologue opens with the trio ‘Invocation’ from Adamo’s Lysistrata (Zita, Nella, La Ciesca), setting two opposing factions against lovers caught in the crossfire. After the family disperses, Lauretta sings ‘What good would the moon be?’ from Weill’s Street Scene, declaring true love supreme before Schicchi, Zita, and Simone interrupt the rendezvous. Attention then shifts to the elder Donatis’ obsession with wealth: Zita delivers ‘The best thing of All’ from Blitzstein’s Regina, followed by Simone’s ‘Great God Gold’ from Musto’s Volpone. A telegram detailing Buoso Donati’s imminent death cuts through their posturing. The younger relatives—Nella, La Ciesca, Gherardo, and Marco—pass the time playing cards in Barber’s A Hand of Bridge, capturing its cynical domestic friction before rushing to Buoso’s bedside. Finally, the black-sheep Betto di Signa pauses mid-eviction to sing Menotti’s ‘When the Air Sings of Summer’ from The Old Maid and the Thief before a second dispatch summons him. As the family gathers, Puccini’s comedy unfolds seamlessly.
This dual canvas tested the cast’s agility across modern American idioms and peak Italian verismo, a challenge the trainees met with flair and ensemble cohesion. In the title role, Ryuno Suda delivered a magnetic performance, balancing rich resonance with sharp theatrical instincts. Opposite him, Moeka Shimabukuro made a captivating Lauretta, her luminous ‘O mio babbino caro’ blending earnest passion with cunning persuasion. As Rinuccio, Ryo Yazawa brought bright, ardent tenor tones to his homage to Florence, pairing effortlessly with Shimabukuro.
The Donati relatives were etched with biting clarity. Yuko Makiba anchored the household as a stern Zita, her dark-hued mezzo providing a firm bedrock in the complex ensembles. Shun Nagakura (Gherardo) and Kotomi Ariyoshi (Nella) offered sparkling kinetic energy, complemented by Misaki Shinkai’s fine contribution as Gherardino. The middle voices proved equally distinct: Haruna Taniguchi’s vibrant La Ciesca and Kakeru Ueda’s resonant Marco added subtle nuance, while Yuto Goto made a memorable impression in the brief role of Pinellino.
Four seasoned alumni provided a steadying foundation: Taichi Yamada brought veteran gravitas to Simone, Satoshi Takada offered a sympathetic Betto di Signa, Toshiaki Komada pulled double duty as Spinelloccio and Ser Amantio with panache, and Yu Mizuno rounded out the cast reliably as Guccio. Pianists Etsuko Taniike and Shizuko Kinoshita supplied splendid musical scaffolding, coaxing remarkable colour from the keyboard under Kelly’s buoyant direction.
Ultimately, this recital stood as a testament to intelligent curation and pedagogical care. While their Italian was secure, the cast’s American English occasionally dissolved into a soft melodic blur—save for Taniguchi’s crisp, delightful delivery of ‘I want to buy that hat of peacock feathers!’. Consider it a warm-up: with Britten’s Albert Herring scheduled for February 2027, one looks forward to hearing these promising voices tackle British English with equal bite. By bridging 20th- and 21st-century American angst with timeless Italian satire, NNT Opera Studio showcased genuine artistic maturity, proving the future of opera in Tokyo is in vibrant hands.
Natsuko Hirakura
NNT Opera Studio Summer Recital 2026: Gianni Schicchi
Includes the original prologue, Portrait of the Donatis (conceived and directed by Tara Faircloth; music by Mark Adamo, Kurt Weill, Marc Blitzstein, John Musto, Samuel Barber, and Gian Carlo Menotti)
Cast and Production Staff:
Gianni Schicchi – Ryuno Suda; Lauretta – Moeka Shimabukuro; Zita – Yuko Makiba; Rinuccio – Ryo Yazawa; Gherardo – Shun Nagakura; Nella – Kotomi Ariyoshi; Betto di Signa – Satoshi Takada; Simone – Taichi Yamada; Marco – Kakeru Ueda; La Ciesca – Haruna Taniguchi; Maestro Spinelloccio, Ser Amantio di Nicolao – Toshiaki Komada; Pinellino – Yuto Goto; Guccio – Yu Mizuno; Gherardino – Misaki Shinkai
Production – Tara Faircloth; Lighting Design – Takushi Yaba; Sound Design – Ayaka Sugiyama; Costume Coordinator– Hisako Kato; Piano – Etsuko Taniike, Shizuko Kinoshita, Conductor – Kathleen Kelly; Director of the Opera Studio– Masahiro Sato
New National Theatre Tokyo, 25 July 2026
Top image: (L to R) Taniguchi (La Ciesca), Ueda (Marco), Nagakura (Gherardo), and Ariyoshi (Nella) in ‘Portrait of the Donatis’
All photos © Ayano Tomozawa