TAA Butterfly Spotlight: Tiffanie Trujillo, "Suzuki"

Tiffanie Trujillo is an outstanding emergent professional mezzo currently studying at Fresno State.  Tiffanie is simply a treasure on stage.  Her acting is incredibly detail-oriented and her voice flawlessly rich and beautiful.  It will be very exciting to see where this young singer goes in her career, but for today, here are her thoughts on playing "Suzuki" in the Theater Arts Alliance production of Madama Butterfly.

Tiffanie playing the title role in "Carmen" at FSU

Tell us about your role in TAA's "Madama Butterfly:  I play Suzuki, Butterfly's faithful servant. Suzuki is an important character because she fuels the emotional direction of the audience in many situations. She is a subtle voice of morality and sympathy through her very being which, in turn, highlights the tragedy. Her sympathy toward Ciocio-san functions as an extension through which the audience can relate to as a third-party while her unique relationship to Ciocio-san gives insight into the world of Madama Butterfly.

What are some other roles you have played?  In the recent past, I've performed the role of Carmen and premiered the role of Ortensia in The Secret of Luca. This year I will be premiering the role of Mamà Guadalupe Lucinda y La Flor de La Nochebuena.

Tell us about your operatic training:  My operatic training has its roots in the Vocal Performance program at Fresno State, but I have also taken part in masterclasses and programs outside of my university performance studies. At the NOA convention in 2015, I had a masterclass with maestro Willie Anthony Waters, and that summer I participated in Lingua e canto -- a summer program in Italy. This summer, I hope to return to Italy to continue studying opera and the Italian language.

What are your future goals?  My short term goals are to graduate and enter a masters program in opera performance at a conservatory either in the USA or in Europe.

What is your favorite moment in Madama Butterfly?  One of my most favorite moments in Madama Butterfly is the duet between Pinkerton and Butterfly. How tender, glimmering, whimsical, and intensely passionate! Puccini paints all sorts of motion and color that truly capture the moment when love flourishes for the first time between lovers and Nature looks at itself with new eyes.

Who should come to see this opera and why?  Anyone should come to see this opera because it is a story that will both tenderly caress and jar your heart; therefore, it will nourish your sense of being.

 
Come and experience Tiffanie Trujillo and the rest of the TAA Butterfly cast on March 4th and 6th at the Main Street Theater in Visalia!




Tickets at:  Brown Paper Tickets: Madama Butterfly