Mayfield Senior School Alumna Stars in ‘Madama Butterfly’

Kelsey Boesche as Madama Butterfly. – Courtesy Photo

Mayfield Senior School graduate, Kelsey Boesche ’06, will sing the role of Butterfly in Puccini’s famous opera of love and despair, Madama Butterfly. The production, sponsored by the Pasadena Schubertiade, will take place at the Neighborhood Church in Pasadena on Sept. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. A Japanese-themed cocktail reception will precede the opening night curtain at 6:30 p.m.

Kelsey attended both The Waverly School and Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena. At both schools, her love of music was showcased. Kelsey completed her vocal studies at The Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver where she performed the roles of Despina in Cosi fan tutte and Pamina in The Magic Flute. As a graduate student at Northwestern University she sang the roles of Suor Angelica in the opera of the same name and Lady Billows in Albert Herring. Abroad for several summers, she was a member of the Tuscia Opera Festival, where she played the leading roles of Adina in The Elixir of Love and Mimi in La Bohème.

Babatunde Akinboboye and Kelsey Boesche rehearse scene from Madama Butterfly. – Courtesy Photo

This production features the talents of young professionals in the Los Angeles area. Stephen Grimm, artistic director of the Pasadena Schubertiade, cast the production. “Pasadena Schubertiade is very happy to be sponsoring this performance of Madama Butterfly, which gives some of our past lieder contest winners the opportunity to sing on the stage with young professionals who are already making their name in the opera world,” Grimm said. “We thought a lovely way to raise funds to benefit young singers would be to mount a production of one of Puccini’s most beloved operas and feature young fresh voices in this great work in a summertime setting with cherry blossoms and all of that. It is going to be quite the spectacular show.”

Performers include Kelsey Boesche, Arnold Geis, Steve Pence, Adrien Raynier, Jose Meza, Babatunde Akinboboye and Victoria J. Fox. The director is Mandy Boesche and the music director is Wendy Caldwell.

The production is a fundraiser for Pasadena Schubertiade’s annual vocal competition for high school and college students. This production of Madama Butterfly features the talents of two past winners. The date of the fall competition will be announced soon.

For tickets and further information about Madama Butterfly and the vocal competition, please go to www.PasadenaSchubertiade.org.

Kelsey Boesche and Arnold Geis rehearse scene from Madama Butterfly. – Courtesy Photo

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