Madama Butterfly - Vancouver Opera 2025

“a hyper-relevant must see…It’s a credit to [Mo Zhou’s] direction that, beyond current political theatre and politically correct casting, the opera stands on its own and even manages to transcend Puccini’s sumptuous, if problematic, Orientalism to present a powerful human drama…the performances and pacing were captivating.”

— Hadani Ditmars, Opera Canada, Read full review here.

“Much of the success of director Mo Zhou’s vision is rooted in her deep understanding of Puccini’s music; her ideas stem from the score and are grounded in musical content, even with a slight but significant change in context. Stage action is meaningful but never busy; some of the most memorable moments are still and calm, like the superb scenes framing the famous humming chorus: two anxious but silent women, a restless child wanting sleep — and that’s all. It’s heartbreaking…

The slight shift in setting is an honest attempt at reaching the emotional heart of the story, a way of reclaiming the power and poignancy of a tale now slightly worn with constant repetition.

It works."

— Vancouver Opera's Madama Butterfly puts a spin on Puccini’s perennial favourite Aleesha Harris, Vancouver Sun

“Set in the aftermath of World War II, updated production adds depth and nuance to the iconic work…stage director Mo Zhou added some inspired touches that injected life into the narrative…the audience spends most of its time accompanying Butterfly as she yearns for Pinkerton’s return—sometimes with Suzuki, sometimes with her always silent child. So, when actions do occur, such as Butterfly emphatically waving the American flag in blind devotion, or her child innocently waving the ears of his knitted Mickey Mouse doll, they carry added significance…

Perhaps the most subtle, yet most symbolic, action occurs in the final seconds. Butterfly lies dead, draped in a white kimono with blood-red lining. Her son, clinging to Suzuki, is meant to leave with Pinkerton to be raised by his new wife. Suzuki coaxes him to walk toward them, but as the final chords ring out and the curtain comes down, he drops his Mickey Mouse doll and runs back into her arms in an act of wordless defiance. It’s a small but pointed message of independence and self-determination—one that feels so very relevant today. 

— A poignant and resonant Madama Butterfly to close Vancouver Opera season Jessica Werb, Stir

LA CALISTO - Glimmerglass Festival 2024

"The highlight of this season’s Glimmerglass Festival, a beguiling production of Francesco Cavalli’s 'La Calisto'… carefully balanced the opera’s serious and comic depictions of love… Mo Zhou (director), Charlie Corcoran (sets), and Amith Chandrashaker (lighting) devised a simple but effective abstract production…"

— Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal

"Supremely stylish… Stage director Mo Zhou brought boundless imagination to the project and imbued it with a well-judged laser focus, fine eye to detail, and virtuosic control. But while it was seamlessly coordinated, her cunning bravura actually inspired the gifted performers to give all they had in highly personalized, seemingly spontaneous solos and interactions. commendable use of the space, and her unerring ability to balance the comic and serious opportunities in this timeless tale…"

— James Sohre, Opera Today

“Director Mo Zhou provided a nice balance of seriousness and humor suggesting that Calisto is making the best of a bad situation when she discovers that her actual seducer was Jove. There is sadness and regret beneath the rueful submission. When she is translated to the heavens as a constellation, it is seen as a kind of death by transfiguration.”

— Eli Jacobson, Parterre

“Mo Zhou’s staging stressed amusement but did not shrink from the uncomfortable realities (sexual predation, torture) underlying Ovid’s transformations; it achieved some moving visual magic at the starry conclusion.”

— David Shengold, Opera

“Mo Zhou’s La Calisto, reflected her own directorial panache, provided a star in the Glimmerglass 2024 lineup.”

— Seth Lachterman, MusicaVerum

“Mo Zhou, Director, delivered a riot of action that held the audience spellbound for two and a half hours.”

— Gerald Malone, Reaction

“Mo Zhou directs the lustful gods and demigods and worshippers of chastity in a work that is from the earliest day of opera and worth seeing today.”

— James Karas, Reviews and Views

“one of the most beautiful productions seen here in recent years… What a great show!”

— James L. Paulk, Classic Voice North America

“Director Mo Zhou knows when her singers should scurry and when they should stand still, and creates compelling stage pictures that reinforce the social and emotional dynamics of these highly charged goings-on.”

— B.A. Nilsson, Words and Music

“With a colorful production, excellent singing by a 12-member cast, and themes that have a contemporary resonance, the production makes it hard to believe the opera is such a relic.”

— Joseph Dalton, Times Union

IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE - Boston Baroque 2023

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“Mo Zhou’s staging, though economical, is precise and demands concentration.”

— Kevin Wells, Bachtrack

“Zhou kept the forward energy constant, and the production benefited from her subtle blocking and directions for stylized, emotionally charged acting.”

— Keith Powers, Opera News

HER | ALIVE.UN.DEAD - Guerilla Opera 2023

“Mo Zhou’s savvy stage directions made swift and effective use of the intimate venue.”

— Aaron Keebaugh, The Art Fuse

“intense acting…excellent direction”

— Christopher Hodges, The Boston Musical Intelligencer

GIANNI SCHICCHI & BUOSO’S GHOST - Florida Grand Opera 2023

“both operas crisply conducted by Ching, made a thoroughly engaging evening, thanks in large part to Mo Zhou’s lively staging and an enthusiastic ensemble cast.”

— Robert Croan, Opera News

“With adroit staging, terrific singing from top to bottom by a large cast and an eye-filling production, this pairing is both potent theater and delightful entertainment…Mo Zhou’s deft staging brought out the twin bill’s fun.”

— South Florida Classical Review