Grange Park Opera

Japan meets America with disastrous results. A great love is met with devastating, casual betrayal.

At the end of Puccini’s excoriating tragedy, Madama Butterfly must decide whether to die with honour, or live with shame.

Puccini’s score is a miracle of economy, its soaring melodies touch the heart; its Japanese inflections tenderly evoke this secret culture.

Hye-Youn Lee returns in the title role, opposite Luis Gomes as the callous B F Pinkerton.

Bring Kleenex.

Cast & Creatives

CIO-CIO-SAN, Madama Butterfly ∙ HYE-YOUN LEE     Sponsor David & Clare Kershaw
SUZUKI, her maid ∙ KITTY WHATELY     Sponsor Anthony & Carolyn Townsend
B F PINKERTON, Lt in the US Navy ∙ LUIS GOMES
SHARPLESS, US consul at Nagasaki ∙ ROSS RAMGOBIN
GORO, a matchmaker ∙ ADRIAN THOMPSON
THE BONZE, Cio-Cio-San’s uncle ∙ JIHOON KIM

CONDUCTOR ∙ STEPHEN BARLOW
DIRECTOR / DESIGNER ∙ JOHN DOYLE
LIGHTING DESIGNER ∙ TIM MITCHELL

Gascoigne Orchestra

The Humming Chorus is sponsored by Prof Martin Brown & Dr Sue Brown.
“Tu, tu piccolo Iddio” is sponsored by Tessa & John Manser.

ACT 1

A hillside overlooking Nagasaki

Goro, a marriage broker, has arranged for Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton to ‘marry’ Cio-Cio-San. Pinkerton inspects the house which is a part of the marriage contract and meets the bride’s maid Suzuki and the other servants.

Sharpless, the American Consul, arrives and they drink a toast to the USA. Sharpless is fearful for Cio-Cio-San – also known as Butterfly – and tries to dissuade Pinkerton from marrying her. Pinkerton wants to possess her even though this may destroy her and toasts the ‘real’ American wife he will have one day.

Butterfly and her friends arrive. She tells Sharpless the story of how her family fell on hard times and the women became geishas. Her mother will come to the wedding but her father is dead. Butterfly shows Pinkerton her possessions – except for the most sacred one: a dagger which belonged to her father. It was a gift from the Mikado and an order to commit suicide.

Butterfly tells Pinkerton that for his sake, she has become a Christian, but she has not told her family. The couple are married. Her uncle, the Bonze, berates Butterfly for turning her back on her religion. The family also insults her and Pinkerton orders everyone to leave.

Pinkerton comforts his bride and, as night falls, he leads her into the house.

ACT 2

The same house, three years later

Pinkerton has been recalled to America. Butterfly and the faithful Suzuki are still living in the house. They have little money but Butterfly refuses to believe that Pinkerton has deserted her and tells Suzuki he will one day return.

Sharpless and Goro arrive to tell Butterfly that Pinkerton’s ship is due to arrive in Nagasaki that very day. Butterfly is ecstatic and Sharpless cannot bring himself to tell her the remainder of the message. In the passing years, Goro has been trying to marry her off to various suitors – including the wealthy Yamadori. She has refused all proposals, believing Pinkerton will return.

Sharpless tries again to deliver the rest of Pinkerton’s letter to Butterfly and to persuade her to accept Yamadori. She brings in her child — Pinkerton’s child – of whose existence neither Sharpless nor Pinkerton had any knowledge. Sharpless leaves, promising to tell Pinkerton about his child.

Goro has spread rumours that Butterfly has a fatherless child. She is angry and hears the harbour cannon signalling the arrival of a ship. She tells Suzuki to decorate the house to celebrate Pinkerton’s arrival and puts on her wedding dress to wait for her husband.

Dawn the following day

Suzuki persuades Butterfly to sleep after their all-night vigil. Sharpless arrives with Pinkerton and his American wife. Sharpless wants Suzuki to help break the news to Butterfly that Pinkerton is married; together they must secure the child’s future. Pinkerton cannot pluck up the courage to face Butterfly. The men leave it to Suzuki to tell her the truth.

Kate Pinkerton asks whether she may take the child away so that he can be properly cared for. Butterfly, maintaining her dignity, replies that if Pinkerton returns to the house in half an hour, she will give him the answer. She refuses Pinkerton’s money. When the visitors have left, she dismisses Suzuki and prepares herself for a ceremonial suicide.