Madama Butterfly
Puccini
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.
Opera in three acts
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Music Giacomo Puccini
Libretto Illica & Giacosa, based on the short story by John Luther Long and the play by David Belasco
First performance 17 February 1904, La Scala, Milan
UK première 10 July 1905, Covent Garden
Cast & Creatives
CIO-CIO-SAN, Madama Butterfly ∙ HYE-YOUN LEE
SUZUKI, her maid ∙ KITTY WHATELY
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