Performance: Madama Butterfly
For over a century, the tragic tale of a geisha’s love, steadfastness and heartbreak has been enchanting audiences around the world. Today, Giacomo Puccini’s soaring music continues to enrapture – no matter how many times you may have heard it. Although Madama Butterfly is best known for its exquisite arias for sopranos, the long, wondrously varied love duet that ends Act I is considered his greatest by many Puccini fans. The gorgeous melodies are tinged with foreboding, as Butterfly fears her happiness is so great that she may die of it. Kaori Sato, a well-known interpreter of Madama Butterfly, will bring joy and passion to one of opera’s most iconic roles. Carey Wong is designing the set to evoke late 19th century Nagasaki.