Madame Butterfly 2018

Synopsis
Artists

Love and Sacrifice Under the Stars…

A young Japanese woman in love with an American soldier discards her heritage and adopts the traditions of her new husband. Witness Madame Butterfly’s journey from child bride to strong young mother and her ultimate return to her culture’s code of honor.

Music by

Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by

Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Act I

Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the Unites States Navy, is inspecting his new house, built on a hillside overlooking Nagasaki harbor. The marriage broker Goro has arranged for the house and for Pinkerton’s marriage to the geisha Cio-Cio-San, who is also known as Madame Butterfly. Sharpless, the American consul, arrives for the ceremony and warns Pinkerton that Butterfly is taking the marriage very seriously; Pinkerton himself considers it something of a lark, although he is enchanted with Butterfly. She arrives with her friends and tells Pinkerton that she has renounced her religion for his sake. When Butterfly’s relatives arrive, the wedding ceremony begins, but it is interrupted by her uncle, the Bonze, who curses her for having abandoned her religion. The family members depart, leaving Butterfly alone with Pinkerton. As night descends, they sing of their love and slowly enter their new house.

Act II

Scene 1. Three years have passed. Pinkerton departed long ago and Suzuki, Butterfly’s maid, implores Butterfly to forget her American husband, but she refuses, having faith in Pinkterton‘s promise to return. Sharpless and Goro try to persuade Butterfly to marry the wealthy Prince Yamadori, without success. Sharpless starts to read a letter from Pinkerton, which suggest that he may never return, but Butterfly rejects the implication and shows Sharpless her son, Trouble, who was fathered by Pinkerton before his departure. The harbor cannon fires to announce the arrival of a foreign vessel, which Butterfly recognizes as the Abraham Lincoln, Pinkerton’s ship. She and Suzuki strew flowers throughout the house; she dons her wedding gown and, with Suzuki and Trouble, awaits the arrival of her husband as the sun begins to set.

Scene 2. Butterfly has maintained her vigil the entire night. As dawn breaks, Suzuki persuades her to rest. Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive, and Suzuki soon discovers that the woman with them is Pinkerton’s wife, Kate. Sharpless tells Suzuki that they want to ensure a good American upbringing for Trouble and he then reproaches Pinkerton for his heartlessness. Pinkerton bids an anguished farewell to the site of his past happiness and leaves, unable to face his Japanese bride. Butterfly enters and, after the situation is explained to her, agrees to give up the child if Pinkerton will return in 30 minutes. She bids a last farewell to her son, then takes up the dagger with which her father committed hara-kiri. She stabs herself, just as Pinkerton is arriving for his son.

Synopsis

Act I

Act II

Artists

Kelly Kaduce

Kelly Kaduce

Ana María Martínez

Ana María Martínez

A.J. Glueckert

A.J. Glueckert

Joshua Guerrero

Joshua Guerrero

Megan Marino

Megan Marino

Nicholas Pallesen

Nicholas Pallesen

Matthew DiBattista

Matthew DiBattista

Soloman Howard

Soloman Howard

Sylvia D'Eramo

Sylvia D'Eramo

Kaitlyn McMonigle

Kaitlyn McMonigle

Benjamin Taylor

Benjamin Taylor

Meryl Dominguez

Meryl Dominguez

Erik van Heyningen

Erik van Heyningen

Colin Ramsey

Colin Ramsey

Kenneth Stavert

Kenneth Stavert

Hannah Hagerty

Hannah Hagerty

John Fiore

John Fiore

Matthew Ozawa

Matthew Ozawa

Jean-Marc Puissant

Jean-Marc Puissant

Brigitte Reiffenstuel

Brigitte Reiffenstuel

Rick Fisher

Rick Fisher

Nicola Bowie

Nicola Bowie

Susanne Sheston

Susanne Sheston

Lee Blakeley

Lee Blakeley

Madame Butterfly 2018