Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly, by G. Puccini

Opera staged in two acts

Opera subtitled in Catalan, Spanish and English.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini is one of the most acclaimed and frequently performed opIngriarround the world. Not many operas from the usual repertoire take the breath away and move the audience like this early 20th's century masterpiece (1904). Based on the theatrical drama by David Belasco, its marvelous orchestration and melodic inspiration, truthful and at the same time exotic and extremely passionate, becomes one of the most tragic and at the same time penetrating and emotional stories of all time.

Two-hour staged version with a 15-minute intermission. Symphony orchestra integrated into the show, solo singers, choir, ballet, period costumes, lighting and unique technical set-up, taking advantage of the very special characteristics of the Concert Hall of the Palau de la Música Catalana. More than 60 artists on stage!

Synopsis

Act 1

In 1904, a U.S. naval officer named Pinkerton rents a house on a hill in Nagasaki, Japan, for himself and his soon-to-be wife, "Butterfly". Her real name is Cio-Cio-San (from the Japanese word for "butterfly" (蝶々, chōchō, pronounced [tɕoꜜːtɕoː]); -san is a plain honorific). She is a 15-year-old Japanese girl whom he is marrying for convenience, and he intends to leave her once he finds a proper American wife, since Japanese divorce laws are very lax. The wedding is to take place at the house. Butterfly had been so excited to marry an American that she had earlier secretly converted to Christianity. After the wedding ceremony, her uninvited uncle, a bonze, who has found out about her conversion, comes to the house, curses her and orders all the guests to leave, which they do while renouncing her. Pinkerton and Butterfly sing a love duet and prepare to spend their first night together.

Act 2

Three years later, Butterfly is still waiting for Pinkerton to return, as he had left shortly after their wedding. Her maid Suzuki keeps trying to convince her that he is not coming back, but Butterfly does not believe her. Goro, the marriage broker who arranged her marriage, keeps trying to marry her off again, but she does not listen to him either. The American consul, Sharpless, comes to the house with a letter which he has received from Pinkerton which asks him to break some news to Butterfly: that Pinkerton is coming back to Japan, but Sharpless cannot bring himself to finish it because Butterfly becomes very excited to hear that Pinkerton is coming back. Sharpless asks Butterfly what she would do if Pinkerton were not to return. She then reveals that she gave birth to Pinkerton's son after he had left and asks Sharpless to tell him.

From the hill house, Butterfly sees Pinkerton's ship arriving in the harbour. She and Suzuki prepare for his arrival, and then they wait. Suzuki and the child fall asleep, but Butterfly stays up all night waiting for him to arrive.

Act 3

Suzuki wakes up in the morning and Butterfly finally falls asleep. Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive at the house, along with Pinkerton's new American wife, Kate. They have come because Kate has agreed to raise the child. But, as Pinkerton sees how Butterfly has decorated the house for his return, he realizes he has made a huge mistake. He admits that he is a coward and cannot face her, leaving Suzuki, Sharpless, and Kate to break the news to Butterfly. Agreeing to give up her child if Pinkerton comes himself to see her, she then prays to statues of her ancestral gods, says goodbye to her son, and blindfolds him. She places a small American flag in his hands and goes behind a screen, stabbing herself with her father's seppuku knife. Pinkerton rushes in, but he is too late, and Butterfly dies.

Program and cast

Duration: Approximately 120 minutes - With a 15 minute break

Orquestra NovAria Filharmonia
Cor NovAria
Ballet NovAria
Adolf Gassol, conductor
Marta Finestres, choir conductor
Sergi Giménez, stage management
Sarah Zhai, international direction 
NovAria Artists, stage set up
Ben Aisit, production and communication
Núria Serra, choreography
Josep Abril, costume designer
Allegra Abril, assistant costume designer
Álvaro Duran, stage director 
Mar Lorca, assistant stage director
Imesde, lightning 
Roger Griño, characterization

Cast:
Sarah Zhai Strauss, Paola Ariza, Carolina Fajardo, Madama Butterfly
Vicenç Esteve, Sergi Giménez, Carlos Cosías, Facundo Muñoz, F. B. Pinkerton
Alberto Cazes, Néstor Pindado, Sharpless
Cristina Segura, Sophie Burns, Suzuki
José Cabrero, Jordi Casanova, Goro
Alex Chelet. Rodrigo Aguilar, Imperial Commissario
Christian Vallester, Lluís Vergés, Zio Bonzo
Carlos Lezcano, Uffiziale registro
Anastasia Apreutesii, Alexia Vázquez, Kate Pinkerton
Rodrigo Aguilar, Víctor Alonso, Zio Yakuside
Carme Gutiérrez, Zia
Eva Ribas, Cugina
Pamela Guidi, Mamma
Arlette Fernández Ribas, Madama Butterfly's son