Madama Butterfly at Esplanade Theatre

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2. Madama Butterfly

15-year-old Cio-Cio-san, otherwise known as Butterfly, has fallen in love with Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy. After secretly renouncing her ancestral religion and converting to Pinkerton’s, Butterfly marries him believing that he loves her in equal measure as she does him. Unbeknownst to her, Pinkerton regards their marriage merely as a loose contract that he can cancel at will – a temporary amusement before he finds himself a real American wife.

3 years after Pinkerton leaves her in Japan, Butterfly remains faithfully awaiting his return, refusing to yield to all the pressures surrounding her to forget him. Sharpless, the American Consul arrives with a letter from Pinkerton and Butterfly believes that her pure, steadfast love has been vindicated. Unable to bring himself to finish reading the letter to her, Sharpless asks "Butterfly, what would you do if he never returned?"

The SLO’s season-long celebration of the 88th anniversary of Puccini’s passing culminates in the highly-anticipated production of Madama Butterfly, arguably his most original completed work – a Western operatic masterpiece infused with Asian themes, characters and melodies.

Return with the SLO to Butterfly’s side, before it is too late...