Madama Butterfly
Washington National Opera presents Puccini’s *Madama Butterfly* in a new immersive production. Set in early-20th-century Nagasaki, the opera follows Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha who marries American naval officer B.F. Pinkerton and builds her future around his promise, only to face abandonment, betrayal, and devastating loss.
Directed by E. Loren Meeker, the production transforms WNO’s “Revolutionary Stage” into the bustling port of Nagasaki. Period-inspired costumes, movement created with Japanese movement specialist Kanji Segawa, and scenic, lighting, projection, and sound design bring audiences close to Butterfly’s emotional journey. Korean soprano Karah Son makes her company debut in the title role, with Japanese-German conductor Erina Yashima leading Puccini’s score.
Venue: DAR Constitution Hall, 1776 D St. NW, Washington, DC 20006
When: November 7 through November 20
Showtimes: Saturday, November 7, at 7 p.m.; Friday, November 13, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, November 15, at 2 p.m.; Wednesday, November 18, at 7 p.m.; and Friday, November 20, at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $57.60–$329, including processing fees. Limited premium seats priced from $219 to $329 are available directly through Washington National Opera. All other tickets are sold through Ticketmaster. The production advises against buying from third-party sellers, which may charge excessive prices.
Language: Sung in Italian with projected English titles.
Run time: 2 hours and 40 minutes, including a 25-minute intermission.
Pre-performance talk: A talk begins one hour before each performance. A ticket to the performance is required for entry.
Special gathering: Women Who Opera and BravO Young Professionals will meet at the November 13 performance. Attendees can email the organizers for information.
Composer: Giacomo Puccini.
Librettists: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
Cast: Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San, making her WNO MainStage debut; Matthew White as Pinkerton; Will Liverman as Sharpless; Thandolwethu Mamba as an additional Sharpless cast member in the listing; Michelle Mariposa as Suzuki; Rodell Rosel as Goro; Atticus Rego as the Bonze; Lauren Carroll as Kate Pinkerton; Chandler Benn as Yamadori and Registrar; and Robert Frazier as the Imperial Commissioner. Mamba, Rego, Carroll, Benn, and Frazier are identified as Cafritz Young Artists, while Mariposa is identified as a former Cafritz Young Artist. A later cast summary identifies Mamba as the Registrar.
Creative team: Erina Yashima, conductor; E. Loren Meeker, director; Kanji Segawa, choreographer; Walt Spangler, scenic designer; Florence Klotz, original costume designer; Timm Burrow, new costumes designer; Duane Schuler, lighting designer; Alexander V. Nichols, projection designer; and Andrew Harper, sound designer. The production page also names Jessica Lang in a later choreographer credit.
Production design: The setting uses WNO’s “Revolutionary Stage” to evoke Nagasaki’s harbor and port life. The production includes period costumes, choreography influenced by Japanese movement, projections, and scenic properties built by the San Francisco Opera Scene Shop, Legacy Scenic Studios, and Cobalt Studio.
Story: In Act I, Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy leases a house overlooking Nagasaki Harbor from Goro, a marriage broker who has arranged Pinkerton’s marriage to Cio-Cio-San, known as Madama Butterfly. Butterfly explains that her once-prominent family lost its status and that she became a geisha to support herself. During the wedding ceremony, the Bonze denounces her for abandoning her ancestral religion, causing her relatives to reject her. Pinkerton comforts Butterfly after the guests leave, and the newlyweds begin their life together.
Story, Act II: Three years later, Butterfly continues waiting for Pinkerton’s return, trusting his promise that he will come back when the robins nest again. Sharpless arrives with a letter from Pinkerton, but repeated interruptions prevent him from reading it. Goro presents Prince Yamadori as a possible new husband, but Butterfly refuses because she believes her American marriage remains valid. She reveals that she and Pinkerton have a son, whom she calls Trouble, and says that without Pinkerton she would rather die than return to her former life as a geisha. When Pinkerton’s ship, the *Abraham Lincoln*, appears in the harbor, Butterfly and Suzuki fill the house with flowers and keep watch through the night for his arrival.
Story, Act III: At dawn, Suzuki urges Butterfly to rest. Sharpless arrives with Pinkerton and his new wife, Kate. Suzuki understands the truth and agrees to help tell Butterfly that Pinkerton has remarried. Pinkerton, overcome with guilt, leaves. Butterfly enters expecting to see him, but instead encounters Kate and realizes what has happened. She agrees to surrender her child on the condition that Pinkerton return for him. Alone, she takes the dagger her father used to commit suicide and reads its inscription, which says it is better to die with honor than to live without it.
Support: Major support for the production is provided by Betsy and Ed Cohen and The Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation. The production is dedicated to the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation’s benefactor in recognition of his philanthropy and support of classical music.