Atlanta Opera - Madama Butterfly

The stunning classic

A classic of the repertoire, Puccini's Madama Butterfly soars into the Cobb Center this November. A staggering tale of cultures clashing when an American Naval Officer and a 15-year-old Japanese girl, Cio-Cio San, are wed after a scant love affair, its a masterpiece of longing, hope, and the ever-widening gap between the two when the Naval officer abandons his bride to return home. Reading differently when we know Cio-Cio's age, the Atlanta Opera seeks to highlight this issue in this production, directed by Tomer Zvulun.

What is the story?

The title character Madama Butterfly or, Cio-Cio San to her friends - is a young Japanese geisha who naively believes her marital arrangement with a visiting American naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage. One of the most defining and tragic roles in contemporary opera, the story looks behind the Orientalism and casual imperialism to the people affected directly by the actions of Pinkerton and his callous attitude towards his young bride, who he leaves with their child, only to return three years later with a new, American-born wife. Rather than live in shame, Cio-Cio San chooses to die with honor, committing suicide with the very same knife used by her father, but not before shielding her son's eyes first.

One of the most and stirring and tearjerking musical pieces in the opera is the iconic Humming Chorus, which takes place off-stage as Butterfly, her son, and her maid Suzuki start the long vigil through the night as they wait for Pinkerton's ship to dock at Nagasaki.