MADAMA BUTTERFLY Will Come to Princeton Festival

Opera at the annual Princeton Festival draws both veteran artists and relative newcomers to the Festival stage at Morven Museum & Garden. Prior to performing the title role of Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly) in this year's June 12 & 14 production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, soprano Toni Marie Palmertree sang the role at the Metropolitan Opera. She performed the title role of Floria Tosca at the Festival last year. Playing opposite Palmertree for the second consecutive year, Victor Starsky returns to the performance pavilion to perform the role of Lt. Pinkerton. 7-year-old Troy Jones makes his Festival debut as Cio-Cio-San's son, Dolore (Trouble).

Returning to stage direct Giacomo Puccini's tragic opera of love and betrayal is Eve Summer (2025 Tosca). She is teaming up with Scenic Designer Blair Mielnik (2023 The Barber of Seville, 2024 Così fan tutte) and Costume Designer Neil Fortin to bring Festival attendees a stunning all-new production of Madama Butterfly. Inspired by early 20th-century Japanese woodcuts, with American references in the costuming, the look will be thematic and uniquely eye-catching. The libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa will be sung in Italian with English titles.

Cast members include Festival veterans Nicholas Nestorak (Scalia/Ginsburg, Tosca) as Goro and Jacob Hanes (Tosca) as Yamadori, Kayla Nanto as Suzuki, Joel Balzun as Sharpless, Nan Wang as Bonze, and Brenna Markey as Kate Pinkerton. Rossen Milanov conducts Puccini's lush score, performed by the Princeton Symphony Orchestra.

Toni Marie Palmertree made her house debut in the role of Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) at the Metropolitan Opera in March. "The Met gave her a single chance to stake her claim as Butterfly, and she smashed it" (Seen and Heard). She has become recognized as one of America's most riveting performers of Puccini and Verdi heroines, and recently appeared on the stage of San Francisco Opera in the title role of Madama Butterfly. Other roles at San Francisco Opera include Nedda in I Pagliacci and Liù in Turandot. Engagements for the 2025-2026 season included a recital for Gradus ad Parnassum, a Valentine's Day Concert with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, a return to OperaDelaware for a role debut of Maddalena in Andrea Chénier, and soprano soloist in Beethoven's Ninth with the Seattle Symphony.

Tenor Victor Starsky received critical acclaim this season for his performance as Manrico in Sarasota Opera's production of Verdi's Il Trovatore. He made his role debut as Dick Johnson in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West with Wichita Grand Opera, and performed as tenor soloist in the Wichita Symphony's performance of Verdi's Requiem. Mr. Starsky returns to the Princeton Festival, where he is honored to sing alongside world-class soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, followed by the role of Lt. B. F. Pinkerton in their production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. In 2026-27, Starsky will make his European debut singing his first Calaf in Scottish Opera's production of Turandot, and returns to Sarasota Opera to debut the role of Števa in Janáček's Jenůfa. In 2025, Starsky sang the role of Enzo in Ponchielli's La Gioconda with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Mario Cavaradossi in Princeton Festival's production of Tosca, and the title character in Verdi's Stiffelio with Sarasota Opera.

Troy Jones (Trouble) brings energy and enthusiasm to the stage. He made his debut as Francis the Mouse in American Repertory Ballet's production of Cinderella. A student at Princeton Ballet School, Troy loves performing and continues to build his skills. He is bilingual in English and Mandarin. Outside of ballet, he practices figure skating and enjoys reading about dinosaurs, wrestling with friends, and imagining adventurous stories.