Madame Butterfly at LA Opera

Lights, camera, action: An American officer in turn-of-the-century Japan wants a bride, and a greedy marriage broker obliges, assuring him that the union can be easily dissolved. The innocent Cio-Cio-San believes they’re in love, even as Lt. Pinkerton moves on. For three years, she fights off rising debts and new suitors, refusing to believe she’s been abandoned. But when their long-awaited reunion finally arrives, the lieutenant isn’t alone—and he isn’t here for her. End scene.

Directed by the Goya Award-winning Mario Gas, this stunning Madame Butterfly gets a cinematic twist as all the action takes place on a 1930s film set. Korean soprano Karah Son reprises her signature role as Puccini’s tragic heroine trying to find her way in a world dominated by men. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman is the callous Pinkerton, with Hyona Kim as Suzuki, Cio-Cio-San’s devoted maid who sees right past his gentlemanly facade, and Michael Sumuel as Sharpless, the sympathetic American consul. James Conlon, "the most accomplished music director currently working on the podium of an American opera house" (Opera News), opens the season conducting Puccini's poignant and unforgettable score.

Buy your tickets online at https://www.laopera.org/butterfly