MADAME BUTTERFLY Will Debut with Opera Orlando Behind-the-Scenes Events
Conductor Kalena Bovell will lead masterclass with Opera Orlando Studio Artists and Apprentice Artists.
Opera Orlando is offering three behind-the-scenes events ahead of its new production of Giacomo Puccini's Madame Butterfly, kicking off the season October 2, 3, and 4 in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Opera audiences and fans will have three opportunities to get immersed in the production before opening night through its More of the MainStage series.
'We wanted to get this right,' says Melody Chang, Opera Orlando's marketing director and production consultant on Madame Butterfly. 'Movement consultant Chiaki Yasukawa, formerly of the Orlando Ballet, and costume consultant Satomi Hirano have been in the room with our production team for months, long before the cast even arrives. Asian culture has been represented through opera for over a century, and we wanted our audience to see the work that goes into doing it thoughtfully — the research, the conversations, the choices — not just the finished production.'
Puccini's beloved Madame Butterfly features soprano Yeawon Jun in the title role, tenor Isaac Hurtado as Lt. Pinkerton, mezzo-soprano Yoojin Lee as Suzuki, tenor Brad Bickhardt as the matchmaker Goro, bass Zaikuan Song as Bonzo, and Opera Orlando general director and Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Preisser as Sharpless, the American consul.
Step into the heartbreakingly beautiful world of Madame Butterfly with the following More of the MainStage events:
MASTERCLASS WITH THE MAESTRA
Friday / September 18, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
Opera Orlando Rehearsal Studio
3855 St. Valentine Way / Orlando, FL 32811
FREE event. RSVP: tickets@operaorlando.org.
Conductor Kalena Bovell — the 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient and the first Black woman to conduct an opera in Canada — will discuss Madame Butterfly and work one-on-one with members of the Apprentice and Studio Artists programs in a masterclass setting.
SHOP HAPPY HOUR
Tuesday / September 22, 2026 at 6 p.m.
Opera Orlando Scenic Studio
3438 Maggie Boulevard / Orlando, FL 32811
Tickets are $10. Purchase tickets HERE.
Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Madame Butterfly in progress at the Opera's scenic studio. Learn more about the design and build process for opera, and see original sets and costumes under construction. The Company's technical director Ardean Landuis will lead the tour featuring an original set design by Grant Preisser. Costume Designer Jen J. Madison will be on hand to show off kimonos and other looks for the production designed and curated in collaboration with costume consultant Satomi Hirano.
OPERAX: FLIGHTS OF PUCCINI
Sunday / September 27, 2026 at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Judson's Live / Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
445 S Magnolia Ave / Orlando, FL 32801
Tickets start at $35 per show. Purchase tickets HERE.
Settle in for an evening of Puccini's greatest hits — from 'Chi il bel sogno…' to 'Nessun dorma…' — plus selections from Madame Butterfly, paired with your favorite cocktail and small bites. The cast and creative team for Madame Butterfly will be in attendance, performing selections from the upcoming production, with Grant Preisser, Opera Orlando's artistic director and Madame Butterfly's scenic designer, as your host, and Nathan Cicero on piano. The evening serves up a tasting flight of arias alongside a close-up look at the design and drama behind one of the most beloved operas in the repertoire.
OPERA ON THE MAINSTAGE
Madame Butterfly
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts / Steinmetz Hall
TOUR DATES
- Friday / October 2, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday / October 3, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. [ADDED PERFORMANCE THIS SEASON!]
- Sunday / October 4, 2026 at 2 p.m.
Sung in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles.
Approximate run-time of two hours and forty minutes inclusive of one intermission
Opera Orlando invites you to experience the enduring story of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, as young Cio-Cio San navigates an impossible intersection of imperialism, infatuation, and maternal instinct. Enjoy Puccini's glorious music in the world-renowned Steinmetz Hall with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in the pit. Conductor Kalena Bovell and stage director Rebecca A. Herman make their Company debuts with an international cast on stage featuring Opera Orlando Apprentice and Studio Artists, Chorus, and Youth Company.
TICKETS
Individual tickets for Madame Butterfly start at $40 (all fees included) and are on sale now exclusively through the Dr. Phillips Center's Bill & Mary Darden Box Office, online at DrPhillipsCenter.org, or by calling (407) 358-6603. Better yet, make it a subscription! Three- and four-show packages including Madame Butterfly are also available through Dr. Phillips Center. Subscribers can save up to $150 with a season subscription.
