Madama Butterfly at Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House

Fire. Water. Beauty. Darkness. When love is lost, what is left behind?

Cio-Cio-San is a woman who dreams of a bigger life. Pinkerton is a man who sees only a butterfly, something he can capture and keep. His callous pursuit ripples into sweeping tragedy.

Puccini’s eternally popular Madama Butterfly is a profoundly moving experience. The yearning score soars to incredible heights (Cio-Cio-San’s dazzling ‘Un bel di’) and offers moments of exquisite stillness (the ‘Humming Chorus’).

Moffatt Oxenbould’s award-winning production is timeless. Tiny candles glimmer among floating flowers in a real onstage moat. Sliding paper panels reveal and conceal the secrets everyone is keeping. Sumptuous, colourful costumes are inspired by Japanese traditional dress. It’s a serene, stunning backdrop for the unfolding emotional turmoil.

Extraordinary singers draw every ounce of emotion out of the passionate score, led by conductors Andrea Battistoni, Erina Yashima and Paul Fitzsimon. Four emerging international stars make their Australian debuts. Sopranos Guanqun Yu and Vittoria Yeo have performed all over Europe and America and now share the role of Cio-Cio-San at the Sydney Opera House along with Australian star Olivia Cranwell. La Scala-trained tenor Oreste Cosimo and versatile young American tenor Robert Watson sing the role of Pinkerton.

This is a must-see production of a must-see opera (back by popular demand) featuring must-see singers — a bucket list performance you’ll remember forever.