Madame Butterfly

In this new production of Madame Butterfly, director Aria Umezawa constructs – and deconstructs – Puccini's fantasy of Japan, infusing the typical Westernized portrayal with Japanese history, culture, and artistry, while giving Cio-Cio-San a new sense of agency over her own story. Karen Chia-ling Ho and Anthony Ciaramitaro bring the achingly beautiful score to life as the young geisha Cio-Cio-San and U.S. Navy Lt. Pinkerton. Anthony Clark Evans, who impressed in the title role of Rigoletto, returns as Sharpless, with mezzo Kristen Choi (The Raven) as Suzuki and tenor Julius Ahn as Goro.