Madama Butterfly

Synopsis
Artists
Video
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A Japanese girl sacrifices her heritage for the American dream when a naval officer chooses her for his bride. Her dream is crushed by betrayal when he traps her in the very cage she wishes to escape. She seizes her destiny, and the devastating outcome lingers long after the final note.

Lee Blakeley’s acclaimed production artfully blends realism and lyricism, and is revived this season by Melanie Bacaling in her mainstage directorial debut. Conductor John Fiore leads a powerful international cast. Karen Chia-ling Ho as Cio-Cio-San, Sun-Ly Pierce as Suzuki and Ya-Chung Huang as Goro make their company debuts. Renowned tenor Stephen Costello sings B.F. Pinkerton.

Una joven japonesa sacrifica su herencia por el sueño americano cuando un oficial naval la elige como esposa. Su sueño queda hecho añicos por la traición, cuando él la encierra en la misma jaula de la que anhelaba escapar. Al asumir su destino, el devastador desenlace se quedará resonando mucho más allá de la última nota.

La aclamada producción de Lee Blakeley, que combina con gran sutileza realismo y lirismo, regresa esta temporada bajo la dirección de Melanie Bacaling, quien debuta con la compañía como directora en el escenario principal. El director John Fiore dirige a un poderoso elenco internacional: Karen Chia-ling Ho como Cio-Cio-San, Sun-Ly Pierce como Suzuki y Ya-Chung Huang como Goro, todos ellos en su debut con la compañía. El renombrado tenor Stephen Costello interpreta a B. F. Pinkerton.

Music By

Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by

Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Sung in

Italian

Instant Translation Screen

English and Spanish

Original Production By

Lee Blakeley

Production support generously provided by

The Estate of James R. Seitz, Jr.

The Estate of Suzanne Hanson Poole

The engagement of Melanie Bacaling is supported by

Susan Esco Chandler & Alfred D. Chandler

The performances of Karen Chia-ling Ho are supported by

Agnes Hsu-Tang & Oscar Tang - Tang Fund

The performances of Sun-Ly Pierce are supported by

Brooke Suzanne Gray

Run Time

Approximately 2 hours 44 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, is inspecting his new house, built on a hillside overlooking Nagasaki harbor. The marriage broker Goro has arranged for the house and for Pinkerton’s marriage to the geisha Cio-Cio-San, who is also known as Madama Butterfly. Sharpless, the American consul, arrives for the ceremony and warns Pinkerton that Butterfly is taking the marriage very seriously; Pinkerton himself considers it something of a lark, although he is enchanted with Butterfly. She arrives with her friends and tells Pinkerton that she has renounced her religion for his sake. When Butterfly’s relatives arrive, ‘the wedding ceremony begins, but it is interrupted by her uncle, the Bonze, who curses her for having abandoned her religion. The family members deport, leaving Butterfly alone with Pinkerton. As night descends, they sing of their love and slowly enter their new house.

Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, teniente de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, inspecciona su nueva casa, construida en una colina con vistas al puerto de Nagasaki. El casamentero Goro ha arreglado tanto la casa como el matrimonio de Pinkerton con la geisha Cio-Cio-San, también conocida como Madama Butterfly. El cónsul estadounidense Sharpless llega para la ceremonia y advierte a Pinkerton de que Butterfly es una mujer que se toma el matrimonio muy en serio; Pinkerton, en cambio, lo considera una especie de diversión, aunque está encantado con Butterfly. Ella llega con sus amigas y le comunica que ha renunciado a su religión por él. Cuando llegan los familiares de Butterfly comienza la ceremonia nupcial, que se ve interrumpida por su tío el Bonzo, quien la maldice por haber abandonado su fe. Los familiares se marchan dejando a Butterfly sola con Pinkerton. Al caer la noche, éstos cantan a su amor y entran lentamente en su nueva casa.

Act II

Scene 1. Three years have passed. Pinkerton deported long ago and Suzuki, Butterfly’s maid, implores Butterfly to forget her American husband, but she refuses, having faith in Pinkerton’s promise to return. Sharpless and Goro try to persuade Butterfly to marry the wealthy Prince Yamadori, without success. Sharpless starts to read a letter from Pinkerton, which suggests that he may never return, but Butterfly rejects the implication and shows Sharpless her son, Trouble, who was fathered by Pinkerton before his departure. The harbor cannon fires to announce the arrival of a foreign vessel, which Butterfly recognizes as the Abraham Lincoln, Pinkerton’s ship. She and Suzuki strew flowers throughout the house; she dons her wedding gown and, with Suzuki and Trouble, awaits the arrival of her husband as the sun begins to set.

Scene 2. Butterfly has maintained her vigil the entire night. As dawn breaks, Suzuki persuades her to rest. Sharpless and Pinkerton arrive, and Suzuki soon discovers that the woman with them is Pinkerton’s wife, Kate. Sharpless tells Suzuki that they want to ensure a good American upbringing for Trouble and he then reproaches Pinkerton for his heartlessness. Pinkerton bids on anguished farewell to the site of his post happiness and leaves, unable to face his Japanese bride. Butterfly enters and, after the situation is explained to her, agrees to give up the child if Pinkerton will return in 30 minutes. She bids a last farewell to her son, then takes up the dagger with which her father committed hara-kiri. She stabs herself, just as Pinkerton is arriving for his son.

Escena primera. Han pasado tres años. Pinkerton se marchó hace mucho tiempo y Suzuki, la criada de Butterfly, le ruega a ésta que olvide a su marido americano. Ella se niega, confiando en la promesa de regresar que Pinkerton le hizo. Sharpless y Goro intentan persuadirla, sin éxito, para que se case con el rico príncipe Yamadori. Sharpless empieza a leer una carta de Pinkerton en la que sugiere que quizá nunca vuelva pero Butterfly rechaza esa idea y le muestra a Sharpless a su hijo Trouble, engendrado por Pinkerton antes de su partida. Un cañonazo en el puerto anuncia la llegada de un barco extranjero que Butterfly reconoce como el Abraham Lincoln, el navío de Pinkerton. Ella y Suzuki cubren la casa de flores; Butterfly se pone su vestido de novia y, junto a Suzuki y Trouble, espera la llegada de su marido mientras el sol se pone.

Escena segunda. Butterfly ha pasado toda la noche en vela. Al amanecer, Suzuki la convence de que descanse. Llegan Sharpless y Pinkerton, y Suzuki descubre que la mujer que los acompaña es Kate, la esposa de Pinkerton. Sharpless explica a Suzuki que desean asegurar a Trouble una buena educación americana y reprende a Pinkerton por su falta de corazón. Pinkerton se despide con angustia del lugar que tanta felicidad le dio y se marcha incapaz de enfrentarse a su esposa japonesa. Entra Butterfly y, tras explicársele la situación, acepta entregar al niño si Pinkerton regresa en treinta minutos. Se despide por última vez de su hijo y toma la daga con la que su propio padre se hizo el hara-kiri. Se apuñala justo cuando Pinkerton regresa por su hijo.