Madama Butterfly

            The story of Cio-cio-san, the eternally faithful heroine, is one of the most wrenching (and well-known) in all of opera. A young geisha is so blinded by hope for a better life that she does not see the truth about the man she loves until it is too late. But look deeper, there is more to this story than we often see. .
             The culture conflict between the East and West is just beneath the surface. In 1900, Japan was discovering the West, both the arrogance and the promise, for the first time. During that time, hundreds of Japanese women married American servicemen and immigrated to America. Countless others suffered the cruel fate of Madama Butterfly. Soprano Paula Delligatti, replacing the previously sceduled Patricia Racette, is known for her experienced interpretation of the role of Cio-Cio-San in this production by Francesca Zambello, one of the world's most innovative directors, who has challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Beneath the lyricism of this tragic story, you will feel the wrenching grief and despair created by the bracing clash of cultures at the end of the nineteenth century.