Music Director James Conlon conducts a production starring Karah Son and Jonathan Tetelman, set on a 1930s Hollywood soundstage

(Los Angeles) August 22, 2024 — From September 21 through October 13, LA Opera will present one of the most beloved operas of all: Giacomo Puccini's heartbreaking Madame Butterfly, conducted by Music Director James Conlon. The new-to-Los Angeles production—originally staged by Spanish-Uruguayn director Mario Gas for the Teatro Real in Madrid—features a Hollywood twist: it's reimagined as taking place at a 1930s film studio, with the opera performance captured by onstage camera operators and projected onto screens hanging above the stage.

"One of the most gratifying aspects of being an opera lover is witnessing the manner in which successive generations of opera artists imbue a work with their own indelible theatrical and musical signatures," said Christopher Koelsch, LA Opera's president and CEO. "While this production created by director Mario Gas originated in Madrid, I think that this production's Hollywood soundstage setting will have particular resonance here, in the epicenter of cinema."

About Madame Butterfly
An American naval officer in turn-of-the-century Japan wants a bride, and an opportunistic marriage broker obliges, assuring him that the union can be easily dissolved later. A few years afterward, he has taken to the seas and she is left to raise a child on her own, fighting off rising debts and new suitors as she awaits her husband's return. But when their reunion finally arrives, the lieutenant isn’t alone—and he isn’t here for her.

Puccini's enduring masterpiece, which premiered in Milan in 1904, has become one of the most popular of all operas. It is LA Opera's most frequently performed work; the company has produced Madame Butterfly in ten previous seasons.

LA Opera acknowledges that many works included in the operatic canon depict racial and gender stereotypes, and Madame Butterfly portrays inaccurate representations of Asian culture. This presentation is produced in consultation with the Asian Opera Alliance, which encourages companies to continue to produce these works with care and appropriate input to examine, acknowledge and mitigate potential harm.

Meet the Cast
The cast is led by two magnificent artists making their first Los Angeles appearances: soprano Karah Son as Cio-Cio-San and tenor Jonathan Tetelman as Pinkerton.

Mezzo-soprano Hyona Kim makes her LAO debut as Suzuki, and baritone Michael Sumuel appears as Sharpless, returning to the company after his 2022 performances in Bach's St. Matthew Passion.

Tenor Rodell Aure Rosel is Goro, reprising a role he performed here in 2012, and bass Wei Wu, who made his 2022 company debut as Angelotti in Tosca, appears as the Bonze. Three members of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program will make their first company appearances in the production: soprano Gabrielle Turgeon as Kate Pinkerton, baritone Hyungjin Son as Prince Yamadori, and bass-baritone Vinícius Costa as the Imperial Commissioner. A former member of that program, baritone Ryan Wolfe, returns as the Official Registrar.

The Creative Team
Music Director James Conlon commences his 19th season with LA Opera by conducting a work he has led at major opera houses around the world. He previously conducted Madame Butterfly in Los Angeles in 2008 and 2016. The production, created by director Mario Gas, will be staged in Los Angeles by associate director Brenna Corner, who made her LAO debut as the associate director of Lucia di Lammermoor in 2022. The scenery was designed by Ezio Frigerio and the costumes were designed by Franca Squarciapino. Pablo Santiago is the revival lighting designer; the original production had lighting design by Vinicio Cheli. The director of the LA Opera Chorus is Jeremy Frank and the intimacy director is Sara E. Widzer.

Click here to download production photos and artist headshots.

Performance Dates, Times and Address
There will be six performances of Madame Butterfly presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012:

• Saturday, September 21, 2024, at 6pm (note early curtain time for opening night)
• Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, September 29, 2024, at 2pm
• Saturday, October 5, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at 7:30pm
• Sunday, October 13, 2024, at 2pm

Tickets
Tickets begin at $37.50 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online at LAOpera.org, by phone at 213.972.8001, or in person at the LA Opera box office at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012). For disability access, call 213.972.0777 or email LAOpera@LAOpera.org.

More information about the production is available at LAOpera.org/Butterfly.

Madame Butterfly is sung in Italian with an English translation projected above the stage.

September 21 Simulcast
Through the generous support of Los Angeles County and LA County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District, LA Opera will present a live, high-definition video simulcast of the opening night of Madame Butterfly, free of charge as a special gift to the community. Audiences can enjoy the simulcast at either of two outdoor locations: the Santa Monica Pier and El Cariso Community Regional Park in Sylmar.

Visit LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach or LAOpera.org/OperaInThePark to learn more.

About LA Opera
Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be. Through imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions, and inventive performances that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling, LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies.

In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the LA Opera Off Grand initiative, featuring performances in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. The LA Opera Connects initiative offers a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings that reaches people throughout every corner of Los Angeles County. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

LA Opera Media Contact
Marlene Meraz
Director of Communications
mmeraz@laopera.org
213.972.7554

Production made possible by generous support from
Andrea and Janie Pessino
Alfred and Claude Mann Fund
Chris and Dick Newman
Margo Leavin
The Blue Ribbon

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

LA Opera is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the greater Los Angeles community.