High-definition broadcast will be transmitted free of charge, live from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, to audiences at El Cariso Community Regional Park and at the Santa Monica Pier

(Los Angeles) July 25, 2024 — LA Opera will present a live simulcast of its opening night of Madame Butterfly for audiences at two outdoor locations. At 6pm on Saturday, September 21, 2024, LA Opera's season-opening performance of Giacomo Puccini's beloved romantic tragedy will be transmitted live in high-definition video from nine cameras at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to large LED screens at El Cariso Community Regional Park and at the Santa Monica Pier.

Music Director James Conlon will conduct a gorgeous production staged by director Mario Gas. Korean soprano Karah Son will make her LA Opera debut as Cio-Cio-San, joined by tenor Jonathan Tetelman as Pinkerton.

Through the generous support of Los Angeles County, LA Opera is able to present these simulcasts free of charge as a special gift to the community.

Madame Butterfly will mark the eleventh "Opera at the Beach" simulcast to the Santa Monica Pier. This will be the second time that LA Opera's annual live simulcast will be experienced by audiences in Sylmar, where "Opera in the Park" will take place at El Cariso Community Regional Park.

"Watching opera under the stars is a magical, uniquely LA experience. This season, I’m thrilled to see Madame Butterfly shared with even more Third District communities through simulcasts at the Santa Monica Pier and El Cariso Park in Sylmar,” said Lindsey P. Horvath, Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Third District. “Get your picnic ready and invite your friends and neighbors for this free showing on September 21. Team Horvath and LA Opera will see you there!”

Since Madame Butterfly will be sung in the opera's original Italian, the simulcasts will feature subtitles in both English and Spanish.

Although no tickets are required for entrance, guests are encouraged to sign up in advance at LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach or LAOpera.org/OperaInThePark to get important information about parking and the latest updates, and to receive a free gift at the event.

Seating at both locations is general admission. Attendees are advised to bring their own seating and to arrive early both for pre-performance picnicking and to secure the best viewing areas. There will be arts and crafts activities for families, giveaways, free popcorn and more to enjoy before the simulcast begins. Outside alcoholic beverages are not allowed. Pets are not allowed.

Opera in the Park—El Cariso Community Regional Park
For detailed information about the Sylmar simulcast, please visit LAOpera.org/OperaInThePark. The park is located at 13100 Hubbard Street, Sylmar CA 91342. Free parking is available in the park's lot.

For more information about El Cariso Community Regional Park, click here.

Opera at the Beach—Santa Monica Pier
For detailed information about the Santa Monica Pier simulcast, please visit LAOpera.org/OperaAtTheBeach. Gates will open at 4pm and there will be a beer garden. The Santa Monica Pier is located at the western terminus of Colorado Avenue. Parking information can be found at SantaMonica.com/transportation/parking. Attendees can arrive by public transit, exiting the Metro Expo Line at the downtown Santa Monica station.

For more information about the Santa Monica Pier, please visit SantaMonicaPier.org.

About the Opera
Lights, camera, action: An American officer in turn-of-the-century Japan wants a bride, and a greedy marriage broker obliges, assuring him that the union can be easily dissolved. The innocent Cio-Cio-San believes they’re in love, even as Lt. Pinkerton moves on. For three years, she fights off rising debts and new suitors, refusing to believe she’s been abandoned. But when their long-awaited reunion finally arrives, the lieutenant isn’t alone—and he isn’t here for her. End scene.

Directed by the Goya Award-winning Mario Gas, this stunning Madame Butterfly gets a cinematic twist as all the action takes place on a 1930s film set. Soprano Karah Son reprises her signature role as Puccini’s tragic heroine trying to find her way in a world dominated by men. Tenor Jonathan Tetelman portrays the callous Pinkerton, with mezzo-soprano Hyona Kim as Suzuki, Cio-Cio-San’s devoted maid who sees right past his gentlemanly facade, and baritone Michael Sumuel as Sharpless, the sympathetic American consul.

For additional information about the production, please visit LAOpera.org/Butterfly.

To download artist headshots and production photographs, click here.

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. The company also offers a multitude of online content via its LA Opera On Now digital offerings, which launched in 2020. Learn more at LAOpera.org.

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

LA Opera's production of Madame Butterfly made possible by generous support from
Andrea and Janie Pessino
Margo Leavin
The Blue Ribbon

LA Opera’s Opera at the Beach made possible by generous support from
Los Angeles County and LA County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District

LA Opera’s Opera in the Park made possible by generous support from
Los Angeles County and LA County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, Third District

LA Opera Orchestra generously underwritten by
Terri and Jerry Kohl

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