Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe GiacosA new BLO production
Emerson Colonial Theatre
Thursday, September 14, 2023 | 7:30PM
Sunday, September 17, 2023 | 3PM
Friday, September 22, 2023 | 7:30PM
Sunday, September 24, 2023 | 3PM
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
SUBSCRIBE NOW: blo.org/butterfly
Against the backdrop of Puccini’s lush and sweeping score, "Madama Butterfly" unfolds in 1940s America under the shadow of World War II. In a brand-new production from Boston Lyric Opera, the audience will journey through the nightlife of San Francisco on the eve of Pearl Harbor through the story of Butterfly, a nightclub performer contributing to the war effort; and Pinkerton, a young soldier, on the verge of his deployment. A culmination of BLO’s three-year exploration of authentic storytelling through "The Butterfly Process " this production examines the experience of g a critical moment in U.S. history.
TROY COOK TROY COOK
NINAYOSHIDANELSEN NINAYOSHIDANELSEN BLOARTISTICADVISOR&DRAMATURG
BLOARTISTICADVISOR&DRAMATURG
PHILCHAN PHILCHAN
DAVIDANGUS DAVIDANGUS STAGEDIRECTOR STAGEDIRECTOR CONDUCTOR CONDUCTOR
YUSHIBAGAKI YUSHIBAGAKI SETDESIGNER SETDESIGNER COSTUMEDESIGNER COSTUMEDESIGNER SARARYUNGCLEMENT SARARYUNGCLEMENT
JEANETTEOI-SUKYEW JEANETTEOI-SUKYEW LIGHTINGDESIGNER LIGHTINGDESIGNER
MICHAELSAKAMOTO MICHAELSAKAMOTO CHOREOGRAPHER CHOREOGRAPHER
Spurred by a postponed production of Puccini’s "Madam Lyric Opera’s 2020/21 Season, BLO began conversation artists, staff, and community members. The goal was to and legacy of this opera in light of heightened racism tow
"The Butterfly Process" is part of BLO’s commitment to with its artists and for its audiences that informs a new a operas of the traditional canon today
"The goal here is for everyone to participate in an art form that hasn’t traditionally been inclusive, and to strengthen our communities and audiences through the music and stories we present. I believe we can do it by engaging with and listening to people of many backgrounds and life experiences and incorporating that into our work.” –Bradley Vernatter, “Saying Yes to Puccini, but No to His Stereotypes” (The New York Times)
"Madama Butterfly" is loved by audiences and remains an essential part of the traditional repertoire. But the opera ’ s history has a reputation for portraying inaccurate, harmful representations of Japanese culture, contributing to stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans. BLO engaged with artists, board members, community leaders, organizations, and preeminent scholars to discuss "Madama Butterfly," particularly in the areas of cultural appropriation, race, and gender stereotypes and the wide-ranging impact of this opera on Asian artists.
This became known as "The Butterfly Process," BLO's commitment to unpacking the layers of this story and the historical context of the work, aiming to confront the racist elements of its legacy and create space for meaningful engagement about future productions.
For more information, visit blo.org/butterfly-process
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In this new production, Butterfly works as a singer in a nightclub while contributing to the war effort. This version of her character is inspired by historical individuals like Dorothy Toy (1917-2019), a famed Japanese-American dancer who presented publicly as Chinese American due to growing anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States.
In Act I, Pinkerton, a young soldier, wanders into Butterfly's club on the eve of his deployment. The atmosphere is joyful, celebratory, a last golden moment set apart from the harsh realities of war. As part of the nightclub’s regular act, one audience member and one of the performers are chosen to “ marry ” in a staged ceremony. This is how Butterfly and Pinkerton meet, and their connection blossoms into real-life love. Act II takes the audience to a starkly different environment, opening on an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans, where Butterfly now fi d h lf li i ith h child, waiting
Phil Chan, author of "Final Bow for Yellowface" and facilitator of "The Butterfly Process," joins us as the stage director for this production. BLO is proud to participate in and contribute to his ongoing project to remove harmful stereotypes of Asians and Asian Americans from the conventions of classical performance traditions, and to reclaim beautiful artworks for our diverse, multicultural society. Additionally, several artists who were part of "The Butterfly Process" and the "B." film series join us on the creative team, including Nina Yoshida Nelsen (BLO artistic advisor & dramaturg) and Michael Sakamoto (choreographer).
Over this past season, BLO has begun developing connections with Boston-area AAPI-centered organizations, with especially close connection to the Japan Society of Boston (JSB) and the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) to support and build enthusiasm not only for this upcoming production but also for authentic, long-term relationships with the greater AAPI community of Boston. Both the JSB and JACL have been enthusiastic in their support for BLO’s work in "The Butterfly Process" and the concept development for this upcoming production We were delighted to welcome members from both the JSB and JACL to our May 2023 Opera Night at the Boston Public Library, as well as Consul General of Japan in Boston Suzuki Kotaro These partnerships are continuing to grow, both specifically to this production and beyond.
