On Saturday, March 14 at 1 p.m., WRTI will share a live broadcast of The Metropolitan Opera's matinee production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Tune in to hear a cornerstone of the operatic canon, in a thrilling new production.
Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly had an unsuccessful premiere at La Scala on Feb. 17, 1904, meeting with criticism harsh enough that it's remembered today as a fiasco. But Puccini's subsequent rewrite, performed a couple of months later, cemented the opera as a beloved tragedy. Madama Butterfly follows the story of Cio-Cio-San, a young Japanese girl who leaves her life and family behind to marry Lieutenant Pinkerton, an American Naval officer who marries her purely out of convenience, intending to divorce her when he finds an American wife.
In a new iteration of Anthony Minghella's acclaimed production, soprano Aleksandra Kurzak stars as Cio-Cio-San, and tenor Adam Smith makes his Met broadcast debut as Lieutenant Pinkerton. The cast also features Jennifer Johnson Cano as the loyal servant Suzuki and Quinn Kelsey as the American Consul Sharpless. Maestro Carlo Rizzi conducts The Met Orchestra and Chorus.
Cast:
- Aleksandra Kurzak as Cio-Cio-San
- Adam Smith as Lieutenant Pinkerton
- Jennifer Johnson Cano as Suzuki
- Quinn Kelsey as Sharpless
Directed by Carlo Rizzi