Madama Butterfly
Co-production among Calgary Opera, Arizona Opera & Opera Grand Rapids
Scenic Design: Chika Shimizu
Costume Design: Mariko Ohigashi
Lighting Design: Marie Yokoyama
Japanese Culture and Movement Consultant: Asuka Morinaga Derfler
Calgary Opera Nov 2025
Conductor: Jonathan Brandani
Cio-Cio-San: Yasko Sato • Pinkerton: Matthew White • Suzuki: Nina Yoshida Nelsen • Sharpless: Phillip Addis • Goro: Julius Ahn • Bonzo: Stephano Park
Arizona Opera Jan 2026
Conductor: Kelly Kuo
Cio-Cio-San: Karen Chia-Ling Ho • Pinkerton: Terrence Chin-Loy • Suzuki: Alice Chung • Sharpless: Alexander Birch Elliott • Goro: Sam Krausz • Bonzo: Wanchun Liang
Opera Grand Rapids April 2026
Conductor: Judith Yan
Cio-Cio-San: Karen Vuong • Pinkerton: Eric Taylor • Suzuki: Sophia Maekawa • Sharpless: Seungyeon Kim • Goro: Taka Komagata • Bonzo: Robert Feng
Directorial Concept:
Building on the acclaim of previous stagings at Virginia Opera, Florentine Opera, Kentucky Opera, and Vancouver Opera, this is a seminal new interpretation of Madama Butterfly in a major co-production for Calgary Opera, Arizona Opera, and Opera Grand Rapids in 25 -26 season. Reframing Puccini’s masterpiece within the complex historical canvas of Allied-occupied Post-WWII Japan, Zhou’s concept excavates the untold cross-cultural dynamics and personal cost of this tumultuous era. To ground this vision in unflinching authenticity, the landmark production unites an all-female, first-generation Japanese creative team, each bearing direct, familial ties to this crucial chapter of history, to deliver an artistically transformative and deeply personal theatrical experience.
