Madison Opera presents "Madama Butterfly"
Madison Opera opens its expanded 2008-09 Season with Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on Friday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. and
Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall. Beloved by opera audiences of the last 100 years, Puccini’s tragic masterpiece tells the
story of a young geisha and an American navy lieutenant’s misbegotten love in early 20th century Japan.
The beautiful Madison Opera production features visually spectacular sets, costumes, video animation and projections designed by
internationally renowned Japanese ceramic artist Jun Kaneko. The Wall Street Journal calls Mr. Kaneko’s Madama Butterfly a “vibrantly
visual experience of the opera, at the same time modern and timeless.” American soprano Maria Kanyova will star as Cio-Cio San, a role
she has won accolades for around the nation, and the young Italian Maestro Leonardo Vordoni will guide the cast in his American debut.
Tickets range from $16 to $109 and may be purchased online at MadisonOpera.org, at the Overture Center Box Office on State Street, and
by phone at (608) 258-4141. Student discounts and group rates are available.
For an enhanced operatic experience, audiences can attend Opera Up Close: The Madama Butterfly Preview at the Madison Museum
of Contemporary Art on Sunday, Nov. 16, 4 – 6 p.m. General admission is $20. Additionally, all performances feature a free, Pre-Opera
Talk by General Director Allan Naplan one hour prior to curtain.
Madison audiences should not miss the opportunity to experience this fresh take on one of the last century’s most enduring artistic
accomplishments!
About Jun Kaneko
Ceramic artist and stage designer Jun Kaneko was born in Nagoya, Japan, where he studied painting during his high school years
with Satoshi Ogawa. He came to the US in 1963 to continue his studies at the Chouinard Institute of Art in Los Angeles, where his
introduction to Fred Marer shifted his focus to ceramics. In California, he worked with the leaders of what is now referred to as the
contemporary ceramics movement. Kaneko has taught at the nation’s leading design schools, including Scripps College and the Rhode
Island School of Design. He established a studio in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1990, where he primarily works today. Kaneko has produced
sculptures for experimental studios around the world, and his work is regularly displayed in international exhibitions. During the summer
of 2008, his large “Head” sculptures were displayed along Park Avenue in New York City. Madama Butterfly is Kaneko’s first design for the
stage, and he recently opened KANEKO, a non-profit scholarly and presenting organization for exploring creativity in diverse fields.
Opera Synopsis
Puccini’s libretto for Madama Butterfly was written by Giussepe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. The work premiered in 1904 in Milan and was
based in part on John Luther Long’s short story “Madame Butterfly” and David Belasco’s play of the same title.
Act I opens with American Navy Lt. Pinkerton in Nagasaki, Japan, where he is about to acquire a geisha wife, Cio-Cio San, who is
known as Madama Butterfly. The American consul Sharpless warns Pinkerton that his new wife may take her vows more seriously than
he, but he remains carefree. At the wedding ceremony’s close, Butterfly’s family banishes her for taking Pinkerton’s Christian faith. The
guests are sent away, and Pinkerton and Cio-Cio San sing of their love. Act II starts three years later, with Cio-Cio San waiting and praying
for Pinkerton’s return. He left after their wedding night and without his knowing, she has given birth to their son. Butterfly stubbornly
refuses any suitors brought to her, so confident is she in Pinkerton’s devotion. She soon discovers his ship in the harbor and is elated,
convinced he has returned for her. In Act III, Pinkerton arrives at Cio-Cio San’s house with his new American wife, Kate. Realizing the
situation, she chooses to die with honor and commits suicide.
Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall. Beloved by opera audiences of the last 100 years, Puccini’s tragic masterpiece tells the
story of a young geisha and an American navy lieutenant’s misbegotten love in early 20th century Japan.
The beautiful Madison Opera production features visually spectacular sets, costumes, video animation and projections designed by
internationally renowned Japanese ceramic artist Jun Kaneko. The Wall Street Journal calls Mr. Kaneko’s Madama Butterfly a “vibrantly
visual experience of the opera, at the same time modern and timeless.” American soprano Maria Kanyova will star as Cio-Cio San, a role
she has won accolades for around the nation, and the young Italian Maestro Leonardo Vordoni will guide the cast in his American debut.
Tickets range from $16 to $109 and may be purchased online at MadisonOpera.org, at the Overture Center Box Office on State Street, and
by phone at (608) 258-4141. Student discounts and group rates are available.
For an enhanced operatic experience, audiences can attend Opera Up Close: The Madama Butterfly Preview at the Madison Museum
of Contemporary Art on Sunday, Nov. 16, 4 – 6 p.m. General admission is $20. Additionally, all performances feature a free, Pre-Opera
Talk by General Director Allan Naplan one hour prior to curtain.
Madison audiences should not miss the opportunity to experience this fresh take on one of the last century’s most enduring artistic
accomplishments!
About Jun Kaneko
Ceramic artist and stage designer Jun Kaneko was born in Nagoya, Japan, where he studied painting during his high school years
with Satoshi Ogawa. He came to the US in 1963 to continue his studies at the Chouinard Institute of Art in Los Angeles, where his
introduction to Fred Marer shifted his focus to ceramics. In California, he worked with the leaders of what is now referred to as the
contemporary ceramics movement. Kaneko has taught at the nation’s leading design schools, including Scripps College and the Rhode
Island School of Design. He established a studio in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1990, where he primarily works today. Kaneko has produced
sculptures for experimental studios around the world, and his work is regularly displayed in international exhibitions. During the summer
of 2008, his large “Head” sculptures were displayed along Park Avenue in New York City. Madama Butterfly is Kaneko’s first design for the
stage, and he recently opened KANEKO, a non-profit scholarly and presenting organization for exploring creativity in diverse fields.
Opera Synopsis
Puccini’s libretto for Madama Butterfly was written by Giussepe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. The work premiered in 1904 in Milan and was
based in part on John Luther Long’s short story “Madame Butterfly” and David Belasco’s play of the same title.
Act I opens with American Navy Lt. Pinkerton in Nagasaki, Japan, where he is about to acquire a geisha wife, Cio-Cio San, who is
known as Madama Butterfly. The American consul Sharpless warns Pinkerton that his new wife may take her vows more seriously than
he, but he remains carefree. At the wedding ceremony’s close, Butterfly’s family banishes her for taking Pinkerton’s Christian faith. The
guests are sent away, and Pinkerton and Cio-Cio San sing of their love. Act II starts three years later, with Cio-Cio San waiting and praying
for Pinkerton’s return. He left after their wedding night and without his knowing, she has given birth to their son. Butterfly stubbornly
refuses any suitors brought to her, so confident is she in Pinkerton’s devotion. She soon discovers his ship in the harbor and is elated,
convinced he has returned for her. In Act III, Pinkerton arrives at Cio-Cio San’s house with his new American wife, Kate. Realizing the
situation, she chooses to die with honor and commits suicide.
Jun Kaneko is the set
designer for Madison
Opera's "Madama
Butterfly"
designer for Madison
Opera's "Madama
Butterfly"