Princeton Festival 2026 Review: Madama Butterfly

https://operawire.com/princeton-festival-2026-review-madama-butterfly/

At the Princeton Festival’s June 12 “Madama Butterfly” staged at Morven—the former governor’s mansion in Princeton, New Jersey—the Cio-Cio-San the audience watched was not the Cio-Cio-San it heard. The headliner, Toni Marie Palmertree, sidelined by a vocal infection, acted the role onstage while Brenna Markey sang it amplified from behind the set through speakers. Ironically, the staging presented two stories {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Barno Ismatullaeva on ‘Madama Butterfly,’ Preparing Isolde & Never Being Put in a Box

https://operawire.com/q-a-barno-ismatullaeva-on-madama-butterfly-preparing-isolde-never-being-put-in-a-box/

(Credit: Juan Carlos Blanco Olea) Barno Ismatullaeva is a rising star in the opera world. Born in Andijan, Uzbekistan, she studied at the State Conservatory in Tashkent and went on to join the Alisher Navoi Opera House in Tashkent as a permanent ensemble member shortly after graduation. In 2017, she participated in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition {…}

News

Opera Colorado to present ‘Beyond the Blossom: Rethinking Madama Butterfly’

https://operawire.com/opera-colorado-to-present-beyond-the-blossom-rethinking-madama-butterfly/

On April 8, Opera Colorado is set to present “Beyond the Blossom: Rethinking Madama Butterfly,” a live salon-style conversation. The event is Pay What You Wish, with tickets starting at $0, making it accessible to anyone curious to join the discussion. First performed in 1904, “Madama Butterfly” is one of the most famous operas in the world, known for its {…}

News

Cast Change: Aleksandra Kurzak Joins Met Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

https://operawire.com/cast-change-aleksandra-kurzak-joins-met-operas-madama-butterfly/

(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Madama Butterfly.” The company said that “soprano Aleksandra Kurzak will sing the role of Cio-Cio-San in Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly,’ replacing Sonya Yoncheva, who has withdrawn from the run due to family reasons.” Kurzak will perform on March 14, 18, 21, and 27, 2026 alternating with {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Metropolitan Opera 2025-26 Review: Madama Butterfly (Cast A)

https://operawire.com/metropolitan-opera-2025-26-review-madama-butterfly-cast-a/

(Credit: Evan Zimmerman) The Metropolitan Opera is in the midst of a revival of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in the acclaimed production by Anthony Minghella. The opera has one of the most complex soprano roles in the repertory, a role that requires stamina as well as vocal agility to shift from lyrical lines to intense dramatic passages. Luckily for this revival {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera Australia 2026 Review: Madama Butterfly

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-2026-review-madama-butterfly/

(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) “Harrowing” might be the best word for this powerful production of “Madama Butterfly,” the first opera in Opera Australia’s (OA) 2026 Sydney summer season and, in fact, the first opera in Opera Australia’s 70th anniversary season. Admittedly, Puccini’s subject matter is disturbing, albeit clothed in seductively gorgeous music. Finally realizing that the fable-like love she ‘shared’ {…}

News

Sonya Yoncheva, Ailyn Pérez, Toni Marie Palmertree Headline Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

https://operawire.com/sonya-yoncheva-ailyn-perez-toni-marie-palmertree-headline-metropolitan-operas-madama-butterfly/

(Credit: Metropolitan Opera / Ken Howard) Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera for 15 performances. The Anthony Minghella production will open on Jan. 9 and run through March 28 with different casts. The January performances will feature Ailyn Pérez as Cio-Cio-San, tenor SeokJong Baek as Pinkerton, Hyona Kim as Suzuki and baritone Andrzej Filończyk as {…}

News

Cast Change: Ailyn Pérez & Toni Marie Palmertree will Replace Elena Stikhina in Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

https://operawire.com/cast-change-ailyn-perez-toni-marie-palmertree-will-replace-elena-stikhina-in-metropolitan-operas-madama-butterfly/

(Credit: Soloman Howard) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Madama Butterfly.” The company said that Ailyn Pérez and Toni Marie Palmertree will replace Elena Stikhina in March performances, singing the role of Cio-Cio-San. Pérez will sing the role on March 11, 14, 19, and 23, while Palmertree will sing the final performance on March {…}

News

Guanqun Yu, Olivia Cranwell & Vittoria Yeo Lead Opera Australia’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

https://operawire.com/guanqun-yu-olivia-cranwell-vittoria-yeo-lead-opera-australias-madama-butterfly/

Opera Australia’s 70th anniversary season will open with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The production by Moffatt Oxenbould will be conducted by Maestro Andrea Battistoni, Paul Fitzsimon, and Erina Yashima. Multiple casts will lead the work including sopranos Guanqun Yu, Olivia Cranwell, and Vittoria Yeo as Cio Cio San alongside tenors Robert Watson and Oreste Cosimo as Pinkerton. The lead cast will be {…}

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Princeton Festival 2026 Review: Madama Butterfly

Q & A: Barno Ismatullaeva on ‘Madama Butterfly,’ Preparing Isolde & Never Being Put in a Box

Opera Colorado to present ‘Beyond the Blossom: Rethinking Madama Butterfly’

Cast Change: Aleksandra Kurzak Joins Met Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

Metropolitan Opera 2025-26 Review: Madama Butterfly (Cast A)

Opera Australia 2026 Review: Madama Butterfly

Sonya Yoncheva, Ailyn Pérez, Toni Marie Palmertree Headline Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

Cast Change: Ailyn Pérez & Toni Marie Palmertree will Replace Elena Stikhina in Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’

Guanqun Yu, Olivia Cranwell & Vittoria Yeo Lead Opera Australia’s ‘Madama Butterfly’