Boston Lyric Opera Concludes ‘Butterfly Process’ with Town Hall, Film Series, and a 2023-24 Season Production of ‘Madama Butterfly’

By Chris Ruel

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has announced the conclusion of its initiative, “The Butterfly Process,” and will close out the project with a public town hall, film series, and a new production of “Madama Butterfly,” slated for the company’s 2023-24 season.

The scheduled events round out an 18-month deep dive into the standard repertoire that explored Puccini’s “Butterfly,” in particular.

BLO will livestream the final town hall meeting on May 26, 2022, from 4:30-6:00 p.m. Previous forum iterations have featured conversations between artists, composers, historians, and academics. The closing discussion will recap and reflect on issues such as cultural stereotyping and appropriation, artist and audience impact, casting, and more.

The “M.” film series, available for streaming now, is a six-part music and interview series programmed by BLO Artistic Advisor Vimbayi Kaziboni. Featured artists include soprano Yulan Piao, mezzo-soprano Zaray Rodriguez, baritone Nicholas LaGesse, and BLO Artistic Advisor and Founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, Nina Yoshida Nelsen. Musical selections showcase opera, lieder, and show tunes and include Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) composers and music by non-AAPI composers inspired by Asian culture.

Lastly, BLO Acting General & Artistic Director Bradley Vernatter announced a new “Madama Butterfly” production for Boston Lyric Opera’s 2023-24 Season. In a press statement, Vernatter said, “Through our listening, conversations and reflection over these last 18 months, we look forward to reengaging with ‘Madama Butterfly,’ equipped with new resources and relationships for that artistic journey. We are committed to mounting an intentional, inclusive production that is relevant and accessible to artists and audience members alike—with casting, directorial and artistic choices that bear a richer experience for everyone.”

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