Orphée et Eurydice: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1
La Traviata: week 3 - week 2 - week 1
Tea: A Mirror of Soul: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1
Madama Butterfly: week 4 - week 3 - week 2 - week 1

Madama Butterfly - Week One

Soprano Ermonela Jaho returns to the Opera Company of Philadelphia as the title character of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly after her heartbreaking portrayal of Liù in last season’s Turandot.

Dancers Jamuna Dasi and Sun-Mi Cho rehearse their electrifying movements.

Bass Kirk Eichelberger returns after his portrayal of Don Fernando in last season’s production of Fidelio, as the Bonze, the uncle of Cio-Cio San, soprano Ermonela Jaho.  At her wedding, Cio-Cio San’s uncle, a Buddhist Priest, curses her for renoucing her family and her faith.

Kip Martin, one of the Kojoro (or dancers) in Madama Butterfly, discusses with stagehand Sandy James Harrer how to control the large butterfly prop that is a part of the stunning production designed by artist Jun Kaneko.

From right to left, director Cynthia Stokes, in her OCP debut, walks through a scene with soprano Ermonela Jaho, as Cio-Cio San, as dancer Kip Martin holds the beautiful Kaneko-designed butterfly.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Zifchak makes her Opera Company of Philadelphia debut as Suzuki, Butterfly’s faithful handmaiden. Suzuki serves Butterfly, soprano Ermonela Jaho, faithfully and comforts her while she waits patiently for Pinkerton’s return.

Mezzo-soprano Maria Zifchak, as Suzuki, runs through a scene with tenor David Portillo.  Fresh from his appearances in last season’s double bill of L’enfant et les sortilèges as The Little Old Man, The Tree Frog and The Teapot and Gianni Schicchi as Gherardo, Portillo returns to the Academy if Music stage as Goro, the marriage broker.