Madama Butterfly was performed on September 19, 21, 25 and 27

“Riveting, heartfelt … breathtaking and thoroughly engaging” – Sunday Independent

“Christine Crouse’s production is simple, beautiful and gimmick-free … and she creates gorgeous scenes” – Die Burger.

“an engaging production of an operatic masterpiece … which can be warmly recommended, especially to first-time opera-goers” – The Cape Times.

Presented by Cape Town Opera

Christine Crouse and Michael Mitchell’s visually stunning staging of Puccini’s most heart-rending opera returns to the Opera House at Artscape

 “And the geisha will sing, as she used to do. And the happy song will end in a sob”

East and West collide with tragic results in Puccini’s devastating opera about a trusting young Japanese bride and the callous American naval officer who weds and abandons her. Famous highlights including Butterfly’s aria ‘Un bel dì’, the joyous Flower Duet and the haunting Humming Chorus emerge from a score of consistent beauty and power, which goes straight for the emotional jugular and seldom fails to reduce even the hardest hearts to tears.

Christine Crouse’s “visually arresting” production, with Kabuki-inspired designs by Michael Mitchell, was a sell-out sensation at its first run in 2009.

Conductor: Albert Horne
Director: Christine Crouse
Set and Costume Design: Michael Mitchell
Lighting Design: Kobus Rossouw
Movement Director: Jacki Job
Cape Town Opera Voice of the Nation Chorus
Chorus Master: Albert Horne

CAST

Pinkerton            Tshepo Moagi
Goro                   Lukhanyo Moyake
Suzuki                Violina Anguelov (u/s Nonhlanhla Yende)
Sharpless            Mandisinde Mbuyazwe (u/s Owen Metsileng)
Cio-Cio-San         Tatiana Monogarova
The Imperial
Commissioner      Nkosana Sitimela
The Registrar       Lindile Kula Snr
The Bonze           Xolela Sixaba
Prince Yamadori   Owen Metsileng (u/s Mandisinde Mbuyazwe)
Dolore                 Cade Miller
Kate Pinkerton     Siphamandla Yakupa and Nonhlanhla Yende
Kabuki Actors      1.  Mark Hoeben
2.  Richard September
Supers                1.  Lubabalo Velebayi
2.  Lindile Kula Jnr
3.  Thando Mpushe

Pictures from our 2009 Production of Madama Butterfly