Madama Butterfly Is the April 30, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Madama Butterfly is the April 30, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as 18th of the 2021-2022 Met Opera season's 24 Saturday matinee broadcasts.

The 2021-2022 season's staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly represents the eighth revival of the new production that debuted in the 2006-2007 season under the direction of Anthony Minghella and the associate direction and choreography of his wife, Carolyn Choa: Dominic Minghella @DMinghella, via Twitter Nov. 18, 2019

Puccini's Madama Butterfly is the April 30, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the 18th of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in Met Opera's 2021-2022 season.

Madama Butterfly by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) receives 11 spring performances in the 2021-2022 season. The first through seventh performances took place Saturday, March 19, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time; Wednesday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 26, at 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday, March 30, at 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, April 3, at 3:00 p.m.; Tuesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, April 27, at 7:30 p.m. The eighth through 11th, closing performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 30, at 1:00 p.m.; Wednesday, May 4, at 8:00 p.m.; and Saturday, May 7, at 8:00 p.m.

Met Opera's 2021-2022 season presentation of Madama Butterfly marks the eighth revival of the new Met Opera production that Anthony Minghella (Jan. 6, 1954-March 18, 2008) debuted Monday, Sept. 25, 2006, in the opera company's 799th Butterfly performance. The Italian film, opera and television director/producer had made his Met Opera debut with the new production.

Since Anthony Minghella's death, his widow, Hong Kongese choreographer and director Carolyn Choa, has performed as the production's director. Her Met Opera debut as associate director and choreographer had occurred alongside her husband.

Alexander Soddy is the eighth revival's conductor. The British conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, in the opera company’s 1,306th performance of Puccini's La Bohème.

Eleonora Buratto sings the title role of geisha Cio-Cio San. The Italian soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, March 4, 2016, as Norina in the opera company’s 136th performance of Don Pasquale by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Brian Jagde originally was scheduled for all 11 performances as Pinkerton, whose abandonment of Cio-Cio San has devastating consequences. The American operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, April 3, 2014, as Count Elemer in the opera company’s 53rd performance of Arabella by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Madama Butterfly numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Brian Jagde. He sang Cavaradossi in the Dec. 11 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Puccini's Tosca.

Update: The Metropolitan Opera announced, via Twitter May 4, 2022, at 3:00 p.m., the replacement of Brian Jagde by Viktor Antipenko as Pinkerton for the evening's performance. The Russian tenor's appearance in the season's 10th performance and also the opera company's 901st performance of Madama Butterfly marks his Met Opera debut.

Davide Luciano appeared in the eight revival's first five performances as U.S. Consul Sharpless, whose advice against Pinkerton's whimsical attraction to Cio-Cio San is ignored. The Italian baritone had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, as Belcore in the opera company’s 293rd performance of L’Elisir d’Amore by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Davide Luciano shares the role with David Bizic, who sings Sharpless in the sixth through 11th, closing performances. The Serbian operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, as Albert in the opera company’s 74th performance of Werther by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Elizabeth DeShong sings Suzuki, Cio-Cio San's maid, who realizes that Pinkerton has returned to Japan with an American wife. The American operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, March 21, 2008, in the opera company’s 83rd performance of Ernani by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Elizabeth DeShong's 2021-2022 season portrayal of Suzuki marks her second reprisal of the role. She added Suzuki to her Met Opera profile in the 2013-2014 season and made her first reprisal in the 2019-2020 season.

The eighth revival's first performance, Saturday, March 19, in the 2021-2022 season numbered as Met Opera's 892nd performance of Madama Butterfly. The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Madama Butterfly took place Monday, Feb. 11, 1907. The opera's composer, Giacomo Puccini, attended the premiere. Madama Butterfly received 11 performances in the 1906-1907 season.

The takeaways for Madama Butterfly as the April 30, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Puccini's tragic opera about a Japanese geisha airs as the 18th of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season; that the season's presentation of Madama Butterfly marks the eighth revival of Anthony Minghella's production, which debuted in the 2006-2007 season; and that Elizabeth DeShong's portrayal of Suzuki in the eighth revival marks her second reprisal of the role.

Elizabeth DeShong added Puccini's Suzuki to her Met Opera portfolio in the 2013-2014 season's fourth revival of Anthony Minghella's production of Madama Butterfly; she made her first reprisal in the 2019-2020 season; her 2021-2022 season portrayal marks her second reprisal of Suzuki: Elizabeth DeShong @elizabethdeshongmezzo, via Facebook Jan. 12, 2014

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The 2021-2022 season's staging of Puccini's Madama Butterfly represents the eighth revival of the new production that debuted in the 2006-2007 season under the direction of Anthony Minghella and the associate direction and choreography of his wife, Carolyn Choa: Dominic Minghella @DMinghella, via Twitter Nov. 18, 2019, @ https://twitter.com/DMinghella/status/1196488137142341636

Elizabeth DeShong added Puccini's Suzuki to her Met Opera portfolio in the 2013-2014 season's fourth revival of Anthony Minghella's production of Madama Butterfly; she made her first reprisal in the 2019-2020 season; her 2021-2022 season portrayal marks her second reprisal of Suzuki: Elizabeth DeShong @elizabethdeshongmezzo, via Facebook Jan. 12, 2014, @ https://www.facebook.com/elizabethdeshongmezzo/photos/a.389415591202600/389415604535932/?type=3

For further information:

“Debut: Eleonora Buratto.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356353 Don Pasquale {136} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/04/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356353

"Debut: Viktor Antipenko." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357640 Madama Butterfly {901} Metropolitan Opera House: 5/04/2022.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357640

“Debuts: Alexander Soddy, Angel Blue, Duncan Rock.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356747 La Bohème {1306} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/02/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356747

"Debuts: Anthony Minghella, Carolyn Choa, Han Feng, Peter Mumford, Blind Summit Theatre, Keith Miller, Mark Down, Nick Barnes, Finn Caldwell, Hsin Ping Chang, Tom Yang." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351555 New Production Madama Butterfly {799} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/25/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351555

“Debuts: Domingo Hindoyan, Davide Luciano.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356855 L’Elisir d’Amore {293} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/16/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356855

“Debuts: Marius Brenciu, Elizabeth DeShong.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352796 La Rondine {19} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352796

"Debuts: Michael Volle, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Juliane Banse, Roberto Saccà, Brian Jagde, Martin Winkler, Scott Dispensa." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355411 Arabella {53} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/03/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355411

"Debuts: Sara Erde, Sophie Koch, David Bizic, Richard Hausman, Helena Abbott, Daniel Katzman, Thomas White." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355319 New Production Werther {74} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/18/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355319

Dominic Minghella @DMinghella. "Photo: Anthony Minghella & Carolyn Choa." Twitter. Nov. 18, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/DMinghella/status/1196488137142341636

Elizabeth DeShong @elizabethdeshongmezzo. "Suzuki (Metropolitan Opera, 2014) -- in New York, New York." Facebook. Jan. 12, 2014.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/elizabethdeshongmezzo/photos/a.389415591202600/389415604535932/?type=3

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-operas-2021-2022-season-has-28.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Madama Butterfly Is March 3, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 26, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/madama-butterfly-is-march-3-2018-met.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "In tonight's performance of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Viktor Antipenko makes his Met debut as Pinkerton. #CastChange." Twitter. May 4, 2022.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1521927667821559815

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Madama Butterfly." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38830 Metropolitan Opera Premiere In the Presence of the Composer Madama Butterfly {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/11/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38830

“New Production: Madama Butterfly.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351555 New Production Madama Butterfly {799} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/25/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351555