Puccini’s Madame Butterfly can never disappoint. It’s simply a masterpiece with exquisite music and one of the best tragic love stories. So, any professional production is bound to fall within degrees of greatness. Given the brilliant casting and creative staging of LA Opera’s latest production, this Butterfly just may be the greatest to grace the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion so far. Don’t miss the chance to see this inspired and evocative production, running through Oct. 13.
Mario Gas’ production from Teatro Real (Madrid) brings a cinematic twist perfect for LA. Set in 1930s Hollywood, the opera takes place centerstage, while a film crew can be observed working “backstage” on either side. As the cameras role, a black-and-white film of what’s happening onstage is shown on a screen with the supertitles above the stage.
The staging is not just clever to be clever, but really adds layers of interest, from the visual to the metaphorical, to one of the world’s most-produced operas. It’s also thought-provoking to consider that this production would never have been a 1930s film because of the Hays Code, which banned depicting interracial relationships.
South Korean soprano Karah Son and Chilean tenor Jonathan Tetelman were ready for their Hollywood close-ups. Son and Tetelman were well-matched as Cio-Cio-San and Lt. Pinkerton; their impassioned singing and acting were incredibly moving. Moreover, this couple looked the part. The height difference between the two made the age difference (Butterfly is supposed to be 15) more believable and emphasized Cio-Cio-San’s innocence and fragility.
An announcement before the show began informed the audience that Tetelman was feeling under the weather. But if that is how Tetelman sings and acts when he’s under the weather, I can’t imagine what 100% from him would be like — what an incredible performance! He portrayed a nuanced Pinkerton whose genuine affection for Cio-Cio-San would shine through; at curtain call, he got fewer boos for his villainy than another Pinkertons might have earned.
Son has performed her signature role hundreds of times across the globe, from Berlin and San Francisco to Cardiff and Sydney, and she’s clearly mastered it. Her voice was glorious, and the genuine innocence she brought to the role was heartbreaking.
There are so many wonderful touches in the visuals, like Cio-Cio-San’s gorgeous kimono in contrast with the black, gray and white palette of all the other costumes, as well as how the beautiful painted screens of the first act become prison-like metal gates in the second and third.
And talk about never disappointing — Music Director James Conlon and the talented musicians of the LA Opera Orchestra pulled an Ohtani and hit it out of the park. Conlon announced his retirement for 2026, so don’t miss any chance to hear him conduct, especially this gorgeous cinematic experience of Butterfly.
—Julie Riggott, Culture Spot LA
Visit https://www.laopera.org/performances/2025/madame-butterfly.
Photo credit: LA Opera presents Madame Butterfly with Karah Son. / Photo by Cory Weaver, courtesy of LA Opera