Madama Butterfly tickets

About Madama Butterfly

Constrained, cocooned, caught in a moment of desire, "Butterfly" is incandescent. In her exotic embrace, Pinkerton finds paradise, then carelessly condemns his bride to purgatory.

Fragments of film flutter across the stage, creating a dynamic backdrop for Murphy’s vision of "Butterfly." He draws on his roots in choreography to capture the grace and gravity of a tale that begins in rapturous love and ends in the cruelest heartbreak.

Puccini’s sublime music imbues this ageless story with impossible beauty, from the irrepressible, famous aria ‘One fine day’ to the intense finale.

Know before you go

Please note: Sung in Italian with English and Simplified Chinese surtitles.

Run time

2hrs, 45min; incl. 1 interval

Start date

28th June, 2019

End date

10th August, 2019

More information about Madama Butterfly

The famed opera “Madama Butterfly” was inspired by a short story penned by American writer John Luther Long in 1898. The three-act opera, by Giacomo Puccini, features an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Guiseppe Giacosa. Its story follows an American naval officer in Nagasaki, Japan, who marries a geisha. He returns to the United States leaving his lovesick bride behind. Since its premiere in 1904, “Madama Butterfly” has become one of the most frequently produced operas worldwide. The opera features the frequently performed aria “Un bel di.”

Graeme Murphy’s reimagined production, presented by Opera Australia, features flexible LED screens as a backdrop. The moving images, paired with contemporary choreography, brings a bold new look to the timeless love story. Karah Son and Mariana Hong will alternate performing the opera’s lead soprano, Cio-Cio-San.