Madame Butterfly Composer Giacomo Puccini Librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa Based On the works of John Luther Long and David Belasco Company San Francisco Opera Association Location San Francisco, CA Venue War Memorial Opera House Season 1995-1996 Language Italian Creative/Crew Conductor Charles Mackerras Donald Runnicles(12/9m) Stage Director(s) Sandra Bernhard Designer Toni Businger Lighting Designer Thomas J. Munn Chorus Director Ian Robertson Musical Preparation Adelle Eslinger Susanna Lemberskaya Bryndon Hassman Joyce Fieldsend Ernest Fredric Knell Kathleen Kelly Philip Eisenberg Prompter Philip Eisenberg Assistant Stage Director(s) Yefim Maizel Stage Manager(s) Theresa Ganley Cast Lt. B. F. Pinkerton Richard Margison Alfredo Portilla(12/9m) Goro Michel Sénéchal Suzuki Elizabeth Bishop Sharpless Theodore Baerg Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly Yoko Watanabe Christiane Riel(12/9m) Imperial Commissioner Jere Torkelsen Official Registrar William Pickersgill The Bonze David Okerlund Prince Yamadori Thomas Barrett Cio-Cio-San's child Samantha Spiegel(12/2,4,9e) Justine Gordon(12/9m) Kate Pinkerton Nicolle Foland Show Dates Sat, Dec 2 1995, 12:30pm Mon, Dec 4 1995, 7:30pm Sat, Dec 9 1995, 2pm Sat, Dec 9 1995, 8pm Time and Place Early 20th century; Nagasaki Scenes Act I -- A house and garden overlooking the Bay of Nagasaki Act II -- Butterfly's house, three years later Media Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Theodore Baerg (Sharpless), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San; Theodore Baerg as Sharpless Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Richard Margison (Lt. Pinkerton), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Richard Margison as Pinkerton Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Elizabeth Bishop (Suzuki), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San; Elizabeth Bishop as Suzuki Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera Sponsors The performance of December 2nd is sponsored by StreetNet Publishing, Inc. The performance of December 4th is sponsored by P G & E The matinee performance of December 9th is sponsored by Lexus Acknowledgements This production is made possible, in part, by a generous gift from the Franklin/Templeton Group of Funds. Supertitles provided by a generous gift from Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Notes Scenery constructed in San Francisco Opera Scenic StudiosCostumes executed by Goldstein Costumes, San Francisco, and by Fred MlejnekSUPERNUMERARIESAlex BoatwrightPeter CannonDavid CipollaDiana KissilRobert LeeOliver PollardKimberly ThompsonCarolyn Waugh
Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Theodore Baerg (Sharpless), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San; Theodore Baerg as Sharpless Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Richard Margison (Lt. Pinkerton), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Richard Margison as Pinkerton Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera
Image Yoko Watanabe (Cio-Cio-San), Elizabeth Bishop (Suzuki), Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini. San Francisco Opera, 1995-96. Photographer: Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera. Yoko Watanabe as Cio-Cio-San; Elizabeth Bishop as Suzuki Credit Marty Sohl/San Francisco Opera