Admin

Organization

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Marion Lebègue

Suzuki

Tenor

Georgy Vasiliev

B.F. Pinkerton

Baritone

André Heyboer

Sharpless

Raphaël Bremard

Goro

Victor Sicard

Prince Yamadori

Bass

Ugo Rabec

Uncle Bonze

Agnès de Butler

Kate Pinkerton

Grégory Smoliy

The imperial commissioner

Christophe Gateau

The official registrar

Elisabeth Jean

Cio-Cio San's mother

Soprano

Christelle Gouffé

The aunt

Corinne Fructus

The cousin

Henri Pauliat

Uncle Yakusidé

Conductor

Robert Tuohy

Stage director

Jean-Philippe Clarac

Olivier Deloeuil

Set designer

Christophe Pitoiset

Costume designer

Video designer

Jean-Baptiste Beïs

Lighting designer

Rick Martin

Camille Schnoor

Cio-Cio-San

Chorus master

Jacques Maresch

Others

accentus - Opéra de Rouen

Orchestra

Orchestre de l’Opéra de Rouen Normandie

Opéra de Limoges

Italian

Madama Butterfly -  (Madame Butterfly)

Limoges

France

This Madama Butterfly does not literally follow the story of a little Japanese Geisha becoming the unhappy wife of an American officer. But it immerses us in the mental, morbid and tragic journey of a little European girl dreaming of a totally fantasized Japan.
Nowadays, in a small studio like there are hundreds in the HLM bars on the outskirts of Limoges and many other French cities. Reclusive in this small space, a psychologically fragile and “disoriented” young girl finds in an imaginary Japan, and in Puccini's famous opera, the refuge for her most intimate anxieties.
Throughout this visual and musical experimentation, Cio-Cio San is therefore no longer in Japan, while the Geishas stroll through the streets of Limoges... Unless it is the opposite... It is therefore the story of Cio-Cio San, but seen through the journey of a fragile young girl, who identifies with Cio-Cio San.
But it is also, through the exploration of the failing psyche of a confused young girl, the cultural misunderstanding between Japanese and Westerners that is gradually brought to light. A structural but nevertheless recurrent misunderstanding, from the end of the 19th century to the present day. A cultural misunderstanding which contains, in itself, all the tragic ferment of Puccini's opera.

ABOUT
This intriguing production does not stage the well-known story of a Japanese geisha fooled by a cruel American officer. Rather, we follow the story inside the mind of a young, provincial European woman who obsessively fantasizes about Japan and Japanese life.
Living alone in her small apartment in the outskirts of Limoges, a young French woman spends her days watching manga and videos of modern-day Japan on her computer, while obsessively listening to Puccini’s famous opera.
This is the story of Cio-Cio San, but seen through the eyes of a neurotic young European woman. As the opera unfolds, the elegant Geishas stroll around Limoges, while the young girl believes she is in Japan... or just the oposite. As one would expect, the story ends in tragedy. We, like the woman, are dis-oriented by her obsessions of an imagined Japan.
Doing so, our production works as a contemporary reflection on the old cultural misunderstandings held by Westerners towards Japan.

PRODUCTION
Creative Musical Object, commissioned by the Opéra de Limoges, executive producer, in co-production with the Opéra de Rouen

Production booklet

Further reading