Madama Butterfly

Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece, Madama Butterfly, will be presented at Village
Players Theater in Oak Park, Illinois, in five performances throughout the month of June.
The production will be sung in the original Italian with narration translated to English.

Madama Butterfly features Bellissima Opera co-founders Christine Steyer, Franco
Martorana and Paul Geiger along with guest vocalists Dominique Frigo and Daniel Vines.
Bekira Rabinowitz and Laurie McEathron are featured in non-singing roles. Accompaniment
is provided by Anatoliy Torchinskiy on piano and Marcia LaBella on harp. Chicago favorite,
Carl Ratner, directs.

This is Puccini’s classic tale of Cio-Cio-San (Steyer) who in 1900 Nagasaki is sold into a
false marriage to Lt. Pinkerton, an American sailor (Martorana). Despite the sordid nature of
the arrangement, Cio-Cio-San remains true to Pinkerton even when he leaves and is not
heard of again for years. Her faith results in the loss of family, suitors, money, and
ultimately, when she hears of him again, her life.

Steyer, the winner of the top prize at the 2006 National Opera Association Competition,
studied art for a year in Japan, and has designed the production’s beautiful costumes, as
well as the set, which will feature a Japanese house, garden and water lily pond.