Manar Elbaz

DUBAI: Giacomo Puccini’s classic opera Madama Butterfly, which discusses the tragic story of a young Japanese girl, captivated the audiences in Dubai during an exceptional performance by the Hungarian State Opera on September 12 – 13. 

The breathtaking performance, taking place at Dubai Opera, was directed by János Kovács, with an incredible cast such as Gabriella Létay Kiss in the role of Cio-Cio-San and Boldizsár László as Pinkerton. 

The three-act opera is based on John Luther Long’s short story Madame Butterfly (1898) and premiered in February 1904. American playwright David Belasco adapted the short story into a play under the name Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan (1900).

Taking place in 1904 in Nagasaki, the story follows 15-year-old Cio-Cio-San, who is known as “Butterfly”, as her husband marries her out of convenience and plans to leave her once he finds an American wife. He shortly leaves her after the wedding, making her wait three years for him to come back. When he returns to Japan with his American wife, Butterfly tragically takes her own life. 

The enchanting vocals from the cast and the atmospheric stage design touched the hearts of the audience and made them experience all the tragic emotions that the characters were feeling, resulting in a standing ovation after the opening night’s performance. 

The three-hour performance was attended by a variety of esteemed guests, such as Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh, Managing Director of Cartier Middle East Caroline Dumont Frotiee, and the Managing Director of CHANEL Middle East Pierre-Yves Wecxsteen.