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Opera is a refined and highly developed art form with an enduring tradition emphasising beautiful music and powerful dramatic expression. This production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly is an abridged version specially designed for secondary school students to enhance their knowledge and appreciation of Western opera.

Madama Butterfly is an opera in three acts, composed by Giacomo Puccini, based on the libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. The opera was first performed in Milan in 1904 and tells the poignant tale of Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly), a young Japanese geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer, Pinkerton. Nowadays, Madama Butterfly is celebrated for its lush orchestration and emotional depth, making it a staple in the operatic repertoire.

The production will feature a selection of key scenes from the opera Madama Butterfly, thoughtfully curated to maintain a runtime of approximately 90 minutes. Interlaced between these scenes, Suzuki, the maid of Cio-Cio San, will also serve as a storyteller, linking the scenes with narratives specially crafted by Musica Viva to enhance the coherence and artistic unity of the performance.

Each performance consists of the following scenes:

1. Lieutenant Pinkerton, a U.S. Naval Officer, arranges to marry Cio-Cio San, a young geisha known as Madama Butterfly, in Nagasaki, Japan. Their wedding takes place.
2. Pinkerton departs, promising to return to Cio-Cio San, who fervently believes in his return.
3. Cio-Cio San endures years of waiting for Pinkerton, caring for their child, Dolore (which means “Pain”).
4. Sharpless visits Cio-Cio San with a letter from Pinkerton and learns of her unwavering faith in Pinkerton.
5. A cannon shot in the harbor announces the arrival of a ship. Cio-Cio San and Suzuki decorate the house with flowers to welcome Pinkerton.
6. Night falls, Cio-Cio San, Suzuki, and Dolore hold a vigil watching over the harbor.
7. Pinkerton returns to Japan with his American wife, Kate, devastating Cio-Cio San.
8. Cio-Cio San decides to give up her child to Pinkerton and his new wife, then ends her own life.