Operas—they’re not what the average person thinks of when trying to find something to do, but they’re emotionally-charged shows that can leave some audiences in tears. Plus, the singers have gorgeous costuming, and it’s fun to also dress up yourself for a performance at the theater. With plenty of operas out there, there’s at least one that can resonate with everyone—and one of the more popular ones is coming to a live-streamed screen right in the heart of southeastern Ohio.
It’s not too often the opera comes to Athens, but you can catch a live, hi-definition viewing of Madama Butterfly at the Athena Cinema.
The Heart-Wrenching Plot of Madama Butterfly
A tale of unrequited love, the plot of Madama Butterfly managed to capture attention and catapult the show to one of the most well-known operatic acts of the past. The plot of the opera is split into two acts, focusing on the storyline between a Japanese geisha named Cio-Cio-San (also known as the titular Madame Butterfly) and A US Navy lieutenant named Pinkerton, who is stationed in Nagasaki and has paid for an arranged marriage to Madame Butterfly.
While Pinkerton clearly sees this marriage as a temporary thing to bide the time before he returns to America and has the chance at a “genuine” marriage, it’s clear that Madame Butterfly does not share this feeling and has truly fallen in love with Pinkerton.
From there, the events spiral and snowball to a devastating end for the main characters. The opera was written by Giacomo Puccini and was first performed in 1904. Being 100+ years old, the story is in the public domain, meaning there have been a slew of adaptations in the past couple decades. The story is so ubiquitous in modern day culture that there are even references to it in numerous pieces of media spanning many decades.
The Metropolitan Opera’s Performance of Madama Butterfly
As with all good operas and shows, they live on in perpetuity on the stage by performers who continue to honor the originals through their acting and singing. The Metropolitan Opera is performing Madama Butterfly on select dates through May, but for those who can’t swing a trip to New York, they’re also broadcasting it live in select theaters through their Live in HD series and bringing iconic performances to big screens across the country.
With a slew of talent on the cast for The Met’s production, the opera is sure to be a rousing success and an opera you won’t want to miss. The Athena Cinema is one of the lucky theaters across the country that will be broadcasting the live performance of Madama Butterfly, so be sure to get tickets ahead of time. The screening will take place on May 11th, 2024 with the opera starting around 12:55pm with an estimated end of around 4:10pm. Like other special screenings at the Athena, students get free admission on a first come, first serve basis with their valid student IDs.