Madama Butterfly is arguably the most popular opera in the world, captivating audiences globally. It was, therefore, the perfect opera to kick off Opera Australia’s 2026 season, with a full house on a Tuesday night in the second week of the run, a testament to the selling power of the work (as well as the excellent marketing of Opera Australia).

With both of Puccini’s most iconic works in Butterfly and Turandot running at the moment in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, the beauty of the Italian maestro’s writing really shines through, particularly in Butterfly. Telling the story of a young woman who falls in love with an American G.I. only to find that he is married and will ultimately break her heart, director Moffatt Oxenbould AM has stayed very true to the original production, with Russell Cohen and Peter England’s gorgeous water-laden set being the most striking addition.

With such a gorgeous score to work with, the stage really was set for the cast to shine. Guanqun Yu was making her role and Opera Australia debut as Cio-Cio San and did a fine job in an undoubtedly challenging role. It took a while for Yu to warm into the role in the first act with a somewhat reserved performance but after the intermission, the full dexterity of her voice was on display, as she enthralled the audience with her gorgeous tone. I hope that we see her more across Opera Australia’s suite of productions as the emotional depth that she harnessed towards the end of the production was truly beautiful and heartbreaking, encapsulating the disempowerment of her character.

Diego Torre was a familiar face as Pinkerton and did an exceptional job as always, with a commanding and villainous performance (to the point where he got booed as he entered for the bow, always the mark of a strong antagonist performance!). Sian Sharp was excellent as Suzuki while the Opera Australia orchestra and chorus were in fine form as always. 

For what is a relatively lengthy opera, the audience (who seemed to largely consist of tourists and opera newcomers in keeping with the holiday season) were transfixed for its duration, marvelling at what was a truly cohesive performance that was exceptionally well executed by everyone involved in the production. 

As is quite well-established by now, the opera is one which uncritically presents a number of outdated racial stereotypes as well as glorifying the trope of the white saviour. This production has attempted to confront this issue by leaning into the criticism by exaggerating the lack of criticality of the gaze by which the production is presented to highlight the distortion. This is largely effective although it is still certainly a conversation that needs to be continued to be had (the conversation is much more prevalent around discussion of Miss Saigon, which is based on Butterfly). 

Overall, this was an exceptional production which, whilst not pushing the mould too much, was superbly executed and thoroughly entertaining. The cast truly brought out the beauty of the score while the set design and excellence of the orchestra meant that the production felt cohesive and considered at every point. A great start to Opera Australia’s year!

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Madama Butterfly plays at the Joan Sutherland Theatre until 25^th March. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Keith Saunders