An All-Female, All Asian Creative Team Shines in the Reimagining of this Timeless Opera
Hampton Roads, Richmond, Fairfax, VA – Virginia Opera proudly announces the grand finale of its 2023-2024 season, the iconic opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini. Virginia Opera has assembled an extraordinary all-female, all-Asian creative team to breathe new life into this classic production, promising audiences an unforgettable experience.
Leading the creative charge is Mo Zhou, an internationally renowned stage director, artistic activist, and educator hailing from China. Mo Zhou’s diverse artistic career spans opera, theater, musical theater, dance, and film. Joining her are three other powerhouse creatives—Ruoxuan Li, an acclaimed costume designer based in L.A.; Marie Yokoyama, a New York City-based lighting and set designer; and Hiroshima-born movement/cultural consultant Asuka Morinaga Derfler, a New York City-based actor and former member of Haiyuza Theater Company of Tokyo. This dynamic quartet will collaborate to present a fresh and visually stunning rendition of Madama Butterfly.
Virginia Opera’s Artistic Director, Adam Turner, will conduct the production, ensuring a seamless blend of musical brilliance and innovative staging. Turner expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Madama Butterfly is a masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences worldwide. With our exceptional all-female, all-Asian creative team, we are poised to deliver a production that not only honors the opera’s rich tradition but also brings a unique perspective and contemporary resonance.”
The cast includes Karen Chia-ling Ho, making her Virginia Opera mainstage debut in the role of Cio-Cio-San. Ho’s powerful dramatic soprano has been lauded by Musical America, proclaiming, “The full-blast dramatic soprano of Karen Chia-ling Ho… has the power to cut through any orchestra.” Tenor Jonathan Burton, noted for his expressive fortitude and memorable high notes, will make his Virginia Opera mainstage debut as Lt. Pinkerton.
Returning to the Virginia Opera stage, Kristen Choi, a former Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist, reprises her role as Suzuki, delivering a performance that left an indelible mark in the 2019 production. Grant Youngblood, celebrated for his portrayal of Giorgio Germont in La Traviata (2023), returns to portray Sharpless.
Zhengyi Bai, born and raised in the Shandong province of China, will make his Virginia Opera mainstage debut as Goro. Additionally, emerging talents Taewon Sohn, Yinghui (Mark) He, and Zizhao Wang, current members of Virginia Opera’s Herndon Foundation Emerging Artists Program, will make their mainstage debuts, adding fresh energy to the production.
Madama Butterfly will open at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk on March 8, 2024, followed by performances on March 9 and 10. The production will then travel to the Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax on March 16 and 17, concluding Virginia Opera’s 2023-2024 season at the Dominion Energy Center in Richmond on March 22 and 24.
Virginia Opera’s General Director and CEO, Peggy Kriha Miller, expressed her excitement, saying, “Madama Butterfly is a timeless masterpiece. For those new to opera this is a not-to-be-missed experience – truly one of the most enduring and tragic stories in all of opera.”
Tickets for Madama Butterfly start at $25 and can be purchased online at https://vaopera.org/madama-butterfly.
*Note to Editors: High-resolution images and further information are available upon request.*
Production Information
Madama Butterfly
Giacomo Puccini
Harrison Opera House, Norfolk | March 8, 9, & 10, 2024
Center for the Arts at George Mason University, Fairfax | March 16 & 17**, 2024 | Sponsored by Woodleigh Chase
Dominion Energy Center, Richmond | March 22 & 24, 2024
**Audio-described performance
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Featuring the Richmond Symphony
This performance is presented with the assistance of a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Virginia Opera’s season comes to a stunning close with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, one of opera’s most beloved works. Bound by tradition and honor, a young Japanese maiden is left to face an unspeakable aftermath when abandoned by a reckless American naval officer. Puccini’s haunting score is filled with unforgettable music of unparalleled beauty that will stay with you forever.
Adam Turner, Conductor
Mo Zhou, Director
Ruoxuan Li, Costume Designer
Marie Yokoyama, Lighting Designer
Asuka Morinaga Derfler, Movement/Cultural Consultant
Karen Chia-ling Ho*, Cio-Cio-San
Sachie Ueshima*, Cio-Cio-San (March 9)
Jonathan Burton*, Lt. Pinkerton
Kristen Choi±, Suzuki
Grant Youngblood, Sharpless
Zhengyi Bai*, Goro
Taewon Sohn*^, The Bonze
Yinghui (Mark) He*^, Prince Yamadori
Zizhao Wang*^, The Imperial Commissioner
Katherine Sanford Schrock, Kate Pinkerton
Erik Grendahl^, The Official Registrar
Alana Kypros*, Sorrow
* denotes VOA Mainstage Debut
^ denotes current Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist
± denotes former Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist
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About Virginia Opera
Virginia Opera, the official opera company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is one of the finest regional opera companies in the nation and is the only company to perform regularly in three separate main stage venues: the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, the Carpenter Theatre at the Dominion Energy Center in Richmond, and Center for the Arts at George Mason University in Fairfax. Organized in 1974, Virginia Opera is respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs.
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