As the leading lady of Arizona Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly,” soprano Karen Chia-ling Ho said she is excited to be performing both with the company and in Tucson for her first time. Driven by a creative team of first-generation Asian women, the show is a tale of love, friendship and tragedy, Ho said.  

“It’s my first time working with the Arizona Opera and it’s also my first time being in Phoenix and Tucson — I’m really looking forward to it,” Ho said. “Everything is going really well — the chorus is wonderful, they sound amazing, my colleagues are amazing to work with and we have so much talent in this production.” 

Following its first two shows on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1 at the Phoenix Symphony Hall, the opera will travel to Linda Ronstadt Music Hall for a performance on Saturday, Feb. 7. 

“Madama Butterfly” reimagines a classic opera story told through a post-World War II lens. The cast includes Ho as Cio-Cio-San, tenor Terrence Chin-Loy as Lt. Pinkerton, mezzo-soprano Alice Chung as Suzuki and baritone Alexander Birch Elliott as Sharpless. The crew that helped bring the story to life includes Stage Director Mo Zhou, Scenic Designer Chika Shimizu, Costume Designer Mariko Ohigashi, Lighting Designer Marie Yokoyama and Japanese Culture and Movement Consultant Asuka Morinaga Derfler.    

The story of “Madama Butterfly” follows Ho’s character, Cio-Cio-San, whose husband is American soldier Lt. Pinkerton. After getting married and staying together in Japan for a few years, Pinkerton went back to America — leaving behind Cio-Cio-San, who he didn’t know was pregnant. Cio-Cio-San and her son lived in Japan without the lieutenant for the next six years before he learned of the child. Lt. Pinkerton returns to Japan to meet his son and brings his wife, Kate Pinkerton, with him. Ultimately, the American soldier takes his son and his partner with him back to America — leaving Cio-Cio-San behind once more. The realization that she’s been abandoned again and lost her child is too heavy to bear and Cio-Cio-San takes her own life.  

As an opera production, “Madama Butterfly” is performed in Italian with English and Spanish supertitles. The leading lady said that her favorite part of the show is a duet she performs with Chung as Suzuki. 

“The Flower Duet is very beautiful visually and the music is very beautiful, too,” Ho said. “We spread flower petals on the stage and petals will rain down on the stage while we sing.”

At this point in the story, Cio-Cio-San has learned that Pinkerton is returning to Japan and enlists Suzuki’s help to decorate her home in the way it was on her wedding night — vibrant and full of flowers, Ho said.

As a geisha, Cio-Cio-San’s costume includes a traditional Japanese kimono — which the performer said she had to get used to wearing. Many other productions with similar aesthetics, she explained, use modified kimonos to fit American theater standards. To that end, Japanese Culture and Movement Consultant Derfler taught all of the performers how to wear the kimono, as well as how to move in it. For Ho, the dedication to cultural accuracy and the new experience of wearing a kimono in the traditional way adds to the depth of performing opera that she enjoys. 

“Performing in opera is a complex, complicated art form because it’s not only about singing,” the leading lady said. “You also have to give drama, the acting has to send the message to the audience — all while working with your costume and any props.

“It will be different from our normal clothing, which will be very interesting.”

In preparation for the show, Ho and her fellow opera professionals began rehearsals on Jan. 6, practicing six days a week. The three-week session, she said, was the perfect amount of time to memorize and prepare for the performance. 

For the audiences that intend to see “Madama Butterfly,” Ho said she recommends taking time to read the story and director’s notes first to expand their enjoyment, appreciation and understanding of the production. 

With the opening night just days away and the performance in Tucson the following week, Ho said that she, her fellow cast members will be sure to leave it all on the stage. The beauty of live performances, she said, is its inherent spontaneity — each show is a little bit different.  

“I’ll do my best and I’m sure everybody will do the same,” she said. “In live performances, every show will be different, as every day is different — it will be fun.” 

“Madama Butterfly”
WHERE: Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson
WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7
COST: Tickets start at $40
INFO: azopera.org