Madama Butterfly (Puccini)

Giacomo Puccini’s *Madama Butterfly* is a three-act opera that traces a young Japanese woman’s marriage to an American naval officer and the slow unspooling of hope into sacrifice. Heard in New York City for more than a century, it has long been part of the city’s operatic bloodstream, shaping conversations about East–West fantasy and the costs of power. This production is presented at the Hungarian House of New York, in a setting that keeps the drama at close range. One hard truth remains: its emotional precision coexists with cultural stereotypes that modern audiences cannot ignore.