The geisha Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, reveals herself to Lt. B. F. Pinkerton on their wedding day in Nagasaki, Japan.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, arrives with much fanfare on her wedding day.
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Cio-Cio-San's uncle Yakuside, played by Jonathan Thomas, curses Cio-Cio-San for renouncing her ancestral religion and marrying Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania.
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Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, draws his sword on Cio-Cio-San's uncle Yakuside, played by Jonathan Thomas.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, flirts with Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania.
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Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, celebrate their wedding day.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, comforts Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, on their wedding night.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, sing of their love together on their wedding day.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Lt. B. F. Pinkerton, played by Dinyar Vania, sing in the moonlight on their wedding night.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, and Suzuki, played by Elizabeth Tredent, patiently await the return of Lt. B. F. Pinkerton after an absence of three years.
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Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, holds a letter from her husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, embraces her son Sorrow, played by Nick Rohaus.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, sings of her love for her long absent husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, known as Butterfly, played by Elizabeth Caballero, is overcome with emotion upon learning of the return of her long absent husband Lt. B. F. Pinkerton.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Upon his return to Nagasaki, Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, holds a flower Cio-Cio-San used to decorate their home. Pinkerton, however, has only returned to take their son back to America.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Sharpless, U.S. consul, played by Weston Hurt, (from left) greets Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, on his return to Nagasaki.
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Sharpless, U.S. consul, played by Weston Hurt, (from left) and Kate Pinkerton, played by Angela Gribble, attempt to convince Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero to give them her son to raise in America.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, prepares to commit suicide in her sorrow at losing both her son and husband, and so that she may die with honor.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, bids goodbye to her son Sorrow, played by Nick Rohaus.
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Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero, commits suicide.
Credit Julie Denesha / KCUR
Lt. B. F. Pinkerton played by Dinyar Vania, arrives too late to save Cio-Cio-San, played by Elizabeth Caballero.
The tragic tale of love and betrayal marks the return of soprano Elizabeth Caballero to the Lyric Opera as the title character in "Madama Butterfly." Cabellero performed the role of Liù, a slave girl, in the Lyric's production of "Turandot" in 2011.
