Madama Butterfly

Renata Scotto was particularly acclaimed for her searing portrayal of Cio-Cio-San, the teenaged geisha known as Madama Butterfly in Puccini’s “Japanese tragedy.” This broadcast, recorded less than three months after her Met debut in the same role, captures all the emotional intensity of her performance, from youthful exuberance to defiance to eventual defeat. The cast also includes John Alexander as U.S. Navy Lieutenant Pinkerton, Joann Grillo as Suzuki, Butterfly’s faithful maid, and John Robert Dunlap as Sharpless, the American consul who is helpless to prevent the tragedy.