San Diego Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly:’ A Grand Opera

Commentary There are few opportunities that allow for true grandeur these days. Going to the grand opera is one of those rare experiences. San Diego is fortunate to have a fine opera company in its downtown area. Having gone to see three of their mainstage opera productions during the last year, I’ve come to really appreciate San Diego Opera’s high artistic caliber. On April 26, I had the pleasure of seeing their production of “Madama Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini at the Civic Auditorium. San Diego Opera generally puts on three full opera productions per season. “Madama Butterfly” was the third opera of the 2023-2024 season. This is one of Puccini’s most famous operas, with a recognizable title which even those who don’t know a lot about opera will likely know. Puccini is one of my favorite opera composers, and I love singing and watching excerpts from this opera. However, I was less familiar with the plot than some of his other works, never having seen or listened to the whole production before. It was an amazing experience to see this opera performed live in the packed theater from an orchestra level seat....