Stage Director

Director

Opera Grand Rapids proudly presents the Michigan premiere of Stuck Elevator, a groundbreaking chamber opera by composer Byron Au Yong and librettist Aaron Jafferis. Inspired by the true story of an undocumented Chinese immigrant trapped in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours, this genre-defying work fuses opera, hip-hop, and spoken word to illuminate the unseen struggles of immigrant life in urban America. This landmark production features an all native Chinese-speaking cast and the first all-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creative team to stage the opera, under the visionary direction of Mo Zhou, marking a significant milestone in the work’s performance history.

EPSG:4326

Stuck Elevator

Betty Van Andel Opera Center

A young Japanese woman falls for an American naval officer who promises more than he plans to deliver. A transporting story with a gutting conclusion.

Madama Butterfly

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Juilliard Opera Presents Mozart’s "Così fan tutte"

The Juilliard School

Indulge in the timeless allure of Puccini's masterpiece, Madama Butterfly, where Japanese traditions meet American dreams. As the exquisite melodies of Puccini's iconic score unfold, experience an exploration of love, sacrifice, and cultural collision. Delve into a world brimming with raw emotion as Cio-Cio San faces heartbreak, and her unwavering devotion leads to a devastating sacrifice for the future of her child.

Marcus Performing Arts Center

Madama Butterfly is a timeless Puccini masterpiece, where Japanese traditions meet American dreams. Join us for an opportunity to hear from our stage director, conductor, and lead soprano about the exquisite melodies, exploration of love, sacrifice, and cultural collision in this production!

Our Versed series takes place as an intimate gathering in our very own Lueders Opera Center in the Riverwest neighborhood. These are FREE and open to the public.

Versed: Madama Butterfly

Wayne and Kristine Lueders Opera Center

Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of opera this summer at The Glimmerglass Festival with the 2024 production of Francesco Cavalli's "La Calisto." This captivating performance, under the artistic and general direction of Rob Ainsley, brings to life a sparkling early opera that masterfully combines comedy, pathos, gods, mortals, and even a few rutting satyrs. Ainsley's 2013 realization of the score expands Cavalli’s original continuo and strings with original parts for winds and brass, promising a rich and immersive auditory experience.

"La Calisto" weaves together two myths of transformation, delivering a hilarious caper filled with mistaken identities, raunchy trysts, and celestial magic. Set in the midst of Cavalli's career, the opera was designed to entertain and amuse the discerning Venetian public. This bold take on the classic opera will be conducted by Ainsley, directed by Mo Zhou, and choreographed by Eric Sean Fogel, featuring set design by Charlie Corcoran, costume design by Carlos Soto, and lighting design by Amith Chandrashaker.

The opera, sung in Italian with projected English text, runs for approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes. Performances are scheduled from July 23 to August 17, 2024, offering multiple opportunities to experience this magnificent production.

The story follows Jove's attempts to seduce the beautiful nymph Calisto, a follower of the goddess Diana who has taken a vow of chastity. The plot thickens with mistaken identities, unrequited loves, and divine interventions, leading to unexpected transformations and celestial destinies.

Generously sponsored by Allison and W. Keyes Hill-Edgar, the cast features Emilie Kealani as Calisto, Taylor Raven as Diana/Jove as Diana, Eve Gigliotti as Juno, Craig Irvin as Jove, and a talented ensemble that brings this mythological world to life.

Don't miss your chance to be part of this myth, mystery, and adventure at The Glimmerglass Festival. Secure your tickets now for a summer filled with unforgettable opera experiences.

La Calisto

Alice Busch Opera Theater

Opera makes a resounding return to Kalamazoo with a symphonic-staged performance of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. Sweeping melodies and soaring vocals beautifully capture this tragic story of love, sacrifice, and redemption. 

Opera Returns! Puccini's Tosca

Miller Auditorium

Bound by tradition and honor, a young Japanese maiden is left to face an unspeakable aftermath when abandoned by a reckless American naval officer. Puccini’s haunting score is filled with unforgettable music of unparalleled beauty that will stay with you forever. Productions in Norfolk, Fairfax, and Richmond.

George Mason University

Dominion Energy Center

Virginia Opera’s season comes to a stunning close with Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, one of opera’s most beloved works. Bound by tradition and honor, a young Japanese maiden is left to face an unspeakable aftermath when abandoned by a reckless American naval officer. Puccini’s haunting score is filled with unforgettable music of unparalleled beauty that will stay with you forever.

Harrison Opera House

The Big Swim, commissioned by Houston Grand Opera in partnership with Asia Society Texas Center , is a contemporary fable that fuses diverse influences into a single, compelling whole. Composer Meilina Tsui and librettist Melisa Tien have crafted a witty, heartwarming one-act opera that intentionally crosses boundaries between the traditional and modern, Eastern and Western, and classical and non-classical. In a new retelling of the race, the 12 animals learn that fierce competition is not as crucial as caring for and supporting one another, side by side.

The Big Swim

Asia Society Texas Center

The time: 2011. The place: Brooklyn, New York. This is the setting for this unique vision of Puccini’s most famous opera. A time of restless energy, and a spirit of protest that led to Occupy Wall St. It’s a La bohème unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Puccini's La bohème

Granada Theatre

Rinaldo’s colorful, tune-filled story of love, war, and redemption comes to MN Opera for the first time ever. In this magical tale filled with memorable melodies, our hero must save his innocent, true love from a sorcerer who will stop at nothing to gain victory. The opera sweeps the audience from laughter to heartbreak and back again in this enchanting musical fantasy where love triumphs over darkness. 

Rinaldo

Luminary Arts Center

Madama Butterfly makes its highly anticipated return to Opera Colorado, bringing Puccini’s emotionally charged masterpiece to the stage. This iconic opera tells the story of Cio-Cio San, a young Japanese geisha whose unwavering devotion to an American naval officer leads to devastating heartbreak. With its lush, soaring melodies and timeless themes of love and betrayal, Madama Butterfly remains one of opera’s most moving works.

Denver Performing Arts Complex

Opera Grand Rapids concludes its 2025–26 season with a bold reimagining of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, a poignant tale of survival, betrayal, and cultural collision. This landmark production marks Opera Grand Rapids’ first-ever international co-production, in partnership with Calgary Opera and Arizona Opera. Led by an all-female, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) creative team, the production offers a fresh, culturally informed perspective on this timeless classic.

Stage Director, Director

Mo Zhou

Events

Upcoming events

2 - 10 May, 2026

Madama Butterfly · Opera Colorado

15 - 16 May, 2026

Madama Butterfly · Opera Grand Rapids

Past events

20 - 21 Feb, 2026

Stuck Elevator · Opera Grand Rapids

1 - 7 Nov, 2025

Madama Butterfly · Calgary Opera

About

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