Moffatt Oxenbould’s production of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly will return to the stage for Opera Australia’s first multi-city international tour to China in October. In partnership with XDR Cultural Promotions and Poly Theatre Management Co. Ltd, the company will perform eight performances across four Chinese cities: Tianjin, Qingdao, Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

Alexia Voulgaridou as Madama Butterfly for OA in 2015. Photograph © Jeff Busby

The much-loved, tragic opera tells the tale of two lovers, separated by culture, oceans and time. Opera Australia CEO, Rory Jeffes, said, “Madama Butterfly is one of the world’s most popular operas and we’re thrilled to be taking this celebrated production abroad.”

The performances will be sung in Italian with Mandarin surtitles; in recent years, a number of Opera Australia’s performances have included Simplified Chinese surtitles to increase the accessibility for visiting audiences. Jeffes said: “it’s a joy to, on this occasion, go one step further and take a production directly to audiences across China. It is a wonderful opportunity.”

Oxenbould’s production will be revived by director Andy Morton. The seasoned cast will include soprano Hyeseoung Kwon as Cio-Cio-San, also known as Madama Butterfly, mezzo Agnes Sarkis as Suzuki, and a host of other...