Do you know the story of Madame Butterfly? It’s set in the time when Japan was first opened to outside trade, the late 1800s to the early 1900s. I have *not* seen this or read it yet, I’ve just read several descriptions of the story.
The gist of the story is that she’s unwittingly involved in a fake marriage to an American soldier. She’s young and naive and renounces her religion and therefore her family to throw her heart at this man. He enjoys her thoroughly and then goes home to the US and begins a life with a new and legal, wife.
She waits for him for several years, disregarding what anyone has to say about the matter.
He continually wimps out on telling her what’s really going on by electing others around him to tell her and she never believes them..she finally accepts the news when his American wife tells Madame Butterfly about the legal marriage and offers to take the child Madame Butterfuly bore after their short interlude.
M. Butterfly agrees to give up the child if her ‘husband’ will come for the child in half an hour. During that half hour, M. Butterfly commits suicide.
The story is an old one. It first showed up in 1887, morphing to Madame Butterfly in 1904, and then finally Miss Saigon in 1989.
The McNay Museum is presenting an exhibit covering the story from 1887 until present time. Available to view will be costumes, photos, manuscripts and props.
From the press release:
The exhibition also surveys modern versions of Puccini’s opera including David Henry Hwang’s 1988 play M. Butterfly, Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss Saigon, which show how the Butterfly story has been re-envisioned for new generations. Madame Butterfly: From Puccini to Miss Saigon reveals the timelessness of the Butterfly tale and examines ways in which the story’s portrayals of race and gender reflect Western misunderstandings of Asia.
Visiting and parking at the McNay musuem is free, though there is a suggested donation of $5 per adult for admission. This exhibition is available until July 29th and there are several others running during this time. The musuem is located at 6000 North New Braunfels here in San Antonio.
If you go, please make sure to leave a comment sharing how you liked it!
