Madama Butterfly 101 – Characters and Plot
After more than a decade, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly returns to Opera Colorado this spring. The story and music of this magnificent opera have been shattering hearts for over a century. Learn about the characters and plot below, then see it live at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
Looking for the gist of the opera? Check out the Brief Version. If you want to understand more of the intricacies of Madama Butterfly, read through the Full Plot.
Performances of Madama Butterfly will take place May 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10 in 2026. Subscriptions are on sale now for the 2025-26 Season, with single tickets going on sale August 4. Subscribe today and get 20% off the single ticket pricing, or keep an eye out for single tickets!
Content Warning:
In the interest of sensitivity, we want to alert our audience to some potentially upsetting themes in the story of Madama Butterfly. In this particular blog, the following themes will appear in The Brief Version and The Full Plot sections: Death, Suicide, Violence, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The Details of Madama Butterfly
Composer – Giacomo Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924).
Librettists – Giuseppe Giacosa (October 21, 1847 – September 1, 1906) and Luigi Illica (May 9, 1857 – December 16, 1919).
Première – February 17, 1904 in Milan, Italy at Teatro alla Scala (Revised version: May 28, 1904 in Brescia, Italy at Teatro Grande).
Setting – Nagasaki, Japan in the early twentieth century.
Source – A play by David Belasco: Madame Butterfly, a short story by John Luther Long: Madame Butterfly, and Pierre Loti’s novel, Madame Chrysanthème.
The Characters of Madama Butterfly
Cio-Cio-San* / Madama Butterfly (soprano) – A young Japanese geisha whose once-respectable family fell on hard times—Butterfly hopes that her future with Lt. Pinkerton will bring her prosperity and love. Only fifteen, Butterfly is understandably naïve, but also deeply faithful to Pinkerton, bravely renouncing her religion to suit her new husband. Played by Eri Nakamura, making her Opera Colorado debut.
Lieutenant B.F.** Pinkerton (tenor) – An American naval officer visiting Japan who is set to marry Butterfly, though he cruelly plans to leave her soon after. Pinkerton may be charming, but his shallow, insensitive attitude leads him to make choices that cause Butterfly to suffer, which is why he is the opera’s antagonist. Played by Joseph Dennis, making his Opera Colorado debut.
Suzuki (mezzo-soprano) – Butterfly’s devoted maid who supports her mistress even when she doesn’t agree with her actions. Suzuki is always looking out for Butterfly, as she does not want her to suffer. Played by Kristen Choi, making her Opera Colorado debut.
Sharpless (baritone) – An American consul in Nagasaki, Sharpless acts as an intermediary between Pinkerton and Butterfly. Sharpless has a strong moral compass, and will try to protect Butterfly from Pinkerton. Played by Levi Hernandez, returning to Opera Colorado after playing Tonio in our 2020 production of Pagliacci and Marcello in our 2017 production of La bohème.
Goro (tenor) – The Japanese marriage broker Goro helps arrange the union of Butterfly and Pinkerton. Though he knows of Pinkerton’s plan to leave Butterfly, he is not concerned for the bride, since he benefits financially from their marriage. Played by Martin Bakari, returning to Opera Colorado after playing Pong in our 2023 production of Turandot.
The Bonze (bass) – Butterfly’s uncle, the Bonze is a Buddhist monk who greatly disapproves of Butterfly and Pinkerton’s marriage. The Bonze shames Butterfly for renouncing her religion and converting to Christianity to suit Pinkerton, leading to Butterfly’s terrible fate. Played by Young Bok Kim, returning to Opera Colorado after playing Ferrando in our 2025 production of Il trovatore in Concert and Timur in our 2023 production of Turandot.
More Characters: Prince Yamadori (tenor), Yakuside (bass), The Imperial Commissioner (bass), The Official Registrar (bass), Butterfly‘s mother (mezzo-soprano), The Aunt (soprano), The Cousin (soprano), Kate Pinkerton (mezzo-soprano), and Dolore (silent)
* “Cio-Cio” is an Italian transliteration of 蝶々 (pronounced “chō-chō”), which means “butterfly” in Japanese. The “-san” attached to her name is an honorific suffix used to address people respectfully. In the opera, many of the characters call Cio-Cio-San “Butterfly” in English, even though the opera is sung in Italian.
** “B.F.” is short for “Benjamin Franklin.”
The Brief Version of Madama Butterfly
Act One:
American Lieutenant Pinkerton is visiting Nagasaki, Japan, and makes a deal to marry the young Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly) and lease a house for 999 years. In reality, he’s not planning on staying very long, since he can break the lease and his marriage off quite easily—but his bride doesn’t know that. The two marry anyway, consummating their marriage later that evening.
Act Two:
Three years have passed since their wedding night, and Butterfly has spent most of them waiting for Pinkerton to return. Unbeknownst to her, Pinkerton married an American woman during his absence, and unbeknownst to him, Butterfly gave birth to Pinkerton’s son, Dolore.
Act Three:
Pinkerton and his new wife, Kate, arrive in Nagasaki, intending to bring Dolore back with them, but Pinkerton is too cowardly to face Butterfly. After hearing the news of her husband’s infidelity, Butterfly agrees to give up her child as long as Pinkerton sees her one last time. Before he does, Butterfly commits suicide.
The Full Plot of Madama Butterfly
Nagasaki, Japan in the early nineteenth century
Madama Butterfly — Act One
Nagasaki, Butterfly’s house
The American Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton is in Nagasaki, Japan, marveling at his new house with Goro, the Japanese marriage broker who helped him rent it. The 999-year lease of the house includes servants and a geisha, Cio-Cio-San (Butterfly). Though he’s not sure if he really loves Butterfly, Pinkerton sees this arrangement as fitting for his life as a roaming Yankee, seeking out pleasure. Pinkerton explains to Sharpless, the American consul, that he can not only break his lease (and his marriage) off at any time, but also that he intends to, since he eventually wants to marry an American woman. Sharpless warns him that Butterfly has fallen in love with Pinkerton and would be hurt by his actions, but the lieutenant dismisses him.
Next, Butterfly is introduced to Pinkerton. We learn that Butterfly’s family used to be wealthy, but suffered a loss when her father committed suicide at the request of the Emperor. Pinkerton also learns that Butterfly is only fifteen years old, and as a sign of devotion to him, has secretly converted to Christianity, renouncing her Buddhist faith. Soon after, Butterfly’s friends and family gather for the ceremony and Pinkerton and Butterfly are wed. During the toasts, Butterfly’s uncle, the uninvited Bonze exposes Butterfly’s secret conversion to the horror of her family and friends. This effectively cuts Butterfly off from her family, as they all leave, cursing her for her actions. That evening, Pinkerton comforts Butterfly and the two share a romantic moment before they consummate their marriage.
Madama Butterfly — Act Two
Three years later, at Butterfly and Pinkerton’s house
Three years have passed, and Butterfly has spent most of them waiting patiently for her husband. With her family estranged and her husband away, Butterfly and Suzuki are in a poor financial situation. Suzuki fears that Pinkerton will never return, but Butterfly is confident that he will keep his promise of returning in the spring, when the robins nest (though she doesn’t know when that is). Pinkerton has sent a letter to Butterfly informing her that he will not be returning, and Sharpless has the difficult task of reading it to Butterfly. Sharpless arrives with the letter and attempts to read it to her, but is interrupted with the arrival of Prince Yamadori. Accompanying the wealthy prince is Goro, who has been trying to set Butterfly up with other marriage prospects, since abandoned wives in Japan are automatically divorced. Yamadori proposes marriage to Butterfly, but she refuses, saying her husband has not abandoned her, and also that having married an American, she cannot be affected by Japanese law.
The two leave, and Sharpless, knowing the contents of Pinkerton’s letter, asks Butterfly to reconsider Yamadori’s proposal, as she’d benefit greatly from his financial support. In response, Butterfly reveals that she had Pinkerton’s child, who she named “Dolore” (meaning pain or sorrow), a name which she intends to change to “Gioia” (meaning joy) when his father returns. To gauge whether he should finish reading her the letter, Sharpless asks Butterfly what she would do in the event that Pinkerton did not return. She replies that she’d rather die by her own hand than go on living without Pinkerton. Promising to tell the lieutenant about his child, Sharpless leaves before reading her the rest of the letter, which he now cannot bring himself to finish. That night, Butterfly and Suzuki hear a cannon, and upon inspecting it with a telescope, realize it came from Pinkerton’s ship! The two prepare for his arrival.
Madama Butterfly — Act Three
Butterfly and Pinkerton’s house
As the sun rises the next morning, sailors bring in Pinkerton’s ship. Butterfly, Suzuki, and Dolore have been waiting for Pinkerton’s arrival, but he has not appeared. Suzuki urges Butterfly to get some sleep, and so she retires with her son in another room. Soon after, at the house, Suzuki finds Pinkerton with an American woman, who Sharpless identifies as Pinkerton’s new wife, Kate. The consul explains that Kate has agreed to look after Dolore with Pinkerton to raise him in America. Since what he feared has come true, Sharpless chastises Pinkerton for his thoughtlessness to Butterfly’s feelings, and Pinkerton is ashamed with himself. Despite his remorse, Pinkerton is too much of a coward to face Butterfly, and he runs away.
Kate, Suzuki, and Sharpless are left to explain the grave situation to Butterfly. Butterfly awakens and rushes to try to find Pinkerton, but finds Kate and the others instead. After they explain the situation, Butterfly agrees to give up her son as long as Pinkerton comes to see her and their son beforehand. She then asks that Kate, Sharpless, and Suzuki leave her for the next thirty minutes. Alone, Butterfly prays to her ancestors and resolves to commit suicide using the blade her father used when he did the same. Before she can do so, her son rushes in. She says farewell and blindfolds him. Behind a screen door, Butterfly stabs herself. Pinkerton arrives, calling out to her.
Are you ready to see the opera live?
This devastating story finally returns to Opera Colorado, with performances May 2, 5, 7, 8, and 10. Subscriptions are on sale now, and allow you to see both La traviata and Madama Butterfly for 20% off single ticket pricing. Subscriptions begin as low as $79.
Single tickets to Madama Butterfly go on sale August 4.
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Let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing onstage in Madama Butterfly in the comments below!