M. Butterfly is a play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei Pu, a male Peking opera singer. The play premiered on Broadway in 1988 and won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play. The play was inspired by Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly. The first act introduces the main character, Rene Gallimard, who is a civil servant attached to the French embassy in China. He falls in love with a beautiful Chinese opera diva, Song Liling, who is actually a man masquerading as a woman. In traditional Beijing opera, females were banned from the stage; all female roles (dan) were played by males. The first act ends with Gallimard returning to France in shame and living alone after his wife, Helga, finds out about his affair with Song and leaves him.
M Butterfly – Cort Theatre
First Preview 07, Oct 2017
Opening Night 26, Oct 2017
ClosedDec 17, 2017
Cast
Clive Owen – Rene Gallimard
Jin Ha – Broadway debut – Song Liling
Clea Alsip – Broadway debut Pinup Girl, Renee
Murray Bartlett – Broadway debut Pinkerton, Marc
Michael Countryman – Sharpless, Toulon, Judge
Celeste Den – Broadway debut Comrade Chin
Jess Fry – Broadway debut Dancer
Enid Graham – Agnes
Jason Garcia Ignacio – Broadway debut Dancer
Kristen Faith Oei – Dancer
Scott Weber – Broadway debut Dancer
Swings: Emmanuel Brown and Erica Wong
Understudies: Thomas Michael Hammond (Pinkerton, Marc, Rene Gallimard), Jake Manabat (Song Liling), Kristen Faith Oei (Comrade Chin), Erica Sweany (Agnes, Pinup Girl, Renee) and John Leonard Thompson (Sharpless, Toulon, Judge)
Reviews
Crew
Writtten by David Henry Hwang
Original music by Elliot Goldenthal
Directed by Julie Taymor
Choreographed by Ma Cong
Scenic Design by Paul Steinberg
Costume Design by Constance Hoffman
Lighting Design by Donald Holder
Sound Design by Will Pickens
Hair and Wig Design by Dave Boya
Make-Up Design by Judy Chin
