Welcoming back the fabulous Korean soprano Elena Dee, Ukrainian soprano Alyona Kistenyova and Ukrainian mezzo-soprano Natalia Matveeva*
Back by overwhelming public demand, this award-winning Opera returns in a new production with exquisite sets including a spectacular Japanese garden and fabulous costumes including antique wedding kimonos from Japan.
Above all it was a production which captured the raw emotion at the centre of the opera. Don’t take a handkerchief with you, take a box of them.- The Independent
One of the world’s most popular operas, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly tells the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant – with dramatic results.
Highlights include the melodic Humming Chorus, the moving aria One Fine Day and the unforgettable Love Duet.
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
*Cast subject to change.
Sunderland Empire
Vesta Tilley laid the foundation stone of what is now the Sunderland Empire on 29 September 1906 and took to the stage on 1 July 1907 to officially declare the theatre open. Masterminded by two of the contemporary heads of British theatre, Edward Moss and Osward Stoll, the Sunderland Empire Theatre has undergone many changes since it opened but remains the North East’s premier entertainment venue.