Madama Butterfly | Athens | October & November

The Greek National Opera returns with a scaled-down production of Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” with a reduced orchestra playing Ettore Panizza’s instrumentation. Nevertheless, it still includes the impressive staging of the GNO’s landmark 2013 production, directed by Argentina’s Hugo De Ana, who has also designed the amazing sets and costumes. Cio-Cio-san is played alternately by Ermonela Jaho, Cellia Costea and Kristine Opolais, and Lieutenant F.B. Pinkerton by Gianluca Terranova and Dimitris Paksoglou. Shows at the GNO’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) stage take place on October 14, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25 and 30, and November 1, 8 and 15. The GNO chose to stage the opera now to mark the 80th anniversary of Butterfly’s historic premiere at the GNO on October 25, 1940, three days before the start of the Greco-Italian war. Seating is restricted because of health regulations and can be booked online at nationalopera.gr.

SNFCC, 364 Syngrou, Kallithea, box office tel 213.088.5700