Directed by
GARY HALVORSON

Conductor
PATRICK SUMMERS

Production
ANTHONY MINGHELLA

Director and Choreographer
CAROLYN CHOA

Set Designer
MICHAEL LEVINE

Costume Designer
HAN FENG

Lighting Designer
PETER MUMFORD

Puppetry
BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE
MARK DOWN
NICK BARNES

Host
RENÉE FLEMING

Cast in order of vocal appearance

Lt. B.F. Pinkerton
MARCELLO GIORDANI

Goro
GREG FEDDERLY

Suzuki
MARIA ZIFCHAK

U.S. Consul Sharpless
DWAYNE CROFT

Cio-Cio-San
PATRICIA RACETTE

Cio-Cio-San’s Relatives

Cousin
LAURA FRIES

Mother
LINDA MAYS

Uncle Yakuside
STEPHEN PAYNTER

Aunt
JEAN BRAHAM

Imperial Commissioner
KEITH MILLER

The Registrar
CHRISTIAN JEONG

The Bonze, Cio-Cio-San’s Uncle
DEAN PETERSON

Yamadori
DAVID WON

Kate Pinkerton
EDYTA KULCZAK

Cio-Cio-San’s Child
KEVIN AUGUSTINE
TOM LEE
MARC PETROSINO

Ballet

Female Solo
HSIN PING CHANG

Male Solo
JAMES GRABER

Chorus Master
DONALD PALUMBO

Assistant Choreographer
ANITA GRIFFIN

Musical Preparation
ROBERT MYERS
DONNA RACIK
ROBERT MORRISON
GARETH MORRELL
JOSHUA GREENE
HEMDI KFIR

Assistant Stage Directors
GREGORY KELLER
PAULA WILLIAMS

Dramaturg
PAUL CREMO

Prompter
DONNA RACIK

Met Titles
CHRISTOPHER BERGEN

Puppets made by
BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE

A METROPOLITAN OPERA HIGH-DEFINITION PRODUCTION

Supervising Producers
MIA BONGIOVANNI
ELENA PARK

Producers
LOUISA BRICCETTI
VICTORIA WARIVONCHIK

Music Producer
JAY DAVID SAKS

Associate Director
CHRISTINE CLARK BRADLEY

Engineer-in-Charge
MARK SCHUBIN

Technical Supervisor
RON WASHBURN

Technical Director
EMMETT LOUGHRAN

Production Mixer
TOM HOLMES

Audio Supervisor
BILL KING

Television Lighting
WAYNE CHOUINARD

Writers
MATT DOBKIN
ELLEN KEEL

Video
BILLY STEINBERG
PAUL RANIERI
MATTY RANDAZZO

Camera
MIGUEL ARMSTRONG
MANNY GUTIERREZ
CHARLIE HUNTLEY
JAY MILLARD
ALAIN ONESTO
DAVID SMITH
RON WASHBURN
MARK WHITMAN

Robotic Camera Technicians
RICK COMPEAU
MARTIN MARIETTA
RON TRAVISANO

Audio Operations Director
JOHN KERSWELL

Audio
JOHN BATES
CHRIS CALLUS
LOUISE DE LA FUENTE
MATTHEW GALEK
ED HARTLEY
KEN HUNOLD
SKIP KENT
STEVE LAMPHERE
SEAN McCLINTOCK
BLAKE NORTON

Videotape
ALAN BUCHNER
STEVEN JOYCE

Television Stage Managers
TERENCE BENSON
DOUG FOGEL
ARTHUR LEWIS

Subtitles Cued by
JOHN GELLER

Broadcast Graphics
DEBORAH CAVANAUGH

Score Consultant
BENJAMIN SOSLAND

Make-up for Ms. Racette
MATIKI ANOFF

Media Librarian/Archivist
MICHAEL GRIEBEL

Production Associates
ALEXANDRA EASTMAN
YOLANDA S. WILLIAMS

BACKSTAGE AT THE MET

Director
DEBBIE MILLER

Associate Director
KAREN McLAUGHLIN

Production Supervisor
HILARY LEY

Associate Producers
MARISA BIAGGI
MATTHEW PRINCIPE

Field Producer
BARRY GOODMAN

Camera
LARRY SOLOMON

Steadicam
JOE DE BONIS

Assistant Camera
KEVIN MURPHY

Head Utility
JAMES WASHBURN

Utility
FRANK BOURASSA
MIKE CATABANO
KEITH CONOD
MIKE MORAN

OPENING AND INTERMISSION FEATURES

Opening Title Sequence by
SAKAE ISHIKAWA

Renée Fleming’s wardrobe provided by
ESCADA

Production Assistants
LISA HAMPTON
ALYSE HORN
ENZO E. MARTINEZ
HARRIET SNYDER
DOROTHY YANG

Video Editor
GARY BRADLEY

On-line Editor
SCOTT CUMBO

Audio Editor
JOHN BOWEN

Post-Production Audio Mix
KEN HAHN

Post-Production Manager
MONA OBERMAN

METROPOLITAN OPERA ASSOCIATION

General Manager
PETER GELB

Music Director
JAMES LEVINE

ASSISTANT MANAGERS

Artistic
SARAH BILLINGHURST

Production
LESLEY KOENIG

Editorial & Creative Content
ELENA PARK

Operations
STEWART PEARCE

Development
CORALIE TOEVS

Director of Communications
LEE ABRAHAMIAN

Director of Media & Presentations
MIA BONGIOVANNI

Director of Worldwide HD Distribution
JULIE BORCHARD-YOUNG

Acting Chief Financial Officer
DIANA FORTUNA

Artistic Administrator
JONATHAN FRIEND

General Counsel
SHARON E. GRUBIN

Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations
ANN MARIE HACKETT

Director of Development
ELIZABETH HURLEY

Director of Marketing
KAREN KARP

Director of the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery Met
DODIE KAZANJIAN

House Manager
JAMES NAPLES

Director of National Council Auditions
GAYLETHA NICHOLS

Director of Music Administration
CRAIG RUTENBERG

Technical Director
JOHN SELLARS

Director of Archives
ROBERT TUGGLE

Senior Artistic Advisor
EVA WAGNER-PASQUIER

Executive Director of Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
BRIAN ZEGER

Director of New Business Development
LAURA MITGANG

METROPOLITAN OPERA ORCHESTRA

Orchestra Manager
ROBERT SIRINEK

Concertmaster
LAURA HAMILTON

Librarian
ROBERT SUTHERLAND

METROPOLITAN OPERA CHORUS

Chorus Master
DONALD PALUMBO

Assistant Chorus Master
JOSEPH LAWSON

METROPOLITAN OPERA BALLET

Dance Director
JOSEPH FRITZ

Deputy Dance Director
ANDREW ROBINSON

Stage Managers
THERESA GANLEY
GARY DIETRICH
MARGO MAIER-MOUL
THOMAS H. CONNELL III

STAGE OPERATIONS

Master Carpenter
STEPHEN A. DIAZ

Master Electrician
PAUL DONAHUE

Properties Master
JAMES R. BLUMENFELD

Wig and Hair Stylist
TOM WATSON

Make-up Artist
VICTOR CALLEGARI

Wardrobe Supervisor
WILLIAM MALLOY

Costume Shop Head
LESLEY WESTON

Resident Costume Designer
SYLVIA NOLAN

Met Titles Supervisor
MICHAEL PANAYOS

Production Facilities
ALL MOBILE VIDEO INC.
ATLANTIC CINE EQUIPMENT (ACE)
DOLBY LABORATORIES
REMOTE RECORDING

Media Counsel
FRANKLIN, WEINRIB,
RUDELL & VASALLO, P.C.

HD Press Representatives
PETER E. CLARK
CHARLIE SIEDENBURG

The stage production of Madama Butterfly is made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Sid R. Bass

Madama Butterfly is a co-production with English National Opera and the Lithuanian National Opera

For GREAT PERFORMANCES

Series Producer
BILL O’DONNELL

Executive Producer
DAVID HORN

A Metropolitan Opera production in association with PBS and WNET.ORG

Executive Producer
PETER GELB

Watch a preview:

Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

Minghella, who died unexpectedly in March 2008, marks his debut in opera with the re-staging of Madama Butterfly – this is also the first time in 20 years that a new production has opened at the Met. The New York Times described it as “a gorgeous cinematic spectacle.”

Soprano Patricia Racette stars as Cio-Cio-San, the young geisha who chooses to die honorably, rather than suffer in shame after learning of her husband’s betrayal. Racette returns to the Met stage after her first appearance in the title role drew a wide-range of critical acclaim. “Her singing was robust, nuanced and passionate,” raved The New York Times. “In every dimension, Ms. Racette’s effort was exceptional; hers is a performance not to be missed.” Tenor Marcello Giordani co-stars as Cio-Cio-San’s American husband Pinkerton. The telecast also features mezzo-soprano Maria Zifchak as Cio-Cio-San’s maid Suzuki and baritone Dwayne Croft as Sharpless.

Madama Butterfly, conducted by Patrick Summers, features costumes by Han Feng, with sets by Michael Levine, lighting by Peter Mumford, choreography by Carolyn Choa, and puppetry by the Blind Summit Theater.

Great Performances at the Met: Madama Butterfly is the ninth of 11 productions airing this season on the series. It is sung in Italian with English surtitles. The production was transmitted onstage as part of The Met: Live in HD March 7, 2009, and recorded for this telecast.

Ranked as number one in Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America, Madama Butterfly wasn’t well-received when it opened initally in February 1904. Puccini revised the opera, and several months later, it opened to much success.

Great Performances is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers, and PBS. Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers. Special funding for the telecast was provided by The Annenberg Foundation.

For the Met, Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn is executive producer.

Producer: Anu Krishnan
Designer: Lenny Drozner
Graphic Art: Ying Zhou-Hudson, Emily Nonouchi
Technical Director: Brian Lee
Production Assistant: Diana Cofresí-Terrero
Copy Editor: Leslie Kriesel
HTML Implementation: Brian Santalone

GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages copyright © 2007 Educational Broadcasting Corporation.

Thirteen Online is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York’s Kravis Multimedia Education Center in New York City. Anthony Chapman, Director of Interactive & Broadband. Bob Adleman, Business Manager. Carmen DiRienzo, Vice President and Managing Director, Corporate Affairs.

Television Credits

GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET: “Peter Grimes”

Coming Soon…

<!–Directed by
Gary Halvorson

Conductor
James Levine

Production
Julie Taymor

Set Design
George Tsypin

Costume Design
Julie Taymor

Lighting Design
Donald Holder

Puppet Design
Julie Taymor
Michael Curry

Choreographer
Mark Dendy

English Adaptation
J. D. McClatchy

Characters in Order of Vocal Appearance
Tamino
Matthew Polenzani

First Lady
Wendy Bryn Harmer

Second Lady
Kate Lindsey

Third Lady
Tamara Mumford

Papageno
Nathan Gunn

Queen of the Night
Erika Miklósa

First Slave
Stephen Paynter

Second Slave
Kenneth Floyd

Third Slave
Gregory Cross

Monostatos
Greg Fedderly

Pamina
Ying Huang

First Spirit
Bennett Kosma

Second Spirit
Jesse Burnside Murray

Third Spirit
Jacob A. Wade

Speaker
David Pittsinger

Sarastro
René Pape

First Priest
Brian Davis

Second Priest
Tony Stevenson

Papagena
Jennifer Aylmer

First Guard
Michael Myers

Second Guard
Robert Lloyd

Solo Dancer
Rachel Schuette

Flute Solo
Michael Parloff

Chorus Master
Raymond Hughes

Musical Preparation
Jane Klaviter
Robert Morrison
Joshua Greene
Jens Georg Bachmann
Milos Repicky

Assistant Stage Directors
David Kneuss
J. Knighten Smit
Kathleen Smith Belcher

Libretto Consultant
Paul Cremo

Prompter
Jane Klaviter

Met Titles
Michael Panayos

English Diction Coach
Linda Gates

Children’s Chorus Director
Elena Doria

Projection Designer
Caterina Bertolotto

Makeup Designer
Reiko Kruk

Associate Set Designer
Iosef Yusupov

Associate Costume Designer
Mary Peterson

A Metropolitan Opera High-Definition Production
Supervising Producers
Mia Bongiovanni
Elena Park

Producers
Louisa Briccetti
Victoria Warivonchik

Audio Producer
Jay David Saks

Associate Director
Christine Clark Bradley

Engineer-in-Charge
Mark Schubin

Technical Supervisor
Ron Washburn

Technical Director
Emmett Loughran

Audio Supervisor
Bill King

Television Lighting
Wayne Chouinard

Writers
William Berger
Ellen Keel

Camera
Miguel Armstrong
Hank Geving
Manny Gutierrez
Charlie Huntley
John Kosmaczewski
Jay Millard
Alain Onesto
David Smith
Larry Solomon
Ron Washburn
Mark Whitman

Video
Billy Steinberg
Matty Randazzo
Paul Ranieri

Audio
Mel Becker
Chris Callus
Paul Cohen
Michael Shoskes
Shawn Walsh

Videotape
Alan Buchner
Steven Joyce

Television Stage Managers
Terence Benson
Karen Mclaughlin

English Subtitles Adapted by
Sonya Friedman

Broadcast Graphics
Deborah Cavanaugh

Score Reader
John Geller

Opening Segment
Director
Pat Jaffe

Lighting
Mitchell Bogard

Editor
Ernie Fritz

Post Production
Video Editor
Gary Bradley

Additional Video Editing
Eric Singer
Laura Young

Audio Editor
John Bowen

Post-Production Audio Mix
Ken Hahn

Production Secretary
Yolanda S. Williams

Production Assistants
Michael Griebel
Alyse Horn
Allegra Lucas
Enzo E. Martinez
Vanessa Palo
Harriet Snyder

Metropolitan Opera Association
General Manager
Peter Gelb

Music Director
James Levine

Assistant Managers
Sarah Billinghurst
Joseph Clark
Elena Park
Stewart Pearce
Bill Thomas
Coralie Toevs

Director of Media & Presentations
Mia Bongiovanni

Artistic Administrator
Jonathan Friend

General Counsel
Sharon E. Grubin

Senior Artistic Advisor
Eva Wagner-Pasquier

Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations
Ann Marie Hackett

Director of Music Administration
Craig Rutenberg

House Manager
James Naples

Chief Financial Officer
Marvin Suchoff

Press Director
Sommer Hixson

Director, New Business Development
Laura Mitgang

Marketing Director
Julie Borchard-Young

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Orchestra Manager
Robert Sirinek

Concertmaster
David Chan

Librarian
Robert Sutherland

Metropolitan Opera Chorus

Metropolitan Opera Ballet
Ballet Mistress
Diana Levy

Stage Managers
Thomas H. Connell, III
Raymond Menard
Scott Moon
Theresa Ganley
Margo Maier

Stage Operations
Master Carpenter
Stephen A. Diaz

Master Electrician
Paul Donahue

Properties Master
James R. Blumenfeld

Wig and Hair Stylist
Tom Watson

Makeup Artist
Victor Callegari

Wardrobe Supervisor
William Malloy

Costume Shop Head
Lesley Weston

Resident Costume Designer
Sylvia Nolan

Production Facilities
All Mobile Video Inc.
Dolby Laboratories

Remote Recording
Tandberg Television

Media Counsel
Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo, P.C.

This abridged production of “The Magic Flute” is made possible by generous gifts from Bill Rollnick and Nancy Ellison Rollnick and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

The original production of “Die Zauberflöte” was made possible by a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. Kravis

Additional generous stage production funding was received from
John van Meter
The Annenberg Foundation
Karen and Kevin Kennedy
Bill Rollnick and Nancy Ellison Rollnick
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Miller
Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman
and
Mr. and Mrs. Ezra K. Zilkha

For GREAT PERFORMANCES
David Horn
Series Producer

Bill O’Donnell
Director, Program Development

Barry Schulman
Executive Producer

A Metropolitan Opera production in association with PBS/Thirteen WNET New York

Executive Producer
Peter Gelb

Copyright 2006

The contents of these GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages are copyrighted under United States and other copyright laws. You may not download, reproduce, transmit, display, distribute or make derivative works from the contents of the GREAT PERFORMANCES Web pages other than for personal use without the advance written permission of the copyright owner. Any unauthorized use of any of the contents of the GREAT PERFORMANCES Online Web pages may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

Nick Heavican/Metropolitan Opera

Composer: Benjamin Britten

Librettists: Montague Slater

Production: John Doyle

Conductor: Donald Runnicles

Performers: Anthony Dean Griffey (Peter Grimes), Patricia Racette (Ellen Orford), Anthony Michaels-Moore (Balstrode)

Synopsis:
Acclaimed tenor Anthony Dean Griffey tackles the title role in Benjamin Britten’s haunting Peter Grimes. Under investigation for unthinkable transgressions, Grimes proclaims his innocence in the face of the unrelenting accusations of his fellow townspeople. Director John Doyle—a Tony Award-winner for his interpretation of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd on Broadway—makes his Met debut answering the challenges of this modern masterpiece. Joining Griffey’s Grimes is Patricia Racette as Ellen Orford, the woman who stands by him, with Donald Runnicles conducting.

Opera synopsis courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.

Funding for GREAT PERFORMANCES AT THE MET: “Peter Grimes” has been provided by Toll Brothers, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation, the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation, Miami, Florida, and PBS.

Related Web Sites

• Donald Runnicles, Conductor
• Anthony Dean Griffey, Tenor
• Patricia Racette, Soprano