"M. Butterfly" and "Madame Butterfly": What's the difference? The Guthrie explains
"There seems to be some confusion," writes Melodie Bahan, director of communications at the Guthrie, about the play M. Butterfly "and its relationship to the opera Madame Butterfly." In an e-mail to the press corps, Bahan offers a "handy chart" to help differentiate between the two. If journalists are confused, you may be as well. For your amusement and edification, here's the chart, taken verbatim from Bahan's e-mail.
| Title | M. Butterfly | Madame Butterfly |
| Author | David Henry Hwang, Chinese-American playwright | Giacomo Puccini, Italian composer |
| First Premiered | On Broadway in 1988 | At La Scala in 1904 |
| Genre | Play | Opera |
| Is it a Musical? | No | No, it's an opera. |
| Does it contain music? | Puccini's opera is referenced in the play and some of the music from it is heard | Yes, it's an opera. |
| Setting | China and France | Japan |
| Main Characters | French diplomat Rene Gallimard and Chinese opera performer Song Liling | U.S. Navy Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton and Japanese geisha Cio-Cio-San |
| What Does the Title Refer To? | M. is the French abbreviation for Monsieur | Cio-Cio-San is also known as Butterfly |
| Inspiration for the Story | Inspired by the strange but true story of a French diplomat accused in 1986 of giving secrets to his Chinese lover. Although they were together for nearly 20 years, the diplomat claimed he did not know his lover was a spy. Or a man. | Based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) and the novel Madame Chrysanthème (1887) |
| Is there nudity? | Yes. | No. |
| Where can I see it? | At the Guthrie from April 17 through June 6 | Not at the Guthrie. Ever. |
Photo: David Henry Hwang. Photo by Craig Schwartz, courtesy Guthrie Theatre.
Guthrie Theater
818 S. 2nd St.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
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Jay Gabler (jay@tcdailyplanet.net, Twitter @JayGabler) is the Daily Planet's arts editor.
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