After 18 years, professional opera returns to Marin County when Golden Gate Opera presents a full production of Giacomo Puccini’s classic Madama Butterfly at the Marin Center, April 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. Set in Nagasaki in 1905, Madama Butterfly is the story of an American naval officer who marries a young Japanese girl, a Geisha, through a contracted marriage. It will be presented in Italian with English supertitles. The title role of Madama Butterfly will be performed on April 22 by Korean Soprano Julianne Jeong and by Bolshoi Opera’s Olga Chernisheva on April 23. The score will be performed by the 30-piece Golden Gate Opera Orchestra, conducted by Geoffrey Gallegos; Edna Garabedian is the director. The performance will be at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, Avenue of the Flags at Civic Center Drive in San Rafael. Tickets are $60, $45 and $30; Full-time students with student ID and children $10 discount; Groups of 15 or more, $2 off per ticket, and can be ordered through the Marin Center Box Office at 415-499-6800, Ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster outlets throughout the Bay Area. For additional information, visit the website at www.goldengateopera.org
