Madame Butterfly

Madame Butterfly is a play by David Belasco (1853–1931)

Also known under its full, original title as Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan

Not to be confused with the play M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang.

The original text

An adaption of the 1898 short story Madame Butterfly by John Luther Long (1861–1927), in turn based on the recollections of his sister, Jennie Correll, who had been to Japan with her husband. Belasco's most famous work, the adaptation was, even more famously perhaps, used as the basis for the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini.

Madame Butterfly was first performed March 5, 1900, at the Herald Square Theatre in New York City, produced by David Belasco.

Translations and adaptations

Belasco's adaptation (like his play The Girl of the Golden West) was, more famously perhaps, adapted as the opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)[1].

Puccini's opera again inspired the 1988 play M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang.