Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madam Butterfly has a Philadelphia connection. John Luther Long, a Philadelphia Lawyer, wrote the original story in Center City. You can read more about it here.
There’s also a recent Philadelphia connection. The two 12 foot high bronze statues below, currently on display in City Hall courtyard, are on loan from artist Jun Kaneko to mark the Philadelphia Opera Company’s upcoming performance of the opera. Kaneko originally created brass heads for the Opera Omaha’s spring 2006 performance of Madame Butterfly. See more of Kaneko’s breathtaking set designs here.
Brass Heads in City Hall Courtyard
Here’s a portion of the Philadelphia production.
Ornamento 