Butterfly returns to Broadway on heavier, drabber. Butterfly Summary Buy Study Guide How To Cite in MLA Format GradeSaver 'M. Though it bent (and blew) the minds of rapt audiences with its elusive opalescence nearly three decades ago, David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly was revived in 2017 on Broadway, directed by Julie Taymor. In 1993, the play was adapted into a film starring Jeremy Irons and directed by David Cronenberg. Butterfly was the first play composer Huang Ruo saw in America after arriving here in 1996 to study at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Inspired by the shocking piece of history, Hwang wanted to write a play that explored the role of racial stereotypes, colonialism, and sexuality and gender. The diplomat became aware that his lover was male after he was charged for treason and learned that his Chinese mistress was in fact a male spy for the government. In addition to the Puccini opera, the narrative is inspired by a real affair between a Chinese opera singer and a French diplomat that lasted for 21 years. At the house of the German ambassador, Gallimard, a minor French diplomat, hears Song, a Chinese male actor, perform the death scene from Madame Butterfly. Gallimard’s memory takes him back to 1960, in Beijing, China. Wong and the plot is an adaptation and deconstruction of the famous opera by Giacomo Puccini, Madama Butterfly. In despair and sorrow, Madame Butterfly commits suicide. Its original cast included John Lithgow and B.D. It premiered on Broadway in 1988 to critical acclaim, was a finalist for the Pulitzer, and won the Tony Award for Best Play. Butterfly is the most successful play written by playwright David Henry Hwang.

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