Giacomo Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly” has mesmerized audiences since 1904, and Salt Marsh Opera will perform this grand opera, with live orchestra, on Friday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook.

“’Madame Butterfly” was Salt Marsh Opera’s first ever opera production,” explains Artistic Director Simon Holt, “and we’re thrilled to bring it back to Southeast Connecticut to celebrate our 15th Anniversary.”  He continues, “The story takes place in Nagasaki, Japan.  Young Cio-Cio San, known as Butterfly, adores her husband-to-be, U.S. Naval Officer B.F. Pinkerton.  Though their wedding night is filled with tender bliss, Butterfly has no idea Pinkerton wants to marry ‘a real American bride’ when he returns to the States.  Poor Butterfly subsists on the departed Pinkerton’s vows for three lonely years, longing for his return. But when the day arrives, Butterfly’s dreams are … well, you just have to come and find out!”

Holt has conducted numerous operas, operettas and musicals throughout his career.  He is a sought-after performer in the eastern United States, and has recorded and produced several CDs.  He is currently Director of Music at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, CT, and Executive Director of the United Theatre in Westerly, RI.  As founder of Salt Marsh Opera, he has been the company’s Music Director since its inception in 2000, and became Artistic Director in 2005 and General Manager in 2014.

Prior to moving to the U.S. in 1999, Holt was Director of Music at Bristol Cathedral School, the Bristol Cathedral School Choral Society, Bromsgrove Choral Society and the Birmingham University Chorus and Orchestra, with venues including Bristol Cathedral, Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and The Royal Albert Hall in London.

As an organist, Holt has performed in Westminster Abbey, York Minster, Selby Abby, St. George’s Chapel Windsor Castle, Reading Town Hall and the Cathedrals of Norwich, Carlisle, Portsmouth, Wells, Canterbury, Rochester and Gloucester.  He has toured extensively in Europe performing at St. Mark’s in Venice, Sacré Coeur and Notre Dame in Paris, and venues in Holland, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Switzerland. Holt has appeared several times on British and American radio and television.

The cast of “Madame Butterfly” features Ashley Kerr as Cio-Cio San and Old Lyme resident Brian Cheney as B.F. Pinkerton.

Praised for her “plush and seductive” tone, multiple award winning soprano, Kerr is drawing rapt attention from critics and opera companies.  In 2014-2015, Kerr made her Lincoln Center debut with the Opera Orchestra of New York, performed La Traviata with Virginia Opera and received rave reviews for her performance of Countess Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro with Salt Marsh Opera.  Recent performances include roles in Dialogues des carmélites, Carmina Burana, Susannah and Lysistrata.

Cheney has gained international acclaim for his portrayal of characters such as Don José in Carmen, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La Boheme, the Duke in Rigoletto, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Canio in I Pagliacci. According to Stage and Cinema, “Cheney has that terrific tenor sound: the power, richness and vocal color of a high baritone combined with ringing, awe-inspiring high notes.” A now frequent soloist at Lincoln Center, in 2011, Cheney made his Lincoln Center debut as tenor soloist for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 at Avery Fisher Hall.

Two fully-staged performances will take place at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT. The Friday, Oct. 30 performance starts at 7 p.m. and the Sunday, Nov. 1 performance begins at 3 p.m. Tickets range from $55 to $65 and may be purchased online at katharinehepburntheater.org.

For more information about Salt Marsh Opera’s production of “Madame Butterfly,” call Simon Holt at 860.535.3456 or email him at simon@saltmarshopera.org