FWO Archive: (1947) Fort Worth Opera's second production was Puccini's Madama Butterfly, performed at the Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium under the baton of special guest director Walter Herbert.
Except for Cio-Cio-San, played by New Orleans Opera soprano Tomiko Kanazawa, and Pinkerton, sung by Gabor Carelli, local talent filled roles for the production, staged March 24 and 26, 1947. Other principals included Betty Spain as Suzuki, Melvin Dacus as Sharpless, and Mamie Friedman as Cio-Cio-San's mother. Walter Herbert, New Orleans Artistic Director, was the guest conductor for the performances.
As we approach our 75th anniversary season in 2021, look out for more fun facts and photos from the Fort Worth Opera archive. Check out our historical timeline: https://www.fwopera.org/historical-timeline
Photos of the cast and Fort Worth opera lovers courtesy of Fort Worth Star-Telegram Collection, Special Collections, University of Texas-Arlington Libraries. Same with La Traviata.