Review: 'M. Butterfly' and 'Madame Butterfly' confront opera's most uncomfortable fantasy

A critic weighs San Francisco Playhouse's 'M. Butterfly' against Pocket Opera's 'Madame Butterfly,' probing racism, desire and why Puccini still seduces.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A theater critic examines two productions - San Francisco Playhouse's 'M. Butterfly' and Pocket Opera's 'Madame Butterfly' - that confront the racism and problematic themes underlying Puccini's classic opera 'Madame Butterfly.' The critic grapples with the discomfort of watching a man portray the stereotypical Asian femininity that has long captivated white male audiences, as well as the enduring appeal of Puccini's score despite its troubling colonial undertones.

Why it matters

The productions highlight how Puccini's 'Madame Butterfly' has long perpetuated racist and sexist fantasies, while also exploring why the opera continues to seduce audiences. The critic's experience watching the plays forces an examination of one's own complicity in upholding these harmful narratives.

The details

In 'M. Butterfly,' a man named Song Liling, played by Edric Young, portrays the stereotypical Asian femininity that captivates the white French diplomat Gallimard, played by Dean Linnard. Despite the obvious inversion of the original opera's dynamics, the critic found it difficult to fully dismiss the clichéd flirtations on stage. Meanwhile, Pocket Opera's production of 'Madame Butterfly' highlighted the beauty of Puccini's score, which the critic acknowledges can be hard to resist even as one recognizes the opera's problematic themes of colonialism and the fetishization of Asian women.

  • The Thursday, Feb. 19 performance of 'M. Butterfly' at San Francisco Playhouse was reviewed.
  • Pocket Opera's 'Madame Butterfly' production was reviewed the day after the critic saw 'M. Butterfly.'

The players

David Henry Hwang

The playwright who wrote the 1988 play 'M. Butterfly,' which inverts and triumphs over the racism of 'Madame Butterfly.'

Bridgette Loriaux

The director of the San Francisco Playhouse production of 'M. Butterfly.'

Edric Young

The actor who portrays Song Liling, a man playing a stereotypical Asian woman, in the San Francisco Playhouse production of 'M. Butterfly.'

Dean Linnard

The actor who portrays Rene Gallimard, the white French diplomat, in the San Francisco Playhouse production of 'M. Butterfly.'

Hannah Cho

The actress who portrays Cio-Cio San, also known as Butterfly, in Pocket Opera's production of 'Madame Butterfly.'

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What they’re saying

“Why can't they just hear it as a piece of beautiful music?”

— Helga (San Francisco Playhouse)

The takeaway

The productions of 'M. Butterfly' and 'Madame Butterfly' force the critic to confront the enduring appeal of Puccini's opera despite its racist and sexist undertones, and to grapple with their own complicity in upholding these harmful narratives. The plays highlight the difficulty of fully resisting the seductive power of the music and the age-old fantasy it represents.