A revered classic can hide a hard truth. We sit down with director Mo Zhou to unpack how Madama Butterfly shifts when you move it out of fantasy and into the charged reality of post–World War II Japan.

Mo charts her own journey from closed doors in commercial theater to a thriving opera career, and then into the heart of a work she once refused to stage. By resetting the opera in 1946 and 1953, during and after the American occupation, she finds inspiration for why characters perform identity to survive, how power dynamics distort intimacy, and where Puccini’s score can be heard as evidence rather than ornament.

What stands out is the research and the reckoning. Mo traveled to Nagasaki, traced documented sources behind the Butterfly myth, and examined how original Asian women’s stories were reshaped by European adapters into familiar tropes – the self-effacing innocent (Cio Cio San) or the menacing “dragon lady" (Turandot). Her production asks us to see Cio-Cio-San as a person of faith and agency, not an exotic symbol: faith in reinvention, agency in the face of limited options, and a dream that collides with structural imbalance. The result is not a softened Butterfly but a sharper one, where history clarifies character and empathy doesn’t absolve harm.

All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.

What happens when you bring together a 30-year veteran opera journalist and the complete archives of Canada's longest-running arts magazine? Magic, memories, and an unforgettable journey through operatic history.

Joseph So, who has been writing for Opera Canada since 1995, takes listeners on a captivating tour through his remarkable career interviewing the greatest singers of our time. From his first transformative opera experience seeing Renata Tabaldi in La Gioconda at the Met in 1967 to his recent interview with Gerald Finley, So's encyclopedic memory and genuine passion for the art form shine throughout this conversation.

The podcast coincides with Opera Canada's monumental launch of its complete digital archives spanning over 65 years of continuous publication. As So recounts his friendship with magazine founder Ruby Mercer, we glimpse the personal connections that have shaped Canadian opera history. His poignant stories about interviewing Maureen Forrester as she battled dementia and his tribute to soprano Erin Wall following her tragic death showcase the human dimension of this magnificent art form.

Perhaps most delightfully, So shares candid insights about the temperaments of different voice types, confessing that while tenors might be "great to the ear," they often prove the most challenging interview subjects. This blend of reverence for the art and honest behind-the-scenes perspective makes this episode essential listening for anyone who loves opera or appreciates the dedication of those who document our cultural heritage.

All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.

Why isn't anyone asking the hard questions about opera's future? In this riveting conversation, soprano Lucia Cesaroni and Tapestry Opera's Executive Director Jamie Martino challenge the status quo of an art form at a crossroads.

"Wagner ruined opera," declares Cesaroni provocatively, questioning why we still expect modern audiences to sit through four-hour performances in darkened theaters when their lives demand more flexible, social experiences. The pair dive deep into why opera companies across Canada are struggling financially despite passionate dedication from artists and administrators alike.

The conversation ventures beyond simple diagnosis into bold territory: What if opera was more like a comedy club? Why do taxpayer-funded performance spaces sit empty most nights? How might unions and companies collaborate to create sustainable models? And perhaps most importantly, why does the industry remain so resistant to change?

Martino offers a radical reframing that could transform how we approach these challenges: "I am profoundly uninterested in the question 'how do we save opera?' I am interested in what we can do about the ways that we work and the kind of art that we make that will make people's lives better." This shift from institutional preservation to human impact opens new possibilities for reinvention.

Listen to this thought-provoking episode, sponsored by the Lavazza IncluCity Festival.

All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.