Award-winning producer Ellen Kent will return to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre this spring with the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv presenting classical productions Bizet’s Carmen on Friday 12 April and Puccini’s Madama Butterfly on Saturday 13 April.

Ellen Kent’s Madama Butterfly, returns in a new production telling the heart-breaking story of the beautiful young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant, with dramatic results. Highlights include the melodic ‘Humming Chorus’, the moving aria ‘One Fine Day’ and the unforgettable ‘Love Duet’.

In Madama Butterfly, Korean soprano Elena Dee returns alongside Ukrainian soprano Alyona Kistenyova and Ukrainian mezzo-soprano’s Natalia Matveeva and Irina Sproglis. Madama Butterfly will be sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Bizet’s masterpiece, Carmen, tells the story of the bewitching gypsy girl whose tantalising beauty lures a soldier to desertion and leads to her own murder. The opera includes some of the most evocative and best-loved melodies in opera; ‘The Habanera’, ‘The Seguidilla’, ‘The Flower Song’, ‘The Chanson Bohème’ and perhaps the best-known baritone aria of all ‘The Toreador’s Song’. 

Carmen will star Ukrainian mezzo-soprano’s Natalia Matveeva and Irina Sproglis. Sung in French with English surtitles. 

Ellen Kent said; "I am delighted to be working with the Ukrainian Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv again after the huge success of the spring 2023 tour.

I started working with Ukraine in 2000 and have continued these strong relationships ever since, working with the Odessa National Opera for which I was awarded The Golden Fortune Honorary Medal from the President of the Ukraine, as well as the Kharkiv National Opera and for the last couple of years with the brilliant Opera & Ballet Theatre Kyiv."

Tickets for Madama Butterfly and Carmen at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre are available from grandtheatre.co.uk.