Love, loss and honor are central themes in Giacomo Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” — an opera taking to the stage in San Diego once again.

“So this is one of Puccini’s greatest operas,” said General Director of the San Diego Opera David Bennett.

He says he’s feeling a little bit anxious and tired, but overall is excited.

“Many people think of Puccini as the greatest opera composer, so it’s very well known. It came after two other very big successes — ‘La Boheme’ and ‘Tosca’ and this is a very different world,” Bennett said.

KPBS was able to get access to a rehearsal inside the nearly 3,000 seat San Diego Civic Theatre to see what goes into creating such a complex performance.

“This is Puccini who was an Italian, end of the 19th century, very beginning of the 20th century, writing about Asian culture from his Italian perspective,” Bennett said. “The way he sets the score is vastly different from what he composed before, it’s actually very highly influenced by actual French composition, which is very delicate.”

The story focuses on a young woman who supports herself as a geisha after her disgraced father takes his life.

The performance stars soprano Corinne Winters, who plays that woman – Cio-Cio San.

“This character, for her very young years, is highly intelligent and also very naïve. She is very feisty and angry, and at the same time, has so much grace, politeness and courtesy,” Winters said.

The soprano has played this role three times before in other parts of the world and said Cio-Cio San is a vulnerable character that’s emotionally and musically difficult to tackle.

“Having to sing this intense, complicated opera from a musical standpoint and the amount of stamina and technique required to sing a piece like this — with those two factors kind of always at play — is a lot,” Winters said.

The San Diego Symphony will guide the show through orchestra and the stage will be adorned with Japanese-inspired decor to match the story line, said the director of “Madama Butterfly,” Jose Maria Condemi.

“It’s a traditional setting of the piece — in 1904, 1906. And it’s visually very striking because of all those levels,” Condemi said of the raked stage. “If you sit in different seats in the house you get a very different experience of it.”

Bennet said they took extra care to be culturally accurate in the smallest details.

“We are making sure that we are doing everything with real cultural awareness and cultural knowledge, down to the way everyone moves, the way everyone steps, the way you fold your garments, where the obi (Japanese sash) actually sits,” he said.

In “Madama Butterfly,” Cio-Cio-San — also known as Butterfly — falls desperately in love with an American naval officer and marries him.

But he leaves her for three years and while he’s gone, she bears his son. Meanwhile, he takes an American wife. This leads to an unraveling of Butterfly’s identity.

“She not only married an American in the early 20th century, but she rejected her own culture. And she was rejected in turn, so that creates a very dramatic conclusion to the piece,” Condemi said.

With such a powerful story that requires great acting and voice, Winters digs deep for inspiration from the world around her. She appreciates the depth of the opera.

“It shows each character as a multi-dimensional human with a journey and their light, I guess — the light side of their personality — and their demons. And each character has it,” Winters said.

This isn’t the first time that the San Diego Opera has put on “Madama Butterfly,” but it’s a great opportunity for those new and seasoned to experience a show.

“It is a perfect piece for a newcomer to the opera because it’s accessible, the music is sweeping and it really goes straight to your heart,” Condemi said.

The performances are sung in Italian with English and Spanish text projected above the stage. They take place Friday evening and Sunday afternoon at Civic Theater.

The NWSL is officially five weeks into its 2024 regular season and the primary transfer window is officially closed so it’s time for another Vibe check! This is the place where you will get an insider’s view and my unfiltered takes on all things women’s soccer. There was plenty of action during the transfer window and every team is back in action for week 6, so let’s get to it! Obviously the question on everybody’s mind is what exactly happened with Maria Sanchez?

San Diego gets their player

Wave FC head coach Casey Stoney confirmed during a pre-match conference that San Diego has been in the running for Sanchez’s services for a couple of years now. The player was on their radar in their build-up as an expansion side, and again during the offseason free agency period. The club pitched themselves to the attacker in December, but she ultimately signed with Houston. 

Now, just four months later, San Diego have finally acquired the player. 

“It’s been a tough month for me mentally, I’m excited to be here and excited to focus on soccer,” Sanchez said in her introductory press conference. “I do wish there were different rules but at the end of the day, it’s what we have … I’m lucky that everything worked out in a way that I liked … hopefully, [the rules] can change.”

Stoney further explained that the move for Sanchez happened quickly, and the second attempt was mostly handled by club executives and the player’s management team. The head coach also said she found out just hours ahead of their Orlando Pride game on the road that the winger would be a Wave FC player. 

There’s a bit of all is well that ends well here, with Sanchez also mentioning in her press conference that she “thinks” she is in good standing with former Dash coaches and players. 

Houston Dash Saga

As for the Houston Dash, while plenty of teams were active during the recent transfer window, no club got more attention than the Texas side. Having the franchise player you signed to a record contract only months ago demand a trade will do that.  The transfer window brought lots of attention around the club, good and poor, in terms of players moving in and out of the club.

Of course, the main focal point was Sanchez. After days of will-they-won’t-they, she was eventually dealt at the deadline to San Diego Wave FC for a record $300,000 in Intra-League Funds, $200,000 in allocation money and international slots for 2024 and 2025. 

That paved the way for other moves. Houston also traded goalkeeper Emily Alvarado to Portland Thorns FC for $35,000 in allocation money, a deal that CBS Sports understands was made in part by the player’s desire for a different environment. Sources also say there were additional players interested in moving on from the club during the April window. 

The Dash welcomed centerback Paige Nielsen in a trade with Angel City FC and acquired Brazilian defender Tarciane from Corinthians. It’s an immediate upgrade for the Dash who need defensive help after leading the league in goals allowed (14) and sitting in 12th place on a 14-team table. 

Getting defensive reinforcements is a huge gain for the Dash, but ultimately, the transfer window added to a decade-long narrative around the club’s ability to cultivate a competitive environment that leads to success. The Texas side has been an NWSL franchise since 2014 but has never put a consecutive run of successful seasons together. 

The club recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, a decade that includes an inaugural Challenge Cup title and one playoff appearance in 2022. It also featured eight different coaches across positions from full-time head coach, to acting head coach, and interim roles. Current coach Fran Alonso, who was hired this season, is the eighth person to lead the club. 

Two of the former coaches, Vera Pauw and James Clarkson, have had allegations against them regarding workplace discrimination, harassment, and bullying. Pauw departed from the club in 2018, after one season, before the NWSL anti-harassment policy was put into place. Clarkson was suspended during an investigation into allegations during the 2022 season and his contract was not renewed as it expired at the end of that season.

With so much change there’s hardly been an opportunity for success, and after ten years of sub-par seasons despite star individual performances (Kealia Ohai Watt, Rachel Daly, Jane Campbell), the recent transfer window has possibly brought a turning point for the Dash. That may all depend on perspective because for others maybe it’s a breaking point.

Marta set to retire from Brazil women’s national team

It will truly be the end of an era for Brazil women’s football. After playing in her final World Cup in 2023, Marta announced on CNN Brazil that 2024 would be her final year playing on the national team.

“This is my last year, and I can already confirm it here. There is a moment when we have to understand that the time has come. I am very calm about this, because I see with great optimism the development that [Brazil national team] is having in relation to young athletes.”

Marta’s rise to provenance came before the social media era on the internet. She made her international debut in 2002 with the U20 team and was with the senior team in 2003. Fuzzy clips of her greatness can now be found all over pockets of the internet. Her impact on the game is felt across the globe, after playing on three continents, and we were reminded of if it as players continue to pay homage to her.

The 38-year-old player was on Brazil’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup roster that was eliminated during the group stage. The South Americans are already qualified for the upcoming Olympic Games in France and the tournament is set to begin on July 25. They were drawn into Group C with Spain, Japan, and Nigeria. 

Brazil manager Arthur Elias has rotated the player pool a lot during his time with the national team. While Marta was not named to the Concacaf W Gold Cup roster, he did call her into camp for the SheBelieves Cup, alongside veteran teammate Cristiane. Still, cracking an Olympic roster is a challenge, with only 16 field players typically chosen along with two goalkeepers. 

“If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team. There is no longer Marta in the national team from 2025 onwards,” she said.

She is currently under contract with Orlando Pride through the 2024 season, and she has not made an official decision on retiring from club play at this time. Still, a final World Cup, and now a final year with Brazil, can only mean the legend is evaluating her future. That means that those fortunate enough to attend Orlando Pride games at home or on the road still have a chance to witness women’s soccer’s biggest icon. 

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — UC San Diego Police are working reports of a bomb threat on campus Thursday evening, according to university officials.

A Triton Alert was sent out via Instagram by UCSD’s Police Department advising students of a threat at Atkinson Hall located in the Warren Mall around 9 p.m.

University officials told ABC 10News the Atkinson Hall building was evacuated following a reported bomb threat to the campus police department. No motive was shared with authorities.

“The university is investigating the threat and has requested support from other agencies including the San Diego Fire Department,” UCSD said.

Officials are asking students to avoid the area until further notice.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.