For years, operas have been associated with overweight women in armor and pigtails, boisterously singing in Italian and boring audiences everywhere.

Not true.

The Minnesota Opera plans to dispel that myth on Friday, Nov. 17, with their production of Giacomo Puccini’s critically-acclaimed “Madame Butterfly.”

Presented by the Campus Activities Board Fine Arts Committee, the opera will begin at 8:00 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre, located at 135 N. Second St., DeKalb.

The Minnesota Opera is celebrating its eleventh year of bringing opera performances to midwestern audiences, and has done 34 productions in 200 cities to 435,000 people. The 17-member troupe travels to three different cities weekly.

“Madame Butterfly,” described as “a tragic tale of passionate love and heart-wrenching betrayal,” tells the story of the Japanese geisha Cio-cio-san (nicknamed “Butterfly”) and her handsome American husband Lieutenant Pinkerton.

Pinkerton does not take their marriage seriously, deserts Butterfly for three years and finds another woman in the States. When he returns, the crushed Butterfly must choose between life with dishonor or death.

“Madame Butterfly” (sung entirely in English) was first staged in Milan in 1904, and is set in Nagasaki, Japan, about the year 1900.

The Minnesota Opera’s production is directed by D. Scott Glasser, who has worked with theaters around the country. Michael Fardink is musical director of the tour and the cast features experienced professionals.

The lighting designer for “Madame Butterfly,” is Kevin Ramach, a former NIU theater faculty member who served as technical director for NIU productions of “All My Sons,” “Carnival,” “Oliver,” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

Tickets for “Madame Butterfly” are $5 for NIU students, $8 for senior citizens and $12 for the general public and can be obtained at the Carl Sandburg Box Office and the Junction Bookroom. For additional information, call CAB at 753-3146.