Queen Christine of Sweden defies convention. More commanding than her generals and more learned than her scholars, she summons the philosopher Ren Descartes to educate her on the mysteries of the human soul. Yet Christine's greatest challenge lies within: caught between the pressures of the state needing their future heir and the truth of her sexuality, between reason, philosophy and faith, and between the expectations placed on masculine and feminine roles, can she carve her own path in a world rife with chaos?

Puccini's moving masterpiece of lost love and betrayal, Madama Butterfly, heads to Toronto with a stunning production conducted from the Canadian Opera Company. The classic opera takes you to Nagasaki, where a young Japanese woman must navigate a heart-wrenching and life-altering relationship with an American Naval Officer who misleads her affections.