M. Butterfly is a 1988 play by
David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat,
Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei-Pu, a male
Peking opera singer.
The play premiered on
Broadway at the
Eugene O'Neill Theatre on
March 20,
1988, closing after 777 performances on
January 27,
1990. It was directed by
John Dexter with stars
John Lithgow as Gallimard and
B.D. Wong as Song Liling.
David Dukes,
Anthony Hopkins,
Tony Randall, and John Rubenstein played Gallimard at various times during the original run.