Madame Bovary

About Performance

"Madame Bovary" is a two-act ballet based on the novel of the same name by Gustave Flaubert (1857).

Characters: Emma Bovary — a young woman obsessed with dreams of romantic love; Charles Bovary — her husband, a good-natured but dull provincial doctor; Rodolphe Boulanger — a charming aristocrat and seducer; Lheureux the merchant — a trader who offers riches on credit; Doctor Homais — a shrewd village pharmacist; the Marquis and Marquise — hosts of the grand ball.

Synopsis: Young, dreamy Emma Bovary suffocates in her marriage to Charles, an honest but tedious provincial doctor. Against the grey days of provincial life, her imagination overflows with visions of passion, balls, and Parisian splendor. But on the path toward those dreams, Emma sinks ever deeper into self-deception, infidelity, financial debt, and ultimately tragedy.

Act I, Scene I — Ball at the Chateau: Emma and Charles are invited to a chateau glittering with chandeliers, music, and couples turning in dance — the life of Emma's dreams. Returning home, she sinks once more into the silence of provincial life.

Act I, Scene II — New Acquaintances: Her world is limited to her husband, the pharmacist Homais, and the merchant Lheureux. Chance brings a new face — Rodolphe Boulanger, a nobleman who comes seeking medical help. A spark is instantly struck between him and Emma.

Act I, Scene III — Lheureux's Shop: Eager to impress Rodolphe, Emma visits Lheureux, surrounded by fabrics, jewelry, and luxury. Lheureux offers her credit against Charles's estate. Under pressure, she accepts.

Act I, Scene IV — A Walk in the Park: During a stroll among influential guests, Emma and Rodolphe grow closer, and their passion ignites.

Act II, Scene I — Rodolphe's House: Emma often disappears from home, giving herself to love at Rodolphe's house, who promises to take her to Paris.

Act II, Scene II — Cabaret Party: At a wild party organized by Lheureux, Emma and Rodolphe are swept into a whirlwind of passion. Charles finds Emma at the cabaret; she rejects him and announces she is leaving with Rodolphe.

Act II, Scene III — The Illusion Collapses: Lheureux demands his money. Rodolphe, seeing her penniless, withdraws. Desperate, Emma sees suicide as her only way out.

Act II, Scene IV — Epilogue: Charles, broken by grief, loses everything — his wife, his home, himself. He remains alone, in a world without hope.