Camilla Ella Williams, believed to be the first African American women to sign a contract with a major American opera company, appears in the role of Madam Butterfly with the New York City Opera.  In her New York City Opera debut, Williams sang what would become her signature role, Cio-Cio-San, in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Williams displayed “a vividness and subtlety unmatched by any other artist who has assayed the part in many a year,” according to a New York Times.