La Bohème

Image supplied by Opera Queensland. 

Love, loss, jealousy, poverty and death: Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème has it all, which is probably why this story – although based on a collection of vignettes written by Henri Merger in 1851 – is still performed today.

One of the more popular operas to be performed live, the love story of Mimi and Rodolfo – although perhaps a little artificial in some ways by today’s standards – still manages to keep audiences engaged. Perhaps it is because in other ways parts of the story mirror our own experiences of love and youth.

On the one hand, La Bohème explores the rush of young love, the desire to rebel, to be ‘true artists’, to drink too much wine and eat well. On the other hand, it shows the pain of love and how small jealousies can overpower genuine affections.

In this production, the play is set in Paris on the eve of World War I. Designer Penny Challen’s costumes and set are used to great effect as are the digital backdrops that are designed in partnership with artists from Griffith University’s animations department.

In a further collaborative element of this production, Opera Queensland will take the performance on the road with a tour of regional Queensland, where local community choruses will be part of the show.

Musically, Guy Noble directs an ensemble from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in a chamber orchestration arranged by Richard Gill. On this night, the music is faultless and there only a few times where the tenors are unable to project their voices above the sounds of the orchestra.

Two casts perform this year’s production of La Bohème. On opening night it is Cast Bleu, and, on the whole, the performances are great – the sopranos especially so. Emily Burke as Musetta gives a wonderfully full-hearted performance; you just know she’s having great fun playing this ‘scandalously’ vivacious woman. Hyeseoung Kwon as Mimi gives her performance just the right amount of pathos – helping to lift the tragedy of the final act where she dies in the room of her lover.

At two hours and 20 minutes in length (which includes a 20 minute interval) – this is an incredibly accessible production. Given the way it shifts from comedy to tragedy to epic love to period piece; it is a great introduction to the opera for those who are looking to dip their toes for the first time.