'La bohème' — think 'Rent' but in Paris — arrives Dec. 5
Opera Saratoga takes on the timeless masterpiece with all-ages appeal — even for those who don’t know their Wagner from their Bellini.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY — What can a tragic opera about the poverty, illness and misery of young artists in 1830s Paris tell us about life today?
Well, as it turns out, everything. (At least in the all-important life departments of love, ambition and youthful idealism).
This classic opera by Giocomo Puccini, which follows the story of a bohemian poet and his lover — and that of their friends — has universal, timeless themes that will resonate with audience members of all ages today, even if they don’t know their Wagner from their Bellini.
“Bohème is incredible for beginners because it is structurally a masterpiece,” says Mary Birnbaum, general and artistic director of Opera Saratoga, which is putting on a concert version of La bohème Dec. 5 at UPH. “The way Puccini paints the images on stage is amazing. And it’s the story of being young and in love, which is universally relevant.”
Birnbaum explains that the story should be familiar to anyone who has seen the musical or movie Rent.
“It’s about bohemian artists living in a garret in Paris’ Latin Quarter,” Birnbaum says. “They’re starving on Christmas Eve, and go to a bar. They leave behind the mopey poet Rodolfo who wants to finish his writing.”
But as fate would have it, Rodolfo gets a knock on the door from his beautiful neighbor, Mimi, who needs him to light her candle because it’s dark in her apartment. The meet-cute-in-poverty moment leads to a love connection, but not one without complications.
And speaking of complications, Rodolfo’s artist friends — Marcello and his lover, Musetta — have the kind of tempestuous relationship generally confined to “reality” television love plots à la Temptation Island.
Add to this cocktail a heady blend of fatal tuberculosis, extreme poverty and the idealism of youth, and you have a show that in Birnbaum’s hands is as fast-paced as it is exciting.
The cast is as compelling as the plot, with a number of stars on the rise, including Shelèn Hughes, who is playing the role of Musetta. Hughes is a Bolivian-American soprano who most recently sang the role of the sorceress Morgana in Handel’s Alcina at Opera Frankfurt. Kayla Rae Stein, appearing as Mimi, most recently appeared in the same role in Aspen under the guidance of Renée Fleming.
Daniel O’Hearn, who performs Rodolfo, recently graduated from one of the top young artists programs in the world, the Lindemann program at the Metropolitan Opera.
Tickets are on sale now, and going fast. The show goes on December 5 at 7 pm. Runtime is 80 minutes, and tickets start at $25.
Check out Kathleen Willcox’s next-level wine Substack, Good + Tasty!
 | A guest post by
|