LA BOHÈME RETURNS

La bohème

Arrives at the Saenger Theatre

by Alex Hilkey

Pensacola Opera opens its 40th Anniversary Season with opera’s greatest love story: Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème. This romantic powerhouse makes its long-anticipated return to the Saenger stage on January 20 and 22, 2023.

One of opera’s most romantic stories, La bohème follows four struggling bohemians—a poet, a painter, a musician and a philosopher who are living together in Paris. La bohème follows Mimì and Rodolfo from their first meeting to their final devastating moments, capturing their impassioned relationship through the lens of Giacomo Puccini’s masterful, lush orchestrations. From Musetta’s famous waltz, Quando m’en vo, to the rousing second act outside the Café Momus—featuring the wonderful Pensacola Opera Chorus—this beloved work features some of opera’s most hummable melodies. These bohemian stories of poverty, disease, and the bitter cold of winter reminds us that when you have nothing but love, then you have everything to lose.

Newly appointed Artistic Director Corey McKern makes his Pensacola Opera mainstage directorial debut with this production. “What could be more real than a story of four young artists living in poverty while pursuing art and love?” McKern said. “All of the excitement and energy of trying to survive and thrive in Bèlle Epoch Paris as an artist and a lover pours out of Puccini’s brilliant score. Based on the novel Scenes de la vie Bohème by Henri Murger, La Bohème is a time capsule of why Bohemian life was so attractive to artists all over the globe. Now in 2022, we bring an entire cast of singers from all over the country and indeed the world. These artists experience in life what the audiences witness on stage. The excitement, the heartbreak, the freedom, the hope, all of the things that go into making a life’s work solely from talent and imagination in an art form that takes practiced discipline. La Bohème takes place in the Latin Quarter, as it existed in Paris. However, Bohemia is also a lifestyle and philosophy. As Murger wrote, ‘It is a place where people love lightly and sincerely, weep and laugh freely, are desperately hungry, have real ambitions and at times, die of all these maladies. It is the happiest and most melancholy place in the world.’” Local soprano Bizhou Chang returns to the Saenger stage as the ill-fated Mimì with tenor Adam Diegel as her adoring Rodolfo, a poet. Soprano Flora Hawk, last appearing in 2020’s H.M.S. Pinafore returns to Pensacola Opera as Musetta alongside her on-again-off-again romance partner and singer Marcello, played by baritone Robert Mellon from 2021’s The Magic Flute. Shaunard, the musician, is played by award-winning baritone Alex DeSocio. The final bohemian, the philosopher Colline, is played by bass Allen Michael Jones who is making his company debut. Pensacola Opera Studio Artist Randy Ho, tenor, will be taking the stage as toymaker Parpignol, with singers from the Pensacola Children’s Chorus as Parisian children in the streets of Paris on Christmas Eve. Rounding out the cast, is tenor Dean Anthony appearing as both the landlord Benoit and Musetta’s rich admirer Alcindoro and baritone Studio Artist Scott Lee as the customs officer. The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra will be conducted by Jerome Shannon in his first production as Principal Guest Conductor. Last performed by the company in 2015, newly appointed Artistic Director Corey McKern makes his mainstage directorial debut with a recently introduced new production from New Orleans Opera and set designer Steven C. Kemp.

La bohème is considered an excellent opera for beginners. The hopelessly romantic story might seem familiar as it was the basis for the Broadway musical, RENT, which features the same main characters and a lot of overlap in the story and music. La bohème is also a short and digestible opera. It’s broken down into four short acts and has a simple, easy-to-follow story line. While some operas can last three or more hours, La bohème tells its story in about two hours – roughly the same as a modern movie or play. The romantic and lush music is so moving; it will truly leave you in tears. While the dynamic storytelling and emotional singing and music makes the opera easy to follow, a synopsis is provided in the program and English supertitles are provided in the theatre.

Tickets start at $26 and can be purchased online through ticketmaster.com or at the Pensacola Opera Center located at 75 S. Tarragona Street in downtown Pensacola. Visit pensacola opera.com for complete details.