Summer nights at the Santa Fe Opera often possess a preternatural quality, as if ancient deities are following along in the libretto, punching up dramatic moments with thunder and lightning.
The opening night elements during Puccini’s La Bohème unfolded more subtly: an extra bite in the night air as the young Bohemians shivered and the beautiful and doomed Mimì’s health and life withered away.
Set in Paris circa the 1920s, Puccini’s beloved opera—which premiered in 1896 in Turin, Italy, and which the Santa Fe Opera stages this season for the 13th time since 1958—concerns the fate of a group of impoverished artists bonded by their struggles, ambitions and love for one another. If this sounds like the plot of Jonathan Larson’s 1996 musical Rent, it’s because La Bohème inspired the latter. (Speaking of which, the opera continues its joint film series with the Center for Contemporary Arts this season and kicked off last month with La Bohème Director James Robinson’s introduction to Rent. Still to come: The Turn of the Screw Director Louisa Muller and The Innocents (1961) on July 18 and Die Walküre Director Melly Still on July 25 alongside the 1999 documentary Sing Faster).
La Bohème takes its inspiration from Henri Murger’s 1851 novel (also adapted into a play) Scènes de la vie de bohème about struggling artists in Paris’ Latin quarter. Some credit Murger for shifting the shifty perception of the bohemian lifestyle to a more romantic one. In his preface, Murger defines the state of Bohemia as “a stage in artistic life” that can only exist in Paris.
La Bohème opens on Christmas Eve in Montparnasse as poet Rodolfo and painter Marcello, tenor Long Long and baritone Szymon Mechliński—both wonderful in their SFO debuts—shiver in their squalid garret, with Rodolfo sacrificing his manuscript to the fire to help keep them warm. Soon, we meet the rest of the gang as philosopher Colline (Soloman Howard, whose sonorous bass we’ll hear again in Die Walküre), and musician Schaunard (baritone Efraín Solís for most of the performances; SFO apprentice Korin Thomas-Smith will step in for the final three) enter. Conviviality and camaraderie ensue, particularly when landlord Benoît enters and they proceed to get him drunk.
Bass Kevin Burdette does double-duty here, also taking on the role of Alcindoro, an older and wealthy escort to Marcello’s ex, Musetta. I stand among Burdette’s throng of fans from his portrayal of Dr. Bartolo in the 2022 production of The Barber of Seville, and he once again brings welcome moments of physical comedy here.
Once his friends leave for the café, Rodolfo returns to his writing, only to be interrupted by neighbor Mimì, a seamstress with icy hands and a warm heart, sung exquisitely by soprano (and former Santa Fe Opera apprentice) Sylvia D’Eramo. It’s love at first sight (for more on this concept, check out the Aria Code podcast’s 2018 episode on La Bohème, which decodes both Rodolfo’s aria “Che gelida manina” and the brain science of love at first sight).
Scenic designer Allen Moyer, Lighting Designer Duane Schuler and Costume Designer Constance Hoffman made the production a sensory feast, from the cramped artists’ quarters to the relative glitz of Café Momus, where the flapper-like wrap worn by Musetta (soprano Emma Marhefka in a captivating SFO debut) provides her raptor-like appeal. The embroidered flowers on Mimì’s blouse strike a quieter but similarly evocative note.
I expect everyone will find something to love in Robinson’s production, conducted with brio by Iván López Reynoso (who also conducted the aforementioned 2022 production of The Barber of Seville).
The New York Times in May celebrated the Santa Fe Opera’s tradition of bringing artists from all over the world to perform here, as well as its legacy of serving as a pipeline for young talent (specifically to the Metropolitan Opera). Both practices are on full display in La Bohème, with many other treats in store.
La Bohème
Music by Giacomo Puccini/ libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
8:30 pm, July 2, 5, 11, 18
8 pm, July 28’ Aug. 2, 6, 14, 19, 23
Santa Fe Opera
301 Opera Drive, (800) 280-4654
Seated ticket prices range from $37 to $409; SRO is $15
First time buyers with New Mexico ID can receive 40% off a pair of tickets
Call or visit the Box Office for the most up to date information and pricing, or visit santafeopera.org
