OperaColumbus.org - Productions

La Bohème

Buy tickets

Dates
10/5/07 at 8 p.m.
10/7/07 at 2 p.m.

Location
Ohio Theatre

Production details

Opera in four acts
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Illica and Luigi Giacosa
Based on the novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème by Henry Murger
October 5 and 7 (Matinée), 2007, The Ohio Theatre
World Première: February 1, 1896, Teatro Regio, Turin

Characters
Rodolfo, a poet: tenor
Marcello, a painter: baritone
Colline, a philosopher: bass
Schaunard, a musician: baritone
Benoit, the landlord: bass (or tenor)
Alcindoro, a rich elderly gentleman, friend of Musetta: bass (or tenor)
Parpignol, a toy seller: tenor
Custom's Sergeant: bass
Mimì, a seamstress: soprano
Musetta, an on/off girl friend of Marcello: soprano

Students, working girls, bourgeois, shopkeepers, vendors, soldiers, waiters,
children, mothers, dandies, customs workers

The time is circa 1830. The Latin Quarter, Paris.

The Plot

ACT I
In a garret, Christmas Eve
Rodolfo, a poet, and Marcello, a painter, are trying to work in the frigid room. Unable to paint, Marcello complains that his fingers are frozen — as if he still had them plunged in the icebox that is Musetta's heart. In desperation, Rodolfo gets the idea of using one of his manuscripts to fuel a fire. Colline, a philosopher, enters; he's discouraged by his lack of success in pawning books. The three joke about the burning manuscript. Soon Schaunard, the musician, arrives. He bares booty from a job he's had at the home of an English gentleman: food, firewood, wine, and money. He tries to tell his friends his success story but they're more interested in preparing the table for a feast. A knock is heard; it is the landlord, Benoit, coming to collect rent. The four Bohemians evade making payment by applying him with drink and shaming him of his recent exploits. Benoit leaves in disgrace without the rent money. The four divide Schaunard's earnings and start to depart for Café Momus. Rodolfo decides to remain to finish an article. The others warn him that any more than five minutes' time will result in a chorus of outburst, and they stumble away. Not in the mood to write, Rodolfo answers a timid knock at the door. It is his neighbor Mimì, asking him to relight her flameless candle. She is frail and weak, and is coughing quite a bit. Rodolfo obliges, but as she turns to leave, it goes out again. While again trying to relight it, Rodolfo, in attempt to delay her departure, blows out his own candle. Mimì realizes she's dropped her key, and in the darkened room, they grope around for it. Rodolfo finds it, but in another attempt to delay her departure, he sticks it in his pocket. Their hands meet (Che gelida manina) and the key is quickly forgotten (Si, mi chiamano Mimì). With five minutes long past, Rodolfo's impatient friends call from outside. He opens a window to send them on their way. With the window open, Rodolfo notices the moonlight as it pours onto Mimì's face. They fall into each other's arms and profess their love for one another (O soave fanciulla).

ACT II
The Latin Quarter, later that evening
The four Bohemians are milling amongst a crowd bustling with Christmas Eve activity. The square is full of venders peddling their wares, and Café Momus, a gathering spot for bohemians and artists, is at one side. Schaunard is haggling over the price of a hunting horn; at another, Colline is arguing about a ragged coat he has just purchased. Marcello is near at hand, ogling the young girls. Mimì and Rodolfo emerge from a milliner's stand with a pink bonnet. Rodolfo seems jealous when he observes Mimì looking around at other men, professing that suspicion is always near a happy man. The couple then joins the other Bohemians in front of the café for a sumptuous meal.

To every mother's dismay, a toy vendor appears and entices the children with his wares; he leaves and the noisy brigade follows him off. The flirtatious and provocative Musetta arrives with her sugar-daddy, the elderly, doddering, and out-of-breath Alcindoro, in toe. He is burdened with all of Musetta's Christmas Eve purchases. Former lovers, Musetta and Marcello now try to appear indifferent to each other ~ clearly a pretense on both sides. After creating a scene, Musetta tries to recapture Marcello's attention by bragging of her own stunning beauty (Quando m'en vo). In order to create an opportunity to be alone with Marcello, Musetta pretends that her shoe is killing her foot. She sends Alcindoro off to the cobbler for a new pair and hastens to Marcello and his friends. The waiter soon brings a bill to the Bohemians as a military tattoo approaches. Musetta tells the waiter that Alcindoro will be back shortly and he will pay it. She leaves the bill, along with her farewell, for Alcindoro. As the shoeless heroine of the day, Musetta is hoisted onto the shoulders of Marcello and Colline. To disguise their escape, the friends mingle into the passing parade with Mimì and Rodolfo, arm in arm, following closely behind. New shoes in hand, Alcindoro returns to the abandoned café, looking in vain for Musetta. The waiter presents him with the bill and after seeing the sum, Alcindoro falls aghast and amazed into a chair.

ACT III
At the Barrière D'Enfer on the outskirts of Paris; a cold February morning
Sounds of revelry emit from a tavern at the toll gate on the Orleans Road. Customs officials doze around a fire while street sweepers stamp their feet with the cold and blow on their frozen hands. Milk women and other peasants are permitted passage through the barrier. Musetta's voice is also heard from within the tavern, where she and Marcello have been living together. Mimì arrives, looking for Marcello; she is still sick and weaker, and coughing incessantly. Marcello emerges from the tavern. Rodolfo is inside and Marcello invites Mimì to come and join them. She refuses, explaining that she and Rodolfo must part because of his constant jealousy. Rodolfo comes out of the tavern and Mimì quickly hides. He tells Marcello that he wishes to leave Mimì because of her constant flirting with other men. Not convinced that Rodolfo is being sincere, Marcello persuades Rodolfo to tell the real reason. He obliges: he is in love with her, but she is very ill and he cannot afford to keep her warm and give her the care she really needs. She will soon die and love alone is not enough to keep her alive. Mimì's presence is revealed by a sudden coughing fit. Musetta is heard laughing shamelessly from the tavern and in a rage of jealousy. Marcello runs inside to scold her for her flirtations, leaving Mimì and Rodolfo alone. Mimì bids Rodolfo farewell (Donde lieta) and they agree to part without bitterness come springtime, for being alone in winter is a thing to die of. Musetta and Marcello emerge from the tavern quarreling violently, and before long they too are saying good-bye.

ACT IV
In the garret as in Act I, several months later
Rodolfo and Marcello are busy trying to write and paint, but they do little but chat, for they cannot stop thinking about their former loves. Schaunard and Colline burst in with food, and to cheer themselves up, they sit down to eat the meager loaves of bread, pretending them to be a grand banquet. More horse play ensues until Musetta enters in an agitated huff. She reveals that Mimì (who has been living with a Viscount), is outside, too ill and weak to make it up the stairs, and further explains that her wish is to spend her last moments in life with Rodolfo. Marcello and Rodolfo help Mimì in and she tries to warm her hands. Musetta takes off her earrings and hands them to Marcello, telling him to sell them in order to buy some medicine, and to send a doctor for the dying girl. Musetta leaves to retrieve her muff to warm Mimì's frigid hands. Colline offers to pawn his coat to buy some food (Vecchia zimarra, senti). He and Schaunard depart, leaving Mimì and Rodolfo alone. While reminiscing about their first meeting, Mimì is overcome by a choking fit. Schaunard, Marcello, and Musetta return, Musetta with her muff and Marcello with medicine. Mimì dozes off little by little and dies. All but Rodolfo realize that she is gone. As Rodolfo covers the window to prevent the sun from flooding onto Mimì's face, Colline returns with some money. Rodolfo finally senses what has happened and calling her name, he runs to her side, sobbing on her lifeless body.

Artistic and Production Staff

Conductor & Chorusmaster	William Boggs
Stage Director	Joseph Bascetta
Scenery and Props designed by	Peter Dean Beck
Scenery and Props for this production are owned by	Hawaii Opera Theatre, Memphis Opera, and Arizona Opera
Scenery and Props were constructed by	The Utah Opera Scenic Shop
Lighting Designer	Cindy Limauro
Wigs	provided by Cosmic Hair and Makeup
Wig & Make-up Designers	Christopher & Michelle Diamantides
Wig & Make-up Assistant	Rebekah Keller
Children's Chorus Master	Susan E. Boggs
Rehearsal Pianist	Sarah Ramsey
Production Stage Manager	Kevin R. Lohr
Assistant Stage Manager	Jenna R. Coulombe
Costumes	provided by A.T. Jones & Sons, Inc.
Technical Director	William M. Blankenship*
Head Electrician	Judy Barto*
Assistant Electricians	Michael Dooley, Jim Harrington, Derek Warner*
Sound Engineer	Drew Clausen*
Video Engineer	Mike Ford*
Assistant Carpenter	Francis Link*
Head Flyman	Kenny Crothers*
Properties	James Ford, Jessica Miller
Wardrobe Director	Claude Wayne Cossin^
Wardrobe Manager	Donna Mincer^
Titles Coordinator	Cary Dachtyl
Stage Hands	IATSE Local 12
Ohio Theatre Head Carpenter	Jason Gay

*Members of IATSE Local No. 12 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
^Members of IATSE Local No. 747, Theatrical Wardrobe Union

Principal Artists

Marcello, a painter	David Templeton
Rodolfo, a poet	Gerard Powers*
Colline, a philosopher	David Cushing*
Schaunard, a musician	Mark Andrew Baker
Benoit, the landlord	J. Chris Baum
Mimì, a seamstress	Shu-ying Li
Parpignol, a toy seller	Jason Hiester
A Child	Candice Carrizales
Musetta, an on/off friend of Marcello	Robin Follman*
Alcindoro, a rich elderly gentleman, friend of Musetta	David E. Weaver
Custom's Officer	Robert Kerr
Sergeant	Jonathan Stuckey

*Opera Columbus début