The LA Opera opened its 2019/2020 season on Saturday, September 14th with La Boheme at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to a full house of black ties and shimmering gowns all invited to help celebrate the Opera and its Opening Night Opera Ball…
Downtown Weekly was there to help christen the Opera’s first new staging in more than 25 years (since 1993).
Conducted by James Conlon, the company’s Richard Seaver Music Director, this fresh take on Puccini’s 1896 classic is the creation of Barrie Kosky, one of Europe’s most inventive stage directors.
Mr. Kosky first wowed Angelenos with his sold-out productions of The Magic Flute, in the animation-driven staging which returns later this season.
La Boheme More Relevant Than You May Think
It’s 19th-century Paris, a world capital filled with bustling cafes, bold ideas and creative energy. Six struggling young artists dream of making it big and finding their perfect matches. Along the way, they learn to celebrate life for all that it’s worth.
Expensive rent, healthcare issues, the job market — whether Paris in the 1800’s or Los Angeles in 2019.
A not-completely-traditional production keeps the opera’s original 19th-century setting with a few surprises along the way, telling the story with raw emotional immediacy.
A perennial audience favorite since its 1896 premiere, La Bohème sings to the romantic in all of us. It remains one of the most beloved and most frequently performed of all operas.
The Performers
Two gorgeous young international stars appear as the tragic lovers: soprano Marina Costa-Jackson in her LAO debut as Mimì and tenor Saimir Pirgu as Rodolfo. The cast also includes baritone Kihun Yoon as Marcello and bass-baritone Nicholas Brownlee as Colline; both are alumni of LAO’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Three current members of that program are also featured: soprano Erica Petrocelli as Musetta, baritone Michael J. Hawk as Schaunard and tenor Robert Stahley (in his LAO debut) as Parpignol. Bass-baritone Patrick Blackwell completes the cast as Alcindoro.
The Creative Team
Barrie Kosky’s production of La Bohème was first seen in January 2019 at Berlin’s Komische Oper. The sets designed by Rufus Didwiszus are inspired by antique photography and the brightly colored costumes are designed by Victoria Behr. Marco Philipp will recreate the original lighting designs of Alessandro Carletti. The associate stage director is Katharina Fritsch. Grant Gerson directs the LA Opera Chorus and Fernando Malvar-Ruiz directs the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, one of the nation’s leading youth choral institutions.
Performance Dates and Times
There will be six performances of La Bohème presented by LA Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90012).
- Saturday, September 14 at 6pm (opening night Opera Ball)
- Sunday, September 22 at 2pm
- Wednesday, September 25 at 7:30pm (newcomer night)
- Saturday, September 28 at 7:30pm (Hispanics for LA Opera night / Aria (under 40) night)
- Wednesday, October 2 at 7:30pm
- Sunday, October 6 at 2pm
LA Opera has become one of America’s most exciting and ambitious opera companies, dedicated to staging imaginative new productions, world premiere commissions and inventive productions of the classics that preserve foundational works while making them feel fresh and compelling. The company also presents a robust variety of educational programming and community engagement offerings, experienced by more than 135,000 people each season. In addition to its mainstage performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the company explores unusual repertoire each season through the Off Grand initiative, performed in a variety of venues throughout Los Angeles. Its objectives are to serve a broader geographical area, increase the diversity of the audience and expand the range of experiences available to existing audiences.
To learn more, please visit LAOpera.org.
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