La Boheme: A Review Of The Opera That Inspire Rent
For those who are fans of Rent, La Bohème is like a dream. Knowing that this masterwork from Giacomo Puccini inspired Jonathon Larson, the creator of the Rock Opera, is fascinating. You watch every scene to see how he was influenced like, Mimi and Rodolfo’s version of “Light My Candle.” It is like watching the greatness that inspired so many others to be greater themselves.
La Bohème takes place in 1840’s Paris, with young, impoverished bohemians trying to make rent and love. The libretto dazzles with songs of joy and woe over desolate youth and troubled love. Each character grows as human beings throughout the four act opera, and you remain entranced as you watch them go from doe-eyed youth to worn adults. Mimi, played by Maria Agresta, is filled with warmth and sweetness and can hit a high note that pierces the natural sound barrier. Bryan Hymel is wonderful as Rodolfo, and perfectly shows the inner turmoil of his character at loving the sickly Mimi. Their love story is, rightfully, one for the ages, because everyone eventually learns what it is to love someone that is sick and to witness their light dim before your eyes into tragic loss. This painful truth of life is what makes this opera ever-lasting and one for those ready to shed a tear. This is not an opera for a happy-ending, but some chapters in life do not have them. Still, there are several joys to this work of art.
The second act of this opera is absolutely glorious. It is known for having the most people on stage, at once, while having a set, by Franco Zefferilli, that is more than just a background: it is a world. When you see all the people on stage singing and roaming in this vastly intricate set, you almost want to get up and join them. It feels as if you traveled back in time and you are getting a brief glimpse into 1840’s Parisian life. Moreover, the entrance of La Boheme’s most memorable and hilarious character, Musetta, occurs. Ailyn Perez’s Musetta is like gold. She shines by nature, and her voice gives echoes to the great Maria Callas. This is high praise but well-deserved. You cannot stop watching her every move as a physical comedienne, while, as an opera singer, you smile at her every note. Her playful relationship with Marcello, played by Levente Molnár, is the comic relief throughout the play because both are larger than life personalities that use emotional chess to both win and lose to each other. Their friends Schaunard, played by Alessio Arduini, and Colline, played by Roberto Tagliavini, are also charismatic, comic reliefs to an opera that would be pretty grim if not for their youthful energy and natural ability to make you laugh with their entrance.
La Bohème is a historical relic for the Opera world because of its timeless themes and daring approach to the somberness of life. I say daring because it is honest. Poverty and sickness is not glorious, but love and youth is. The beauty of this opera is that it reveals both.
Time: 3 hours with two 30 minute intermissions
La Bohème will play again on April 25, April 29, and May 5, at The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City. For more information, click here.
