Opera purists often get outraged when stage directors update classics like Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 romantic tragedy La Bohème. The gorgeous imported revival of La Bohème at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is technically updated, but not as drastic as some recent approaches (for example, director Claus Guth’s Opéra National de Paris production shuttled Puccini’s artists and free spirits from 1830s Paris to a space station and the surface of the moon).
Rather than revive its stark 2018 co-production of La Bohème by director Richard Jones (shared with Madrid’s Teatro Real and London’s Royal Ballet and Opera), the Lyric switched things up with a new-to-Chicago staging. They rented Los Angeles Opera’s lavishly embellished 1993 production of La Bohème by the late Hollywood director Herbert Ross (The Turning Point, Steel Magnolias), who reset his version to Paris in 1887 and 1888.
I’m guessing this update was so Ross could historically justify the inclusion of the iconic Eiffel Tower amid the starry rooftop skyline dreamed up by set designer Gerald Howland and lighting designer Duane Schuler. The under-construction monument certainly screams out “Paris!” for the swelling romantic conclusion of Act I.
So, opera traditionalists shouldn’t be too bothered by this half-century update. Along with the period costumes of Peter J. Hall (updated by Jeannique Prospere), La Bohème at the Lyric still delivers everything audiences could wish for in terms of romanticized 19th century visuals surrounding the opera’s Parisian bohemians who fall in and out of love.
The Lyric has crucially cast plenty of powerhouse vocalists who are also adept in acting in signature La Bohème roles. They all work wonderfully in tandem with conductor Jordan de Sousa and revival stage director Melanie Bacaling, who both allow the cast to luxuriate in the musical lyricism of key Puccini arias while also engagingly propelling the plot forward.
Chicago-area native Ailyn Pérez is a globally acclaimed soprano celebrated for her take on the sickly seamstress Mimi, and she does not disappoint in her Lyric return. Pérez brings a delicate vocal beauty to the tuberculosis-stricken Mimi, while also projecting a demure amount of agency to a lonely woman who seeks out happiness where ever she can find it.
Making an impressive Lyric debut as the poet Rodolpho is Samoan tenor Pene Pati, who provides a very young and boyish vocal sheen to his big arias. Pati is also emotionally in tune as the besotted (if controlling) poet who falls for Mimi, but who is also torn when facing up to her declining health.
There’s also great performances in supporting roles, especially with American baritone Will Liverman as the jealous painter Marcello and Nicaraguan-American soprano Gabriella Reyes as the gold-digging fashion plate Musetta. Their on-again-off-again romantic dynamics are lots of fun, and Reyes especially shines with Musetta’s imperious Act II antics and her famed flirty waltz.
As the philosopher Colline, Chinese bass Peixin Chen delivers a poignant and powerful take on his brief Act IV aria to his soon-to-be-sold coat. And American baritone Ian Rucker makes for a dapper and wily Schaunard, the music teacher who is best among his bohemian friends at earning bursts of income by questionable means.
Baritone Levi Hernandez is also great in his double-cast small roles of the landlord Benoit in Act I and Musetta’s wealthy sugar daddy Alcindoro in Act II. Hernandez brings the right amount of comic bluster and fluster to both.
La Bohème is one of the world’s most popular operas, and this current Lyric run marks the 20th time it has presented it (making La Bohème the most-produced opera in the Lyric’s 71-year history). While some die-hard opera fans might hold La Bohème in contempt due to its over-familiarity, it’s hard to argue with its sturdiness and its bona fide reliability as an emotional tear jerker.
La Bohème at the Lyric should be perfect for newbies curious about the art form, and for Broadway musical fans who only know the work as the inspiration for Jonathan Larson’s 1996 smash Rent. And for opera traditionalists who have long and cherished memories of bygone star singers, the current Lyric cast most definitely deserves to be included in ongoing lists of singing greats.
La Bohème plays through April 12 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive. Remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m. March 22, 7 p.m. March 25, 28, 31 and April 9 and 2 p.m. April 3, 6 and 12. Sung in Italian with projected English translations. Tickets are $59-$369. Call 312-827-5600 or visit LyricOpera.org for more information.