“Breathes there a man with soul so dead, who never to himself has said, …” and here I depart from the patriotism of Sir Walter Scott, ‘oh to be young and free and living in Paris.’ This fantasy has fueled fans from the nineteenth century to the present, from Murger’s book “Scenes de la vie Bohème,” to Puccini’s “La Bohème.” This is the eighth presentation of the Herbert Ross production for LAOpera. The time-worn LAOpera production of LaBohème sports a Paris street scene scrim by Gerald Howland that instantly pulls the audience into the feeling of a rainy and cold, but still romantic, night in Paris. Ah to have been there when I was young and unencumbered.
The scrim lifts and it is Christmas eve. A group of four students living in a sixth floor walk up with rent overdue, no money for kindling to heat their quarters, nothing to eat, but an abundance of energy and hopes for the future. Schaunard (Emmett O’Hanton) bursts through the door. He has been paid; throwing caution to the winds, all but the poet Rodolfo (Oreste Cosimo) race off to celebrate. Rudolfo is still there when a neighbor, Mimi (Janai Brugger) knocks at the door. Mimi is supposedly coquettish and she is consumptive. It is love at first sight. Brugger has a beautiful voice but, at least initially, does not embrace the part. Later, in Act III when Rudolfo is trying to dump her he complains “she’s boring” and it is too believable. When played well Act I has all the energy and emotional swings of youth. Opening night, sadly, the first act felt stale instead; hopefully subsequent performances will be more infused with feeling and exuberance.
The absolute highlight of the evening is the revelry at Café Momus and the surrounding streets. There is nothing stale about the staging or the acting. The Children’s Chorus stands out as singers and dancers. When Musetta (Erica Petrocelli) descends from her carriage she ignites the scene. It is hard to imagine a better Musetta than Petrocilli. She is a genuine femme fatale who I believe seduced everyone in the Chandler audience. This scene alone is worth the price of admission.
It is hardly necessary to include a spoiler alert. The lovers must part, their souls must be tortured, the consumptive Mimi must die. It is a trope of nineteenth century literature, after all. And yes, you may well shed a tear or two at the end, even if being critical of how we got there. Perhaps it is time to ask is it time to update the production? In 2012, Mark Swed, music critic for the LA Times, wrote of the Ross production, “no production lasts forever.” It has been rolled out several times since then. Yes, there are some tweaks like script being laboriously written across the scrim between the acts, but the set is dated and not in a good way, and the boys garret is up in the corner in a way that swallows action and voices alike.
La Bohème is one of the surefire hits of the opera cannon. Count on Puccini, the music is suffused with lyrical themes. The story is one that modern audiences can connect with. Sometimes, even with a full closet, you just need a new dress.
Karen Weinstein
