BACALING’S BOHÈME CAPTURED MY HEART
The operas of Giacomo Puccini are ever-present on the Lyric Opera stage. Only a month ago, Sondra Radvanovsky sang a whole program of Puccini arias, including one from La Bohème, Now audiences have the opportunity to hear the entire opera in all its beloved glory. If Lyric’s last production of La Bohème (2018-2019) was a stunning success, this one might be even better. What makes all the difference is Samoan tenor Pene Pati, making his Lyric debut as Rodolfo. At the risk of hyperbole, Pati’s performance is reminiscent of the raw, natural talent of the great Luciano Pavarotti. There is nothing overly polished or self-conscious in it; just effortless singing of high notes and complete volume control.
Pene Pati and Ailyn Pérez
This new-to-Chicago production was originally conceived by Hollywood filmmaker Herbert Ross. Co-produced by Los Angeles and Dallas Opera, La Bohème is delicately and sensitively directed by Melanie Bacaling in her Lyric debut and features realistic set designs by Gerard Howland and period perfect costume designs by Peter J. Hall and Jeannique Prospere. Howland’s 1880s Paris set comes replete with an unfinished Eiffel Tower in the background. Their dark and gloomy designs capture the poverty of the opera’s artistic protagonists. And the cramped spaces of the domestic scenes enhance their intimacy.
Pene Pati, Will Liverman, Ian Rucker
The opera’s libretto, written by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, is based on Henri Murger’s 1851 collection of short stories, Scènes de la vie de bohème. Portraying the lives of young bohemians living in Paris’s Latin Quarter, the opera’s simple plot focuses on the relationship between the writer Rodolfo and Mimi spun out over four acts, beginning with how the two meet and ending with Mimi’s premature death. A secondary plot concerns the painter Marcello and his relationship with the coquettish Musetta. Unfortunately, neither relationship lasts, and the reasons are unclear. Are Mimi and Musetta prostitutes? Does poverty force the women to seek wealthier lovers? And is that the cause or consequence of Rodolfo and Marcello’s dissatisfaction with them? Thus, the first two acts are full of fun and festivity, whereas the final two are poignantly sad and somber.
Company
Canadian conductor Jordan De Souza, Nicaraguan-American soprano Gabriella Reyes, and American baritone Levi Hernandez return to Lyric for the first time since Lyric’s 2022 production of Florencia en el Amazonas. As in Florencia, Reyes is the most impressive of the three, this time taking the enchanting role of Musetta. Reyes makes Musetta a much more sympathetic character than the sexy diva she is typically made out to be. While her Act II introductory scene is surely memorable, it does not distract from the central romance between Mimi and Rodolfo.
Gabriella Reyes and Company
Mexican soprano Ailyn Pérez, last seen at Lyric in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (2021), plays Mimi with extraordinary sensitivity. Her beautiful, clear tone is once again on full display, especially in her delicate singing of the famed aria “Si, mi chiamano Mimi.” The chemistry between her and Pati is palpable, evident in the ease and tenderness of their onstage interactions. Similarly at ease in their friendships and camaraderie are the four male leads: Pati, Will Liverman as Marcello, Ian Rucker as Schaunard, and Peixin Chen as Colline. All of this is a testament to Bacaling’s excellent direction. Further enhancing the beauty and scale of the production is the Lyric Opera Chorus under the dependable direction of Michael Black and the children of Uniting Voices Chicago, directed by Josephine Lee.
Company
If it’s possible to fall in love with La Bohème even more, then this production has surely captured my heart. Moreover, it has given me a greater appreciation and understanding of this Puccini opera. Whether it’s your first time at the opera or your fifth time seeing La Bohème, don’t miss this moving Lyric production!
Company
photos by Michael Brosilow
Pene Pati and Ailyn Pérez
The Marriage of Figaro
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive
in Italian with projected English titles
2 hours and 20 minutes, including 1 intermission
ends on April 12, 2025
for tickets, call 312.827.5600 or visit Lyric Opera
for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago
