La bohème (2017)

One of Giacomo Puccini’s most celebrated and representative works of verismo. La bohème, in an iconic co-production by the Teatro Real with the Royal Ballet & Opera in London and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, is presented under the musical direction of Paolo Carignani and stage direction by Richard Jones, who transports us to a cold, bustling, wintry Paris. Stephen Costello and Anita Hartig play the ill-fated leading couple in this moving portrait of youthful dreams.

Based on Henri Murger’s Scenes from Bohemian Life, the opera tells the story of a group of young bohemians. The aspiring poet Rodolfo shares a cold attic room with his three artist friends: the painter Marcello, the philosopher Colline, and the musician Schaunard, with whom he copes with poverty through humour and friendship. Love enters their lives when the seamstress Mimì knocks on Rodolfo’s door, and a deep romance blossoms between them; whilst Marcello begins a passionate and stormy relationship with the singer Musetta. Poverty and Mimì’s fragile health will soon put their happiness to the test, forcing the group to face a hostile reality that threatens to destroy their dreams.