LA Opera Closes Season With La Bohème’ at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

John Turner

Nearly 120 years after Puccini’s opera “La Bohème” had its U.S. premiere in Los Angeles, the timeless opera is having a homecoming of sorts. To close its 2015-16 mainstage season, LA Opera will present an original production of “La Bohème” from May 14 to June 12. And the performances at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Downtown L.A. will take place mere blocks away from 227 South Spring Street, the former location of the Los Angeles Theater where “La Bohème” had its U.S. debut in 1897.

Puccini’s “La Bohème,” which is itself based on an 1840s novel by French author Henri Murger, centers around six poor French citizens struggling to survive in the Latin Quarter district of Paris in the 1830s. The opera had its world premiere in Italy in 1896 and the next year it began touring in other countries. According to historians, “La Bohème” was being performed in Mexico in the summer of 1897 when the old Los Angeles Theater manager, Charles Modini-Wood traveled to Mexico City and convinced the touring company to perform in Los Angeles. (The opera was originally scheduled to have its U.S. debut in San Francisco.) The three performances in L.A. in October 1897 were met with only lukewarm reception but in the 120 years since “La Bohème” has blossomed into one of the most oft-performed operas in history; modern adaptations including an updated version by Baz Luhrmann that ran on Broadway in 2002 and the smash musical “Rent” (which is entirely based on the story in “La Bohème”) have seen success as well.

The L.A. Opera production, due to the enormous demands on its actors, will have a revolving cast. The role of Mimi will be filled by Nino Machaidze and Olga Busuioc; Rodolfo will be played by Mario Chang and Abdellah Lasri; in the role of Musetta will be Janai Brugger and Amanda Woodbury, and Marcello will be played by Giorgio Caoduro. The orchestra will be conducted by Speranza Scappucci except on June 10 and 12 when the baton will be wielded by Los Angeles Philharmonic director Gustavo Dudamel.

LA Opera’s production of “La Bohème” is at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on May 14-June 12. For information and tickets, see LA Opera’s event page.