Review: La Boheme for Families - Wisetrips Travel Blog

Today, we saw the 12:00 pm performance of La Boheme for Families at the San Francisco Opera in the War Memorial Opera House.

We had great seats in the second row and enjoyed sitting close to the orchestra and the stage.

The production was well presented, and the costumes and sets were exceptional. However, the singers, especially Rodolfo (sung by Eric Margiore), were inadequate and lacked the majestic voices necessary for these parts. I recalled many of the same songs by Luciano Pavarotti, which were not of the same caliber. The voices sung by the actresses playing the roles of Mimi (Julie Adams) and Musetta (Maria Valdes) were not bad at all.

I enjoyed the performance, but I don't know if morose material is especially delightful to young children.

Roles

Role	Voice type	(Conductor: Dennis Doublin)
Rodolfo, a poet	tenor	Eric Margiore
Mimì, a seamstress	soprano	Julie Adams
Marcello, a painter	baritone	Joo Won Kang
Musetta, a singer	soprano	Maria Valdes
Schaunard, a musician	baritone	Efrain Solis
Colline, a philosopher	bass	Scott Conner
Benoît, their landlord	bass	Dale Travis
Alcindoro, a state councilor	bass	Dale Travis
Parpignol, a toy vendor	tenor	Chester Pidduck
A customs Sergeant	bass	Bojan Knezevic
Students, working girls, townsfolk, shopkeepers, street vendors, soldiers, waiters, children

According to Wikipedia, the opera can be described as follows:

Synopsis

Place: Paris. Time: Around 1830.^[12]

Rodolfo's garret – set design for Act 1 of La bohème for the world premiere performance.

Act 1

In the four bohemians' garret

Marcello is painting while Rodolfo gazes out of the window. They complain of the cold. To keep warm, they burn Rodolfo's drama manuscript. Colline, the philosopher, enters shivering and disgruntled at being unable to pawn some books. Schaunard, the group's musician, arrives with food, wine, and cigars. He explains the source of his riches: a job with an eccentric English gentleman who ordered him to play his violin to a parrot until it died. The others hardly listen to his tale as they set the table to eat and drink. Schaunard interrupts, telling them they must save the food for the days ahead: tonight, they will all celebrate his good fortune by dining at Cafe Momus, and he will pay.

The friends are interrupted by Benoît, the landlord, who arrives to collect the rent. They flatter him and ply him with wine. In his drunkenness, he begins to boast of his amorous adventures, but when he reveals that he is married, they thrust him from the room—without the rent payment—in comic moral indignation. The rent money is divided for their evening out in the Quartier Latin.

	"Sì, mi chiamano Mimì" MENU 0:00 Claudia Muzio "O soave fanciulla" MENU 0:00 Enrico Caruso and Nellie Melba
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Marcello, Schaunard, and Colline go out, but Rodolfo remains alone for a moment to finish an article he is writing, promising to join his friends soon. There is a knock at the door. It is a girl who lives in another room in the building. Her candle had blown out, and she had no matches; she asked Rodolfo to light it. She is briefly overcome with faintness, and Rodolfo helps her to a chair and offers her a glass of wine. She thanks him. After a few minutes, she says she is better and must go. But as she leaves, she realizes she has lost her key. Her candle goes out in the draught, and Rodolfo's candle, too; the pair stumble in the dark.

Rodolfo, eager to spend time with the girl he is already attracted to, finds the key and pockets it, feigning innocence. He takes her cold hand (Che gelida manina – "What a cold little hand") and tells her of his life as a poet, then asks her to tell him more about her life. The girl says her name is Mimì (Sì, mi chiamano Mimì – "Yes, they call me Mimì") and describes her simple life as an embroiderer. Impatiently, the waiting friends call Rodolfo. He answers and turns to see Mimì bathed in moonlight (duet, Rodolfo and Mimì: O soave fanciulla – "Oh lovely girl"). They realize that they have fallen in love. Rodolfo suggests staying home with Mimì, but she accompanies him to Café Momus. As they leave, they sing of their newfound love.

Act 2

Quartier Latin

Prop designs for Act 2 of La bohème for the world premiere performance

A great crowd, including children, has gathered with street sellers announcing their wares (chorus: Aranci, datteri! Caldi i marroni! – "Oranges, dates! Hot chestnuts!"). The friends arrive; Rodolfo buys Mimì a bonnet from a vendor, Colline buys a coat, and Schaunard a horn. Parisians gossip with friends and bargain with the vendors; the children of the streets clamor to see the wares of Parpignol, the toy seller. The friends enter the Cafe Momus.

As the men and Mimì dine at the cafe, Musetta, formerly Marcello's sweetheart, arrives with her wealthy (and elderly) government minister admirer, Alcindoro, whom she is tormenting. She is tired of him. To the Parisians' delight and her patron's embarrassment, she sings a risqué song (Musetta's waltz: Quando me'n vo' – "When I go along"), hoping to reclaim Marcello's attention. The ploy works; simultaneously, Mimì recognizes that Musetta truly loves Marcello. To be rid of Alcindoro for a bit, Musetta pretends to suffer from a tight shoe and sends him to the shoemaker to mend her shoe. Alcindoro leaves, and Musetta and Marcello fall rapturously into each other's arms.

The friends are presented with their bills. Schaunard's purse has gone missing, and no one else has enough money to pay. The sly Musetta has the entire bill charged to Alcindoro. The sound of a military band is heard, and the friends leave. Alcindoro returns with the repaired shoe, seeking Musetta. The dumbfounded waiter hands him the bill; Alcindoro sinks into a chair.

Act 3[edit]

At the toll gate at the Barrière d'Enfer (late February)

Peddlers pass through the barriers and enter the city. Mimì appears, coughing violently. She tries to find Marcello, who is living in a little tavern where he paints signs for the innkeeper. She tells him of her hard life with Rodolfo, who abandoned her the night before, and of Rodolfo's terrible jealousy (O buon Marcello, aiuto! – "Oh, good Marcello, help me!"). Marcello tells her that Rodolfo is asleep inside and expresses concern about Mimì's cough. Rodolfo wakes up and comes out looking for Marcello. Mimì hides and overhears Rodolfo first telling Marcello that he left Mimì because of her coquettishness, but finally confessing that his jealousy is a sham: he fears she is slowly being consumed by a deadly illness (most likely tuberculosis, known by the catchall name "consumption" in the nineteenth century). In his poverty, Rodolfo can do little to help Mimì and hopes that his pretended unkindness will inspire her to seek another, wealthier suitor (Marcello, finalmente – "Marcello, finally"). Out of kindness towards Mimì, Marcello tries to silence him, but she has already heard all. Her weeping and coughing reveal her presence, and Rodolfo hurries to her. Musetta's laughter is heard, and Marcello finds out what has happened. Mimì tells Rodolfo she is leaving him and asks that they separate amicably (Mimì:Donde lieta uscì – "From here she happily left"). Still, their love for one another is too strong for the pair. As a compromise, they agree to remain together until the spring when the world comes to life again, and no one feels truly alone. Meanwhile, Marcello has found Musetta, and the couple quarrels fiercely about Musetta's flirtatiousness, an antithetical counterpoint to the other pair's reconciliation (quartet: Mimì, Rodolfo, Musetta, Marcello: Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina! – "Goodbye, sweet awakening in the morning!").

Act 4

Back in the garret (some months later)

	"O Mimì, tu più non torni" MENU 0:00 Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti (1907 recording) "Vecchia zimarra" MENU 0:00 Feodor Chaliapin
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Marcello and Rodolfo are trying to work, though they are primarily talking about their girlfriends, who have left them and found wealthy lovers. Rodolfo has seen Musetta in a fine carriage, and Marcello has seen Mimì dressed like a queen. The men both express their nostalgia (duet: O Mimì, tu più non torni – "O Mimì, will you not return?"). Schaunard and Colline arrive with a very frugal dinner, and all the parodies eat a plentiful banquet, dance together, and sing before Schaunard and Colline engage in a mock duel. Musetta suddenly appears; Mimì, who took up with a wealthy viscount after leaving Rodolfo in the spring, has left her patron. Musetta found her that day in the street, severely weakened by her illness, and Mimì begged Musetta to bring her to Rodolfo. Mimì, haggard and pale, is assisted onto a bed. Briefly, she feels as though she is recovering. Musetta and Marcello leave to sell Musetta's earrings to buy medicine, and Colline leaves to pawn his overcoat (Vecchia zimarra – "Old coat"). Schaunard goes with Colline to give Mimì and Rodolfo some time together. Mimì tells Rodolfo that her love for him is her whole life (aria/duet, Mimì and Rodolfo: Sono andati? – "Have they gone?"). To Mimì's delight, Rodolfo presents her with the pink bonnet he bought her, which he has kept as a souvenir of their love. They remember past happiness and their first meeting—the candles, the lost key. Suddenly, Mimì is overwhelmed by a coughing fit. The others return with a muff to warm Mimì's hands and some medicine. Mimì gently thanks Rodolfo for the muff, which she believes is his present, reassures him that she is better, and falls asleep. As Musetta prays, Mimì dies. Schaunard realizes that Mimì has died. Rodolfo becomes aware that something is wrong. He rushes to the bed, calling Mimì's name in anguish, and weeps helplessly.