'La Bohème' on a Sudbury stage

Renowned melodies, bold harmonies and fine stagecraft combine in a story of passionate young love set in early 20th century Paris.
La Slague presents Puccini’s opera 'La Bohème' in a Jeunesses musicales Canada production at Collège Boréal’s concert hall April 13 at 2 p.m.

Performed in Italian with French and English surtitles, this opera is a rallying event for all cultural communities.

La Slague – Greater Sudbury’s only promoter of live opera – hosts this production as part the Desjardins Concerts 2013-2014 Canadian tour.

Director Alain Gauthier has crafted an elegant and moving production of a work that ranks among the best-loved operas of all time.

With a cast of Canada’s best rising stars of lyric art under the musical direction of master pianist Louise-Andrée Baril, this production enchants aficionados and newbies alike, with outstanding performances, impressive sets and elaborate costumes.

The cast includes soprano Karine Boucher (Mimi), tenor Michael Marino (Rodolfo), baritone Jeremy Ludwig (Marcello), soprano Danielle Buonaiuto (Musetta) and baritones Marc-Antoine d’Aragon (Schaunard), Jordan Collalto (Colline) and Brend Calis (Benoît/Alcindoro).

Young struggling artists share joys, sorrows and a chilly attic apartment in Paris’ Latin Quarter. They are dirt poor and face many obstacles, but they are happy, because their hardships are no match for their hopefulness.

This is not a story of towering heroes, mythological gods or powerful princes. These are ordinary young people with everyday problems and no clear career plans. Their story seems true to life and their lives are familiar to all.

It has been said that this opera is near perfect. Puccini’s gift for melody, his innate sense of drama, his marvelous ability to produce an atmosphere through sound, the energy and enthusiasm that pervade both the story and the music, have made La Bohème not only a classic masterpiece, but a reference in popular culture as well.

In fact, the hit musical Rent (recently seen in Sudbury in a YES Theatre production) is essentially an adaptation of La Bohème. So, this is certainly an opera that a wide public can enjoy.
Tickets, which cost $30 for adults and $27 for students and seniors, can be purchased at TNO. Phone 705-525-5606, ext. 4, or visit www.leTNO.ca.