A 60s take on a classic weepie
Date Posted: Friday, February 09, 2007Author: Christen Pears
Arts & Entertainment
Latest Articles:
- China quake: 19,000 buried in rubble, 13,000 dead
- After big win, Clinton vows to push forward
- Raising the standard of childcare
- The changes needed in our education system
- God’s word is a mirror
- Saving energy, saving the environment
- The importance of training our children
- Bermuda’s bike laws - don’t punish responsible riders
- Conscription and the young black male
- Parenting: why court isn’t the answer
Search International News:
A drug-addicted Mimi, references to President de Gaulle and more cigarettes than a Marlboro factory. It could have been disastrous but Opera a la Carte’s transposition of La Boheme from the 1830s to 1960s works beautifully.
La Boheme has never been one of my favourite operas; I’ve always wondered why such dull characters deserve such beautiful arias. But I did enjoy this small-scale production, which was perfectly suited to the intimate space of the City Hall theatre. With the cast walking down the aisles to make entrances and exits through one of the side doors, there was a real feeling that the audience was part of the action.
Simple backdrops and minimal props put the focus firmly on the singers, who all performed well, particularly Gordana Kostic as Mimi and Katie Van Kooten as Musetta. Musetta’s scenes with Kevin Ferguson as Rodolfo were characterized by a sweet, youthful tenderness that was particularly touching in the final, deathbed scene. The plaintive, “Mimi, Mimi” Rodolfo utters as he realizes his beloved is dead brought a lump to my throat.
There was some impressive ensemble singing, too, particularly among the four Bohemians as they joked and joshed with each other in their Parisian garret.
It may be a tearjerker but La Boheme is shot through with humour and the second act in the Café Momus was one of the highlights of the production. There was a lovely comic performance from Gerard Delrez as Alcindoro, Musetta’s wealthy admirer, and Musetta herself strutted her stuff wearing a fur coat and white patent go-go boots.
My only quibble was the accompaniment. Susanna Stranders did a great job with the piano transcription but without an orchestra, too much of Puccini’s lush scoring was lost.
Director Nicholas Heath is keen to introduce opera to a new audience so I was surprised there were no surtitles. It must have made things tricky for those who weren’t familiar with the story but in the end, the music and the performances spoke for themselves.