LA BOHÈME
by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
McCaw Hall
Opening weekend, October 16-17 (on stage through October 30)
If there was ever an audience eager for a live opera performance, it was the one for opening weekend of La Bohème at Seattle Opera. The production could have been terrible, and it almost wouldn't have mattered. People applauded and cheered wildly when General Director Christina Scheppelmann came out before the performance and said – for the first time in nearly 20 months – "Welcome to Seattle Opera at McCaw Hall."
There was another huge ovation when she said, "We are here because of science." And another when she reminded us that we will never again take live music for granted. And when conductor Joseph Colaneri took his place and waved to the audience, cheers erupted along with the customary applause.
Fortunately, the production was not terrible, and in many ways it was heroic. Until very recently, it wasn't clear that a live indoor performance would be possible at all, and then it wasn't clear how many people would be permitted to attend. When public health guidelines were updated about a month ago, Seattle Opera decided to go ahead with a live performance and a full house – with everyone in the audience required to present proof of vaccination and to wear masks in the building at all times.
In addition, the singers wore masks in rehearsal, and some of them hadn't seen each other's unmasked faces until opening night. The children's chorus was eliminated, and both orchestra and chorus were about half the usual size.
Stage Director David Gately had to work fast to assemble a production, so he opted to use sets and costumes already in Seattle Opera's possession. The result is a production with a nostalgic feeling, quite appropriate for an opera saturated with nostalgia.
Seattle Opera was smart to begin this season with La Bohème, because it is such a beloved opera, guaranteed to sell tickets at a time when all arts companies are struggling, and because, as dramaturg Jonathan Dean points out in his program notes, "the success of the show is not contingent upon superstars." No matter the cast, Puccini's gorgeous music wins over the audience. The music simply makes us feel exactly what Puccini wanted us to feel at every moment. Even if you've seen La Bohème dozens of times, I defy you to keep your heart from swelling along with the music when Mimì sings in Act I of her love for springtime or to keep your eyes from tearing up in Act IV when the orchestra tells you that she is about to die.
On Saturday night, soprano Karen Vuong as the seamstress Mimì and tenor Yosep Kang as the poet Rodolfo seemed to have opening-night jitters at first, with some vocal shakiness and difficulty projecting over the orchestra, but those disappeared after intermission. Mezzo-soprano Ginger Costa-Jackson and baritone John Moore, already favorites in Seattle, brought dramatic and vocal fireworks to the volatile couple Musetta and Marcello. As Rodolfo and Marcello's buddies and roommates Colline and Schaunard, bass Ashraf Sewailam and baritone Eugene Villanueva did a fine job; Sewailam's rendition of the "coat aria" (in which Colline decides to pawn his overcoat to buy medicine for Mimì) was lovely and affecting.
My Sunday matinee companion remarked that this was the clearest production of La Bohème she'd ever seen. Gately's directorial skill was everywhere evident, but particularly in Act II, the challenging, fast-paced crowd scene at Café Momus. Even when there was a great deal of action on the stage, the main characters stood out, and the audience knew exactly what was going on at all times. In Act IV, the antics of the four young men were exceptionally charming, until a harsh chord and a timpani roll abruptly changed the mood and began the scene in which Mimì dies. (In an opening-night post-performance Q&A, Gately called that chord "the guillotine.")
Lighting designer Chad R. Jung gave fresh life to the wonderful old drop sets originally purchased by Seattle Opera in 1965 for the company's premiere of La Bohème. The late Martin Pakledinaz designed the stunning costumes for a 1991 production. It was good to see them again, and it was great to see and hear this opera again.
For more information and to order tickets, go to https://www.seattleopera.org/.