A young woman knocking on the door of a loft in the Old Town …

… And a young writer opens. Inspired by Edvard Munch’s colorful paintings, Hans Jaeger’s depiction of Christiania Bohemian and August Strindberg’s novel The Red Room sounds the famous tenor, director and conductor José Cura a Nordic light shine on Puccini’s masterpiece and moves La Bohème Paris to a fictitious Stockholm. The author Rodolfo will be August Strindberg, the painter Marcello gets Edvard Munch, the philosopher Colline becomes Søren Kierkegaard, composer Schaunard will Edvard Grieg and cabaret singer Musetta gets Tulla Larsen. Well acquainted with the music and the libretto in this poignant, tragicomic drama creates José Cura is now a full-fledged Scandinavian Bohème for the Royal Opera.

Taking inspiration from her own time as a poor student portrays Giacomo Puccini with heat and passion some young dreamer’s life, bohemians in the 1800s Paris. But the timeless story could take place anywhere.

Music Giacomo Puccini

Text G. Giacosa / L. Illica

Director, scenery, costumes and light José Cura

Dramaturg Katarina Aronsson

Performed in Italian with Swedish text on surtitles

Saturday, December 27, 15:00
Monday, December 28 19:00
Wednesday, December 30 18:00
Friday, January 8 19:00
Monday, January 11 19:00
Thursday, January 14 19:00
Saturday, January 16 15:00
Monday, January 18 19:00
Wednesday, January 20 19:00
Wednesday, January 27 19:00
Saturday, January 30 15:00
Thursday, February 4 19:00
Saturday, February 6th 15:00
Thursday, February 11 19:00
Monday, February 22 19:00
Sunday, February 28 15:00
Wednesday, April 13 19:00
Thursday, June 9 19:00
Saturday, June 11 15:00
Tuesday, June 14 19:00

CAST
Mimì Yana Kleyn
Musetta (Tulla Larsen) Sanna Gibbs
Rodolfo (August Strindberg) Daniel Johansson, Atalla Ayan, Jonas Degerfeldt
Marcello (Edvard Munch) Linus Börjesson
Schaunard (Edvard Grieg) Persson
Coline (Soren Kierkegaard) John Erik Eleby
Benoit Niklas Björling Rygert
Alcindore Thomas Bergström Anders Nyström
Parpignol (Julbocken) Jon Nilsson Olof Lilja
Conductor Daniele Callegari Benjamin Shwartz Tobias Ringborg

Royal Opera Choir
Children’s Choir from Adolf Fredrik’s Music School
Royal Orchestra

Press Quotes

“Seldom has Puccini sounded so soft and precise at the Royal Opera.” Aftonbladet

“And then to flee from the worldly worries for a while in a strong performance, yes, there is a TERRIFIC pleasant experience” Eskilstuna courier

“La Bohème in Scandinavian version is beautiful, good looking, touching, professional” Kulturbloggen

“Nordic bohemians convinces with voice splendor.” SvD

“… imaginative, with good humor and much charm” SvD

“… an elegant transfer from kvarterer in Paris to the Old Town … and it sounds fantastic on Puccini’s opera under the direction of Daniele Callegari” Expressen

“… A roaring success”, Financial Times

SYNOPSIS

First Act

Christmas Eve. It’s freezing in the attic where a young writer, August Strindberg and his friend, the painter Edvard Munch, live. At the piano sits a promising young composer, Edvard Grieg, and composes. Munch struggling with the last details in a painting. His model is becoming impatient and demanding payment. But Munch has not a penny. August and Edward complains about the cold when suddenly the philosopher Colline, avid supporters of Søren Kierkegaard, appears. The trio discusses the life and the weather when Grieg returns with food and drink. He has just been paid for private lessons to the son of a millionaire. When they lift their glasses to a bowl enters the landlord in and require them to rent. The four young men manage to talk themselves out of the precarious situation. Colline / Søren, Grieg and Edvard leaves the wind to enjoy a little Christmas cheer in the city, August stops
to finish an article. But the author does not find the right inspiration. A light knock at the door distracts him, and a young woman he had never seen before appears.

Second Act

Christmas Eve in the town square. Edward has just revealed its latest painting Old Town at sunset. The shops bulging with people, families crowd into the alleys and vendors cry. Munch observe them, they all were created from him, taken from his paintings, and he is very touched by seeing them alive. His friend, the writer Hans Jaeger, accompany him and praising his painting.

At Berns succeed Edward’s friends get a table. Tulla arrives with a wealthy banker, Alcindoro. She has just quarreled with Edward and her plan is to make him insanely jealous. It works. She embarrass rich banker and reunited with Edward in a passionate kiss. Friends march out and leave it to the banker to pay off the bill.

Third Act

A year has passed. Edward and Tulla working for brothel owners. He paints portraits and she entertains the guests. Edvard Munch sketch of the painting Ash with Tulla and his sleeping friend August as models. Mimì arrives, she does not understand why August rejects her and she asks if Edward’s advice. When Edward pushes his friend August admit him to his love Mimì more than anything else on earth – but she is deathly ill and he is too poor to help her. Mimì hear August’s confession from a hiding place. She confronts August and suggests they go their separate ways so that he can continue to live his life, but the August fall grieved together. As they bid farewell to each other resumes Edward and Tulla their bickering.

Fourth act

In the attic, several months later, put Edward’s new painting The Scream atmosphere. Edward mourning her Tulla and August its Mimì. While the painter portrays the author steps Grieg and Søren in, carrying a piece of bread and a herring. To cope with the desperation they play a little comedy, a feigned meal with the class they so often criticize, but in reality they would like to be a part of. The comedy is changed to mock tragedy when one of them, offended by a comment, challenges to a duel. As the quarrel escalates rushing Tulla in. Mimì is seriously ill and can not get up the stairs. The friends are forced to brutally back to reality and realize that they can not help the terminally ill young woman

31 December 2015

Venue: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Presented by: Opera Australia

Gale Edwards’ glittering production provides a perfect setting for New Year’s Eve: in the bohemian streets of 1930s Berlin, in the color and chaos of street fairs and burlesque bars, fairy lights and fishnet stockings.

Description

A painter, a musician, a philosopher and a poet are having a night on the town. Café Momus is too pricey for them — they’ve nothing to weigh down those moth-eaten pockets. But why worry? The landlord is sorted, the bar tab can wait. They’re young and their lofty ideals will keep body and soul together.

And then there’s love. Ah, love. That tingle of electricity as two hands meet. The fire in the eyes of the girl you want so badly. Love will keep us warm, won’t it?

Nearly 120 years after Puccini wrote his smash-hit La bohème, this story of first love still tops the list of most performed operas around the world.

Perhaps the tale of four friends living for their art reminds us of a person we weren’t brave enough to become. Perhaps Puccini’s talent for capturing emotion in music takes us back to the first time we felt love stir in our hearts.

Perhaps it’s just that La bohème is a story we understand. It’s about friendship and falling in love.
It’s about sacrifice and never giving up, even if it means parting with your lover — or your favorite coat.

Gale Edwards’ glittering production provides a perfect setting for these utterly human emotions: in the bohemian streets of 1930s Berlin, in the color and chaos of street fairs and burlesque bars, fairy lights and fishnet stockings.

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

A painter, a musician, a philosopher and a poet are having a night on the town. Café Momus is too pricey for them — they’ve nothing to weigh down those moth-eaten pockets. But why worry? The landlord is sorted, the bar tab can wait. They’re young and their lofty ideals will keep body and soul together.

And then there’s love. Ah, love. That tingle of electricity as two hands meet. The fire in the eyes of the girl you want so badly. Love will keep us warm, won’t it?

Nearly 120 years after Puccini wrote his smash-hit La bohème, this story of first love still tops the list of most performed operas around the world.

Perhaps the tale of four friends living for their art reminds us of a person we weren’t brave enough to become. Perhaps Puccini’s talent for capturing emotion in music takes us back to the first time we felt love stir in our hearts.

Perhaps it’s just that La bohème is a story we understand. It’s about friendship and falling in love.
It’s about sacrifice and never giving up, even if it means parting with your lover — or your favorite coat.
Gale Edwards’ glittering production provides a perfect setting for these utterly human emotions: in the bohemian streets of 1930s Berlin, in the color and chaos of street fairs and burlesque bars, fairy lights and fishnet stockings.

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSENew Year’s Eve is the night when Sydney puts on the bling, kicks up its heels and shows the world what a gorgeous thing it is, as a festival of fire explodes across the midnight sky.

Ringside seats to the greatest show on earth are hard to come by, but we’ve saved some great ones, and you’re invited.

Leave the crowds behind as you enter the Sydney Opera House.

Choose to settle back for an evening with Rodolfo, Mimi, Marcello and Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème.
Then, with a heart full of song, watch the fireworks the whole world watches. Interval is timed for the 9pm fireworks and the Sydney Opera House stays open well past the midnight fireworks.

There’s nowhere in the world like Sydney on New Year’s Eve and there’s nowhere closer to the action than Sydney Opera House. Make this your most glamorous and memorable New Year ever.

It’s guaranteed to end with a bang!