“La Bohème” is Giacomo Puccini’s Italian opera about love and loss in the bohemian world of 1830’s Paris.
It premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy in 1896, and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1900. Today, the tragic love story of Mimi and Rodolfo is the world’s most popular opera. It helped defined our modern concept of the bohemian artist.
La Bohème 2020-21
After the COVID-19 Pandemic cut short the 2019-20 season and the Black Lives Matter movement got everyone rethinking our own perspectives, the Metropolitan Opera returns in 2021 with Franco Zeffirelli’s “La Bohème” and a fresher point of view in casting.
Eleonara Buratto (Mimi), Dmytro Popov (Rodolfo)
- Saturday, January 2, 2021 at 1pm
- Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 7pm
- Saturday, January 9, 2021 at 1pm
Angel Blue (Mimi), Dmytro Popov (Rodolfo). Angel Blue made her Met debut as Mimi in 2017. Last season she sang Bess in “Porgy and Bess.”
- Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 7pm
- Sunday, January 24 at 3pm
- Friday, January 29 at 7pm
Angel Blue (Mimi), Pavel Valuzhin (Rodolfo)
- Tuesday, February 2 at 7pm
- Friday, February 6 at 8pm
- Wednesday, February 10 at 7:30pm
Angela Gheorghiu (Mimi), Pavel Valuzhin (Rodolfo)
- Saturday, February 13 at 7pm
Nicole Car (Mimi), Joseph Calleja (Rodolfo)
- Tuesday, February 16 at 7pm
- Friday, February 19 at 7:30pm
- Thursday, February 25 at 7:30pm
Angel Blue (Mimi), Matthew Polenzani (Rodolfo)
- Saturday, April 10 at 12pm
- Tuesday, April 13 at 7:30pm
- Saturday, April 17 at 8pm
Get tickets from $30 at metopera.org
La Bohème 2019-20
Franco Zeffirelli’s classic staging of the world’s most popular opera returns for sixteen performances from October 25, 2019 to May 7, 2020.
Three casts perform this season. As Rodolfo and Mimi, you have your choice of Matthew Polenzani and Ailyn Pérez (Oct 5-Nov 21), Roberto Alagna and Maria Agresta (Jan 9-25, and Joseph Calleja and Ailyn Pérez (Apr 29-May 7).
Marco Armiliato and Emmanuel Villaume conduct.
Franco Zeffirelli Production
Zeffirelli (Italian, 1923) is a filmmaker who is best known for his version of Romeo and Juliet (1968), and The Taming of the Shrew (1967) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.
He produced La Bohéme, Tosca, Turandot, and Don Giovanni for the Metropolitan Opera.
La Bohème Setting
The story is set in 1830s Paris when the prototypes of the modern bohemian artist were first established.
Today the same story plays itself out in every urban center including right here in New York City.
La Bohème Roles
- Mimì, a seamstress.
- Rodolfo, a young poet.
- Musetta, a singer.
- Marcello, a painter.
- Schaunard, a musician.
La Bohème Synopsis
La Bohéme tells the story of Rodolfo, a young poet, and Mimi, an embroiderer and their bohemian friends. A blown-out candle and a lost key are moments that lead them to fall in love, just as all loves have their magic moments. Rodolfo, Mimi and their friends enjoy a raucous evening at Café Momus. Mimi has tuberculosis and knowing that in his poverty he cannot help her, Rodolfo and Mimi decide to end their relationship, but stay together until the Spring.
Some time later Rodolfo is feeling lonely. Mimi has taken a wealthy patron and is seen dressed like a queen. Some time later, Mimi is found on the street very weak from her tuberculosis. Rodolfo brings her in and they reminisce about falling in love and their happy times together. Mimi dies in his arms as Rodolfo laments.
La Bohème 2018-19
The Metropolitan Opera performs La Bohème eleven times between September 25 and December 13, 2018. James Gaffigan conducts.
Nicole Car & Vittorio Grigolo lead the fall cast
Nicole Car (Met debut) and Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo open as Mimi and Rodolfo. French – Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis opens Marcello.
Ailyn Pérez & Michael Fabiano lead the spring cast
Mexican – American soprano Ailyn Pérez and Italian – American tenor Michael Fabiano close as Mimi and Rodolfo.
La Bohème 2017-18
This is Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production.
Angel Blue, Anita Hartig, and Sonya Yoncheva share the role of Mimi.
Dmytro Popov, Russell Thomas, and Michael Fabiano share the role of the poet Rodolfo.
Alexander Soddy conducts in October and November. Marco Armiliato conducts in February and March.