As in 2015, Opera Australia offers us Puccini’s verismo rollercoaster LA BOHEME in its Summer Season. Gale Edwards’ bold, brutish and at times simply beautiful rendering of opera hits the mark once more. Its production values keenly highlight the undulations of the bohemians and other sensitive characters in the story.
This production oozes with passion, sensuality and ambition as it follows Rodolfo the poet who falls in love quickly with his neighbour Mimì. We see the trials which plague their fateful relationship and the love lives of other friends.
Comic moments and deeper concerns are well juxtaposed within Brian Thomson’s half-Spiegeltent sets. The area beyond this framework is also well used in Edwards’ direction as the protagonists’ tales are woven over each other and hopes ebb and flow until death finally comes.
Having seen the production last year, I again enjoyed the effective shifts of location and time. The leap from early nineteenth century Paris, a favourite setting for literary and theatrical tragedy to 1920s-1930s late Weimar republic Germany, further accentuates the plight of poet Rodolfo and his dying Mimì. Society’s backdrop to the love story is also given an interesting twist in this way.
Act Three becomes even more chilling with set walls replaced by harsh wire fences, gates for guards to parade around. In this act, John Rayment’s lighting design works evocatively through the Spiegletent edifice. Ethereal light also shines exquisitely through the set’s high windows during Mimi’s descent into death in Act Four.
Throughout the opera, principals and ensemble seize the chance to release energy spectacularly. There is much joy and blatant flaunting of personalities as the cast members revolve their world before us on a moving stage set as a busy street or stylish café.
The street and café scenes have a real frisson. Tableaux are fluid and the moments employing the revolving central stage are successful.
A robust children’s chorus is in fine voice and commands the spaces well. Julie Lynch’s costuming for the Café Momus girls and patrons is alluring, and excitement reigns supreme in the street scene, where characters such as the human orange stand emerge colourfully.
Great casting sees Lorina Gore reprise the role of Musetta with absolute flair. The ‘Musetta’s Waltz’ sequence before Mimi and the bohemians at the Café Momus is a cavalcade of posturing and comedy. There is a haughty characterisation and commanding singing from Gore in front of the period microphone. She deserves the spotlight wearing a stunning gown at the lush café set’s centre.
Natalie Aroyan’s Mimì shows tremendous range and her portrayal of illness and death is convincing. At times girl-like and others profound, she moves through the story displaying considerable chemistry with Yosep Kang’s Rodolpho.
Kang’s tenor strength is quite fine and consistent. His soaring conversation pleases, especially in Act One. Like the evocative work from the orchestra led by Carlo Montanaro, Kang masters Puccini’s challenges of great contrast of delivery and sudden dramatic outbursts. His final “Mimì…Mimì…” repetitions are heart-wrenching and penetrating. He has some moments of fine larrikinism with the other artists.
Any Puccini opera moves with considerable momentum due to the composer’s musical and dramatic structure. It is the task of a production team to preserve such pace. In the current climate it is also necessary to attract a modern audience of opera fans and first-time viewers alike. This repeated performance of Opera Australia’s revival production endures on these counts, thanks to the quality of Puccini’s legacy, an energetic cast of performers and committed salutes to reality and frivolity from the creative team.
LA BOHEME plays the Dame Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House until March 23.
