their seats in anticipation for Ellen Kent’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 classic, La Bohème,
featuring the talented voices of the Ukranian Opera and Ballet Theatre. Whenever Kent brings the
opera to Manchester, one cannot help but feel that an old friend has come to visit, with the mixture
of music, wonderful and lavish sets as well as the tear inducing performances being like a warm and
assuring embrace. La Bohème returns after being last performed by the Ukranian Opera in 2023, and
somehow Ellen Kent has taken what seemed like a winning formula two years ago and improved
upon it, making this season’s production of the tragedy one of the best operas so far, rivalled only by
her production of Bizet’s Carmen last year.
What made this production of La Bohème so good was the superb casting. Tenor, Davit Sumbadze as
Rodolfo, brought an air of innocence as well as a mischievous immaturity which blended well with
the young poet’s friends Marcello (Iurie Gisca), Schaunard (Vitalii Cebotari) and Colline (Valeriu
Cojocaru); however this was most noticeable against Soprano, Elana Dee’s Mimi as the two shared a
chemistry which elevated their romance beyond a level which was perhaps lacking in the ’23
production. Their romance speaks volumes even before the end of the first act, and as such really
hits hard when tragedy strikes in fourth act.
Set in 1830s Paris, La Bohème is a tragedy (albeit with its fair share of comedy) following four
Bohemians as they struggle creatively to make ends meet as well as romantically. On Christmas Eve
after seeing off their landlord, Rodolfo meets Mimi and the two fall for each other (featuring the
opera’s best known aria “Che Gelida Manina” which the motif recurs throughout the story). When
the two lovebirds join Rodolfo’s friends for food and drink, Marcello’s old flame, Musetta, appears,
thus juxtaposing Rodolfo and Mimi’s more serious romance with the more volatile yet lighthearted
romance. A few months later, a clearly ill Mimi confides in Marcello about her faltering relationship
with Rodolfo, all the while Marcello and Musetta’s rocky relationship start to break down once
more. In the final act, set in the burgeoning spring, we see a return to the situation presented in the
first act. Rodolfo and Marcello are alone, and Schaunard and Colline do what they can to bring in
provisions, when Musetta appears having found Mimi dying on the street. After rekindling their
romance, Mimi dies although Rodolfo is initially unaware, he breaks down upon finding out.
The story is an incredibly simple yet effective one. One of the many reasons why La Bohème works
as an entry level opera. Despite being set almost two hundred years ago, Rodolfo and the other
Bohemian’s situation is still very relevant to many today. Any preconception that opera is serious is
shattered when the four friends pretend sword fight and dance with one another, chasing each
other and smashing one of Marcello’s paintings over Schaunard’s head. La Bohème is that perfect
blend of humour, tragedy, and romance, offering a bit of everything for everyone. What else worked
was the changing scenery between the first, second and third act. The audience is never in one place
for too long and Kent’s keen eye for set design and props makes sure that there is enough going on
around the talent to create a magical and immersive world. The bright colours of the costumes and
props in the second act break apart the bleak blues and cold tones of the first and third act, all the
while those very bleak colours and tones work perfectly with the unfolding tragedy in the last act.
Puccini’s score is some of his best, and while it could be argued that Madama Butterfly is the
pinnacle of his work, the story of La Bohème allows for a bit more wriggle room to play about and
have fun with the music where appropriate. Under Vasyl Vasylenko’s baton, he brings Puccini’s work
alive with the music belting deep out of the pit filling the entirety of the opera house. To return to
the point of why the cast makes this particular production stand out so well, all have that little bit of
freedom to play about and each brought their own individual voice ensuring a strong stand-out
performance each time they were on stage. The idiom “Water off a duck’s back” came to mind when
Sumbadze, Gisca and Dee in particular filled the opera house with their voices. Additionally, with
these three in particular, despite sitting in amongst 1900 seats, one felt they were receiving a
personal performance. To put it plain and simple, it was beautiful on a level which had not been fully
realised previously.
La Bohème was the first of three one night only shows at Manchester opera house, the other two
being Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and ending with Verdi’s La Traviata. With the tour going all around
the country and lasting until May, there is still plenty of time to see all three. It must be added that
despite the war in Ukraine entering its third year, the Ukrainian Opera and Ballet Theatre never fail
to disappoint and are a testament to the will of their country’s people.
Reviewer: Daryl Griffin
Reviewed: 21/02/25
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