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| The souvenir program for our 1957 tour of La Bohème. |
The opera remains one of the most popular in the repertoire, and we’ve been performing it since our earliest seasons. Over many decades, directors have examined and re-examined this great opera to thrilling effect. Here are some of our most memorable productions of La Bohème.
1957
We first presented Puccini’s bohemian romance in our second season, touring the production to Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Newcastle. Staged by the prolific Australian director Robin Lovejoy, the tour was performed in English and starred Elsie Morison, an Australian soprano who was a regular at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. She made her Covent Garden debut in 1953 as Mimì, so this Australian tour was a triumphant homecoming.
Max Worthley played Rodolfo, with Joy Mammen as Musetta, Neil Easton as Marcello and a young Neil Warren-Smith as Colline.
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| Edward Byles as Rodolfo and Valda Bagnall as Mimì in our 1963 tour of La Bohème. Photograph: Opera Australia archives. |
1963
Six years later, we took La Bohème on the road again, in a production hired from the New Zealand Opera Company. The opera was again performed in English and one of the season’s hits, starring Valda Bagnall and Edward Byles as Mimì and Rodlfo, with several cast changes over the course of the tour. Legendary New Zealand designer Raymond Boyce created the sets and costumes, and John Thompson directed.
1970
In 1970 we became a fully independent company, and were renamed from the Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company to the Australian Opera (we got our current name, Opera Australia, in 1996).
This production of La Bohème played Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney and was the major hit of the company’s first season as the Australian Opera. It starred Australian singer Glenys Fowles, making her role debut as Mimì opposite Anson Austin as Rodolfo. Fowles would go on to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious opera companies and played Mimì in Australia through to 1988.
The production was directed by Renzo Frusca and designed by Tom Lingwood. Towards the end of the season a fire destroyed the theatre along with all of the sets and costumes, and the production was lost. The final performance was quickly moved to the Capitol Theatre, where the opera was performed in concert mode.
Six years later, we took La Bohème on the road again, in a production hired from the New Zealand Opera Company. The opera was again performed in English and one of the season’s hits, starring Valda Bagnall and Edward Byles as Mimì and Rodlfo, with several cast changes over the course of the tour. Legendary New Zealand designer Raymond Boyce created the sets and costumes, and John Thompson directed.
1970
In 1970 we became a fully independent company, and were renamed from the Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company to the Australian Opera (we got our current name, Opera Australia, in 1996).
This production of La Bohème played Her Majesty’s Theatre in Sydney and was the major hit of the company’s first season as the Australian Opera. It starred Australian singer Glenys Fowles, making her role debut as Mimì opposite Anson Austin as Rodolfo. Fowles would go on to perform at some of the world’s most prestigious opera companies and played Mimì in Australia through to 1988.
The production was directed by Renzo Frusca and designed by Tom Lingwood. Towards the end of the season a fire destroyed the theatre along with all of the sets and costumes, and the production was lost. The final performance was quickly moved to the Capitol Theatre, where the opera was performed in concert mode.
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| Luciano Pavarotti as Rodolfo in our 1983 production of La Bohème at Sydney Opera House. Photo: Branco Gaica/Opera Australia archives. |
1983
The 1970 production directed by Renzo Frusca was eventually rebuilt, and remained in our repertoire for many years. Plenty of leading singers took on these great roles over the decades, and different directors offered their own interpretations (within the template laid down by Frusca).
In 1983, Luciano Pavarotti agreed to a series of concerts in Australia and three performances as Rodolfo, opposite his protegé Madelyn Renée , at the Sydney Opera House. Later in the season, Australian singers Marilyn Richardson and Lamberto Furlan took over the roles.
1990
By 1990 it was time for a new set of young artists to bring fresh life to this story of bohemians. Director Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin had previously worked with us on a new opera called Lake Lost, but were to make their mainstage debuts with a new La Bohème.
They decided to set the opera in 1957, with a black, white and grey set punctuated with dazzling splashes of colour, particularly in a large red neon sign, spelling out the word 'L'amour'. Similar bright red signs would become a signature image for Luhrmann and Martin films and theatrical productions.
The production also represented a breakthrough moment for both David Hobson and Cheryl Barker, who played Rodolfo and Mimì, and would go on to become two of Australia’s most well-loved opera stars.
Luhrmann and Martin had created the production on a limited budget, but the pair would go on to take a spruced up version to Broadway in 2002.
The 1970 production directed by Renzo Frusca was eventually rebuilt, and remained in our repertoire for many years. Plenty of leading singers took on these great roles over the decades, and different directors offered their own interpretations (within the template laid down by Frusca).
In 1983, Luciano Pavarotti agreed to a series of concerts in Australia and three performances as Rodolfo, opposite his protegé Madelyn Renée , at the Sydney Opera House. Later in the season, Australian singers Marilyn Richardson and Lamberto Furlan took over the roles.
1990
By 1990 it was time for a new set of young artists to bring fresh life to this story of bohemians. Director Baz Luhrmann and designer Catherine Martin had previously worked with us on a new opera called Lake Lost, but were to make their mainstage debuts with a new La Bohème.
They decided to set the opera in 1957, with a black, white and grey set punctuated with dazzling splashes of colour, particularly in a large red neon sign, spelling out the word 'L'amour'. Similar bright red signs would become a signature image for Luhrmann and Martin films and theatrical productions.
The production also represented a breakthrough moment for both David Hobson and Cheryl Barker, who played Rodolfo and Mimì, and would go on to become two of Australia’s most well-loved opera stars.
Luhrmann and Martin had created the production on a limited budget, but the pair would go on to take a spruced up version to Broadway in 2002.
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| Jamie Allen as Rodolfo and Anke Höppner as Mimì in our 1999 production of La Bohème at Sydney Opera House. Photograph: Sue Adler/Opera Australia archives. |
1999
Opera Australia’s long-serving Artistic Director Moffatt Oxenbould took on Puccini’s opera in his final year at the company. He teamed up with designers Russell Cohen and Peter England, who Oxenbould had previously worked with on his wildly popular production of Madama Butterfly. The production was set in 1896, the year of the opera’s premiere when some of the most beautiful pictures of Parisian bohemian life were being made, by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard and Vuillard. The set itself was inspired by a photograph of the dilapidated proscenium arch and stage of the Bouffes du Nord Theatre in Paris.
Conductor Carlo Felice Cillario led the orchestra and three casts of singers took on these great roles, including Jamie Allen, Jae-Woo Kim and Anson Austin as Rodolfo, Anke Höppner, Nicole Youl and Lisa Russell as Mimì, Tim DuFore, John Pringle and Douglas McNicol as Marcello, and Amelia Farrugia and Elisa Wilson as Musetta.
2005
Simon Phillips had directed several brilliant productions for us (mostly comedies) when he came to La Bohème in 2005 with a new contemporary lens. He set the production in a modern-day apartment block, designed by Stephen Curtis, showing a cross-section of the building to create a voyeuristic, Rear Window-esque experience. The production premiered in Sydney with Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion as Rodolfo, Miriam Gordon-Stewart as Mimì, Jared Holt as Marcello and Amelia Farrugia as Musetta.
Opera Australia’s long-serving Artistic Director Moffatt Oxenbould took on Puccini’s opera in his final year at the company. He teamed up with designers Russell Cohen and Peter England, who Oxenbould had previously worked with on his wildly popular production of Madama Butterfly. The production was set in 1896, the year of the opera’s premiere when some of the most beautiful pictures of Parisian bohemian life were being made, by artists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard and Vuillard. The set itself was inspired by a photograph of the dilapidated proscenium arch and stage of the Bouffes du Nord Theatre in Paris.
Conductor Carlo Felice Cillario led the orchestra and three casts of singers took on these great roles, including Jamie Allen, Jae-Woo Kim and Anson Austin as Rodolfo, Anke Höppner, Nicole Youl and Lisa Russell as Mimì, Tim DuFore, John Pringle and Douglas McNicol as Marcello, and Amelia Farrugia and Elisa Wilson as Musetta.
2005
Simon Phillips had directed several brilliant productions for us (mostly comedies) when he came to La Bohème in 2005 with a new contemporary lens. He set the production in a modern-day apartment block, designed by Stephen Curtis, showing a cross-section of the building to create a voyeuristic, Rear Window-esque experience. The production premiered in Sydney with Welsh tenor Rhys Meirion as Rodolfo, Miriam Gordon-Stewart as Mimì, Jared Holt as Marcello and Amelia Farrugia as Musetta.
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| Ji-Min Park as Rodolfo and Takesha Meshé Kizart as Mimì in our 2011 production of La Bohème at Sydney Opera House. PhotogBranco Gaica/Opera Australia archives. |
2011
Since its premiere in 2011, Gale Edwards’ glamorous and deeply moving La Bohème has become one of the most popular productions we've ever had in our repertoire. With the help of set designer Brian Thomson and costume designer Julie Lynch, Edwards transported the tale of bohemian lovers to Weimar Berlin in a seamless update.
The production premiered in Melbourne, conducted by Christian Badea, with Takesha Meshé Kizart as Mimì, Ji-Min Park as Rodolfo, Andrew Jones as Marcello and Taryn Fiebig as Musetta. The production has returned with fabulous new casts since then and regularly opens our Sydney season with a performance on New Year’s Eve.
Since its premiere in 2011, Gale Edwards’ glamorous and deeply moving La Bohème has become one of the most popular productions we've ever had in our repertoire. With the help of set designer Brian Thomson and costume designer Julie Lynch, Edwards transported the tale of bohemian lovers to Weimar Berlin in a seamless update.
The production premiered in Melbourne, conducted by Christian Badea, with Takesha Meshé Kizart as Mimì, Ji-Min Park as Rodolfo, Andrew Jones as Marcello and Taryn Fiebig as Musetta. The production has returned with fabulous new casts since then and regularly opens our Sydney season with a performance on New Year’s Eve.
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| Our 2018 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production of La Bohème. Photograph: Hamilton |
2018
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour might take place in Sydney’s temperate autumn each year, but snow fell over the water every night in 2018. That snow was part of director Andy Morton’s spectacular outdoor version of La Bohème.
Designer Dan Potra created the perfect Parisian loft and streetscape for this story to play out over, capturing the glamour of Paris alongside the bohemian lifestyle of the opera’s central characters. Iulia Maria Dan and Maija Kovalevska shared the role of Mimì, while Ho-Yoon Chung and Paul O'Neill played Rodolfo. Samuel Dundas and Christopher Tonkin were Marcello, with Julie Lea Goodwin as Musetta at every performance. Brian Castles-Onion conducted the Opera Australia Orchestra from a studio hidden beneath the stage.
Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour might take place in Sydney’s temperate autumn each year, but snow fell over the water every night in 2018. That snow was part of director Andy Morton’s spectacular outdoor version of La Bohème.
Designer Dan Potra created the perfect Parisian loft and streetscape for this story to play out over, capturing the glamour of Paris alongside the bohemian lifestyle of the opera’s central characters. Iulia Maria Dan and Maija Kovalevska shared the role of Mimì, while Ho-Yoon Chung and Paul O'Neill played Rodolfo. Samuel Dundas and Christopher Tonkin were Marcello, with Julie Lea Goodwin as Musetta at every performance. Brian Castles-Onion conducted the Opera Australia Orchestra from a studio hidden beneath the stage.
Opera Australia
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