Opera Philadelphia’s ‘La bohème’ is a quick sprint — in reverse
The production, already seen in several other cities, is at the Academy of Music.
A few minutes into Opera Philadelphia’s La bohème on Friday night, a smattering of late arrivals were seated in the Academy of Music. Mimì was already on her deathbed, and by 8:30, she was gone. And you had to wonder: Could these latecomers have any idea where this story was going next?
Innovation is the job of an ambitious, creative opera company — a good thing to keep in mind as you’re watching this production of Puccini’s oft-staged gem as reconceived by Yuval Sharon. The director’s aim was to create anew for listeners a well-worn score by way of an audacious concept: performing the opera’s four acts in reverse order.
But the manipulation of time and narrative is a bit of a red herring. La bohème can withstand just about anything with great musicians in the pit and on stage. The music is that good.
Reversing the order did leave Sharon with a question illustrated by those latecomers, which was whether to make clear to the audience that it is experiencing the opera as a series of flashbacks. I’m actually not sure listeners needed anything more than an introductory paragraph on the supertitle board explaining just that. Those who have encountered alternative storytelling from Virginia Woolf to the movie Sliding Doors is comfortable having their imagination put on a loose leash.
This production wasn’t so sure, and so Sharon added a speaking character, the Wanderer, who pops in from time to time to fill in some context. If he had any real insights, this new voice — though played engagingly by Anthony Martinez-Briggs — might have been useful. But there were points when the opera was stopped for his dialogue, interrupting the flow of the music, which was jarring. Among the Wanderer’s less inspired thoughts shared with the audience: “Maybe it could have all turned out differently.”
How it all turns out is that Mimì and Rodolfo end up alive and happy together, walking off on a high note, literally as well as figuratively, as snow begins to fall on the Wanderer.
That is a lovely moment. But the lovelier ones still rest in the hands of the orchestra, singers and conductor, and even if you aren’t convinced by the reverse-order concept (or the slight cut in the score) all the reasons we love La bohème remain.
Much of the credit for uncovering the music’s dramatic power goes to conductor Corrado Rovaris and the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra. The ensemble could use a few more strings, but the instrumentalists met Rovaris’ quick, flexible sense of pacing with great polish and expressiveness. Especially beautiful was their realization of that slightly Wagnerian transformation music when Mimì and Rodolfo’s love is first born.
The cast is uniformly good, including Kara Goodrich as Mimì, Troy Cook as Marcello, Melissa Joseph as Musetta, and Benjamin Taylor as Schaunard. Adam Lau, singing Colline, molded his cavernous bass sound to beautiful emotional ends in the “Coat Aria.”
Joshua Blue was a wonderful Rodolfo throughout the opera, but by the time we got to the first act (the new Act IV), his voice seemed to have grown even more relaxed and powerful, especially in “Che gelida manina.” Rovaris’ bias for keeping things moving served the music well, but in this famous aria, he and Blue ended the held high note just a hair before the emotion could fully bloom. Maybe they’ll venture a bit more risk in future performances.
Anyone looking for sumptuous sets and large forces might feel let down by the minimalist approach of this production. A slanted, revolving platform makes for a kind of spare pallet on which the action is centered. The Latin Quarter scene was choreographed smartly, even if some of the visuals were not exactly a feast for the eyes; the sign for the Cafe Momus was a little sad. But the ears had what they needed with an Opera Philadelphia Chorus and Philadelphia Girls and Boys Choirs that buoyed a humanity keenly expressed and joyously felt.
La bohème is performed April 30 at 2 p.m., May 5 at 8 p.m., and May 7 at 2 p.m. at the Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets. In Italian with English supertitles, no intermission. Tickets are $25-$299. operaphila.org, 215-732-8400.