A classic opera is brought back to life
Puccini’s La Boheme, arguably the most popular of all operas, gets a face lift in 2008. The NBR New Zealand Opera’s new production sees a
vibrant cast and creative team bring this timeless classic back to life in a fresh and stylish way.
Heading the creative team and approaching Puccini from a modern perspective are dynamic Australians Patrick Nolan
(director) and Ralph Myers (set designer). “Our concept is driven by a desire to illuminate the story in a way which
connects the past to who we are as a society and culture now,” says Nolan. “The time period has been moved from 1830 to
21st century Paris so our production presents a world that contemporary audiences will recognise and relate to.” In
keeping with this modernisation, New Zealand’s esteemed costume designer Elizabeth Whiting has created a range of sharp
and imaginative costumes that place the characters in the Paris of today.
Click to enlarge
To realise this innovative direction, an outstanding cast has been secured, led by Opera Australia’s sensational star
Antoinette Halloran as Mim. Fellow Australian, Tiffany Speight, returns to play Musetta after her acclaimed role in
2006’s The Magic Flute. And the new glamour boy on the international opera circuit, tenor Jesus Garcia, who starred on
Broadway in Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme, plays Rodolfo.
General Director of The NBR New Zealand Opera, Aidan Lang is thrilled with the cast and creative team the Company has
lined up for this new production. “La Boh�me is an opera about young people,” he says, “so we wanted to secure an
exciting, youthful cast and creative team who would, through an injection of freshness and energy and a contemporary
perspective, create a memorable theatrical showpiece for audiences.”
La Boheme is much more than just another tragic love story. It is a timeless celebration of youthful rites of passage, the
proletarian struggle against poverty and the artist’s quest for integrity. In Puccini’s tour de force, audiences get the
whole package – the tortured relationships, the resonant characters made famous by the likes of Melba and Caruso,
Gheorghiu and Pavarotti, and the magnificent arias. Whether you are a Puccini enthusiast, attending an opera for the
first time, or just a sucker for love, the story of Mim and Rodolfo will totally captivate you.
The NBR New Zealand Opera Winter Season of La Boheme
Opera in Four Acts by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Giocosa and Luigi Illica
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Conductor - Emmanuel Joel-Hornak
Director - Patrick Nolan
Set Designer - Ralph Myers
Costume Designer - Elizabeth Whiting
Lighting Designer - Mark Truebridge
Mim - Antoinette Halloran
Rodolfo - Jesus Garcia
Musetta - Tiffany Speight
Marcello - Marcin Bronikowski
Schaunard - Robert Tucker
Colline - Wade Kernot*
Alcindoro - Richard Green
Benoit - Roger Wilson (Wellington)
Brian McKay (Auckland)
Customs Sergeant: Matthew Landreth+
Customs Officer: Michael Gray+
With the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus
Accompanied by the Vector Wellington Orchestra (Wellington) and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (Auckland)
*PwC Dame Malvina Major Young Artist
+PwC Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist
Sung in Italian with English subtitles, The NBR New Zealand Opera Winter Season of La Boheme opens in Wellington on
Saturday 10 May and in Auckland on Thursday 29 May.
The NBR New Zealand Opera Winter Season of La Boheme
WELLINGTON – St James Theatre
Sat 10 May, Thu 15 May, Sat 17 May (7:30pm); Tue 13 May (6:00pm)
AUCKLAND – Aotea Centre, THE EDGE
Thu 29 May, Sat 31 May, Thu 5 June, Sat 7 June (7:30pm); Tue 3 June (1:00pm)
Single Tickets: $49.50 to $159.50; Concessions available. Service fees apply.
Bookings: Ticketek outlets nationwide, Tel 0800 TICKETEK (0800 842 538) or www.ticketek.co.nz. Bookings also at The NBR
NZ Opera Box Office: Tel (09) 379 4068 or Tel (04) 499 8343. Further information at www.nzopera.com
ENDS