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By
Pei Ling Wong
La
bohème is set in Paris, Christmas Eve. It is a story about
four struggling artists who shared a flat, two love stories and
one death. Rodolfo, the poet, met and fell in love with a seamstress,
Mimì while Marcello, the painter, was reunited with his ex-lover,
Musetto. Rodolfo and Mimì, with the intervention of Marcello,
later decided to break up as Rodolfo is convinced that their poverty
is worsening Mimì's illness. Mimì died peacefully
in the end from her illness.
The
adaptation of this 19th century opera to a modern day setting does
not seem to stretch the story line at all but blends in naturally
with the whole performance. The scenarios in the play can easily
be visualized in real life. The four artist flat-mates - Rodolfo,
Schaunard, Colline and Marcello - remind one of mischievous young
men who shrewdly avoid paying the rent by tricking their landlord.
The sweetness of the first dawn of love between Mimì and
Rodolfo, who kindly 'gave fate a helping hand'. The way Musetto
tries to attract her ex-lover's, Marcello, attention by exploiting
her new rich lover.
The
cast was also aptly selected, from Musetto who bursts with sex appeal,
to Rodolfo whose every move and word demonstrated the Romeo he is,
to the bear-haired Colline the philosopher, even down to the pot-bellied
and easily swindled landlord.
A word
must be put in for the orchestra which played beautifully under
the direction of the new Glyndebourne on Tour Music Director, Edward
Gardner.
All
in all, this is definitely the one play for an opera night-out that
does not involve excessive dressing up and is more close to home.
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