2020–21 Season

La Bohème

MUSIC BY GIACOMO PUCCINI

THEY SACRIFICED FOR ART. BUT THEY WOULD SACRIFICE MORE FOR LOVE.

Puccini’s portrayal of love and loss among a group of struggling artists has won over hearts for more than a century. Infused with melodies of unforgettable intimacy, buoyancy, and pathos, this masterpiece remains one of the most heart-wrenching emotional experiences on the opera stage. Conducted by former Music Director Nicola Luisotti.

A San Francisco Opera co-production

Meet the Cast

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

Sung in Italian with English supertitles

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RUNNING TIME

Approximately 2 hours and 12 minutes, including one intermission

WHO SHOULD SEE IT

Fans of Baz Luhrmann’s bohemian romance Moulin Rouge and spinoffs like the musical Rent; and tragic romances like West Side Story, Titanic, and La La Land.

FOUND IN SERIES

A, D, R/R+RBW, G, J, M, B, E, S/RBW, T, X, I, K, L, N, O, W

INVITE A FRIEND

Sunday	11/15/20	2:00PM
Wednesday	11/18/20	7:30PM
Saturday	11/21/20	7:30PM
Tuesday	11/24/20	7:30PM
Saturday	11/28/20	7:30PM
Sunday	11/29/20	2:00PM
Wednesday	12/02/20	7:30PM
Thursday	12/03/20	7:30PM
Friday	12/04/20	7:30PM
Saturday	12/05/20	7:30PM
Sunday	12/06/20	2:00PM

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THE BUZZ

“American tenor Michael Fabiano, radiant vocally but also a capable actor, is the life force of the evening, his Rodolfo vivid and credible.”
—The Guardian

“From the first moment her Mimi entered the stage, stooped a bit from already failing lungs but tonally sumptuous across her vocal range, [soprano Maria] Agresta commanded attention.”
—Chicago Tribune

“Caird enabled us to savor the sweetness of our youth and our romances and ravages, and we saw it from both outside and in.”
—OperaWire

SYNOPSIS

It's Christmas Eve in Paris, and the writer Rodolfo is about to meet the woman of his dreams. But can their love survive the cruelty of a Paris winter?

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Cast and Creative

CAST

Mimì	Maria Agresta ^*
Mimì	Aurelia Florian ^¹
Rodolfo	Michael Fabiano
Rodolfo	Arturo Chacón-Cruz ^¹
Musetta	Amina Edris
Musetta	Janai Brugger ^*¹
Marcello	Artur Ruciński
Marcello	Anthony Clark Evans ^¹
Colline	Soloman Howard
Benoit/Alcindoro	Dale Travis

PERFORMANCES

November 15, 18, 21, 24, 28, and 29; December 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, 2020

CREATIVE

Conductor	Nicola Luisotti
Production	John Caird
Revival Director	Shawna Lucey
Production Designer	David Farley
Lighting Designer	Michael James Clark
Chorus Director	Ian Robertson

* San Francisco Opera debut

¹ Nov. 28; Dec. 2, 4, and 6

A San Francisco Opera co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Canadian Opera Company.

Previous performances of La Bohème can be found in our Archive.

MADE POSSIBLE BY

John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn; Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson; San Francisco Opera Guild; Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem; and Joan and David Traitel.

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Photos by Cory Weaver.