Get to know: Puccini’s “La Bohème”

Lyric Opera of Chicago is pleased to present La Bohème, Giacomo Puccini’s (1858 -1924) beloved masterpiece that captures the essence of young love, passionate artistry, and the fleeting joys of life. Immersing audiences in the bohemian heart of 19th-century Paris, the opera introduces a world in which artists can dream, drink, and explore their passions — yet, the darkness of poverty and illness looms, casting long dark shadows on the City of Light.

Lyric will stage this visually captivating, new-to-Chicago production from March 15 to April 12, 2025, engaging audiences in the love story of the passionate poet Rodolfo and fragile seamstress, Mimì. The sweeping score, filled with soaring arias and lush ensembles, has made La Bohème an enduring favorite since its 1896 premiere.

The libretto is based on Henri Murger’s 1851 novel Scènes de la vie de bohème — a collection of vignettes depicting young artists struggling to make ends meet in Paris’s Latin Quarter. The opera opens on a cold Christmas Eve in the garret of Rodolfo, a struggling young poet, and his friend Marcello, a painter. Rent is due, money is short, and in search of warmth, even the poet’s latest manuscript finds its way into the fire. While Marcello is out for an evening with friends, the frail neighbor Mimì shows up seeking aid, and for her and Rodolfo, it’s love at first aria. The pair join their friends, and soon cross paths with Marcello’s ex-girlfriend, Musetta. The characters' passionate yet tumultuous relationships unfold through some of the most heart-wrenching music ever written for the opera stage.

Bringing these unforgettable characters to life is an extraordinary cast of world-class performers. Acclaimed tenor Pene Pati makes his highly anticipated Lyric debut as Rodolfo. Called the "exceptional tenor discovery of the last decade" (International Opera Awards), and known for his warm, golden-hued voice and dazzling technique, Pati has captivated audiences worldwide, from the Metropolitan Opera to the Royal Ballet and Opera. As the first Samoan tenor to perform on the top stages in Europe, his recent performances as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette have solidified his status as one of opera’s most exciting rising stars.

Two dazzling sopranos make a triumphant return to Lyric’s stage in this production. Chicagoland native Ailyn Pérez steps into one of her signature roles as the sweet but frail seamstress, Mimì — a role she has performed to great acclaim at major opera houses from London to Vienna. Gabriella Reyes, who made a stunning Lyric debut in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas (2021/22), takes on the role of the spirited Musetta. No stranger to Puccini, she has performed the roles of both Musetta and Mimì at opera houses across the nation to much critical renown.

Grammy Award-winning baritone Will Liverman returns to Lyric as Marcello — a role perfectly suited to his rich and expressive voice. An alumnus of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Liverman has sent waves through the opera world; appearing in groundbreaking works like The Factotum, the soul-infused opera he co-created and premiered at Lyric in the 2022/23 Season. Hailed as “mic-drop fabulous good,” (Opera News) his portfolio also includes recent preeminent roles in the Metropolitan Opera’s holiday presentation of The Magic Flute, and in Kaija Saariaho’s Sombre at Carnegie Hall with the International Contemporary Ensemble.

Jordan de Souza, who led Lyric's shimmering Florencia en el Amazonas in the 2021/22 Season, will conduct. The richly traditional production designed by Gerard Howland will have new life breathed into it by director Melanie Bacaling — a Chicago native in her Lyric debut. Chorus Director Michael Black leads the Lyric Opera Chorus, who will be joined by Uniting Voices Chicago (formerly Chicago Children's Choir) under the direction of Josephine Lee.

La Bohème seamlessly captures the essence of young love, artistic passion, and the bittersweet nature of life’s fleeting joys. Its well-deserved reputation as a classic has lodged it in popular culture as well – as a central plot point in the Academy Award-winning 1987 film Moonstruck, in a 2007 episode of the long-running television hit The Simpsons, and, of course, as the inspiration for the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning 1996 musical Rent.

From the camaraderie of Café Momus to the intimacy of Mimì and Rodolfo’s duets, Lyric’s latest production of La Bohème is an emotional journey that will leave audiences reaching for their handkerchiefs and humming the whole way home. Whether you’re a longtime opera lover, a dedicated francophile, or a fellow artist discovering Puccini’s magic for the first time, don’t miss your chance to see this breathtaking production come to life on one of Chicago’s grandest stages.