La bohème – the story We look forward to seeing you at La bohème on Thursday 24 October. Before your visit, we wanted to share some information about the story and the characters you will see to help you stay connected with the opera. We hope you find this useful. Please note this does contain spoilers! The opera will be sung in Italian but there will be screens either side of the stage that will tell you what’s happening – a bit like subtitles on the television. La bohème is a popular favourite. One of the greatest love stories ever told, the opera follows a group of Bohemian artists living in poverty in Paris.
Who are the main characters? Meet Rodolfo...
Meet Mimì…
Rodolfo is a penniless poet. He is a dreamer and a kind young man. He lives with his friends in a poor part of Paris.
Mimì is a seamstress who lives next door to Rodolfo. She is poor and lives alone. Mimì is sweet and has a big heart.
And they fall in love…
Meet Marcello…
Meet Musetta…
Marcello is Rodolfo’s best friend. He is a painter who lives with Rodolfo. He is poor. He has a stormy relationship with Musetta but really, he loves her.
Musetta is a fiery woman, especially when she doesn’t get her own way! Beneath her diva character she is loving, kind and cares for her friends.
What’s the music like?
It’s beautiful and very powerful. It will help you understand the emotions the characters are feeling and moves the story along. You will hear over 50 musicians perform this touching score.
Image gallery: The story Act One: Christmas Eve Rodolfo and Marcello in their flat at the start of the opera. Rodolfo is writing a play. Marcello wants Rodolfo to burn it so they can keep warm. Marcello goes to the pub and Rodolfo stays at home. There’s a powercut.
Act One: Rodolfo and Mimì. Mimì’s candle went out. Here you can see Rodolfo lighting her candle. This is the part where they fall in love. They drink wine and talk about their love and then go to the café to meet his friends.
Act Two: The market. There’s much merriment outside the Café on Christmas eve. This is where Rodolfo buys Mimì a gift – a bonnet.
Act Two: The café Tension flies between Musetta & Marcello (they used to date but she’s with another man) until the pair reconcile. Two bills arrive, and the penniless poets can’t pay. Musetta joins the two bills and makes the old man who admires her pay it for them!
Act Three: February Mimi has a terrible cough. She’s been arguing with Rodolfo. Rodolfo explains to Marcello that he’s so poor he can’t afford her medicine and thinks she should find a wealthy boyfriend. She hears him and tells him she wants to break up. He asks for a keepsake of the relationship.
Act Four: months later The friends have fun in the apartment but Musetta arrives and tells them Mimi is really ill.
Act Four: (that night) Mimì has been brought into Rodolfo’s flat. She is very ill. Rodolfo and Mimì reminisce about their love and the happy times they have spent together. She dies in his arms and he sings of his pain.
We hope you enjoy the performance. Do let us know what you thought of it afterwards, and whether it brings up happy memories of performances you’ve been to in the past – we’d love to hear from you!