Love is in the air in Opera Colorado's La bohème

Opera Colorado is staging a production of La bohème, one of opera's most iconic stories of love and loss. In this production, there is a real life love story playing out behind the scenes.
La bohème tells the story of four friends living the bohemian life; a poet, an artist, a musician, and a philosopher. Two of the friends fall in love and then the group faces tragedy. It's one of the most popular operas in history, and has been the basis of many other works including the Broadway musical Rent, and the movie Moulin Rouge.
The two couples at the center of the story are Rodolfo and Mimi, and Marcello and Musetta.
"Rodolpho and Mimi meet at the beginning. They fall in love," said Zach Borichevsky, who sings Rodolpho.
"Marcello and Musetta are pretty spicy...a lot of arguing," said Kathryn Lewek, who sings Musetta.
Off stage, Lewek is in love with Borichevsky.
"Most of the other operas that we've sung together have been that we are the love pair, and in this show, it's the first time that we're not in love with each other on stage," Lewek said.
The couple met nearly 13-years ago at a vocal competition in Verona, Italy. Now Lewek and Borichevsky have been married for 8-years, and have two children. They also get to share their passion for opera.
"It feels like the height of emotional expression for me," Lewek said.
"The truths of opera and the truths of any great art are universal. That's what you try to focus in on when you're performing it," Borichevsky explained.
They have performed together over and over, sharing love and loss again and again on stage.
"It brings an extra genuine dimension to the chemistry that we have on stage," Lewek explained.
"She's the finest artist I've had the chance to sing with, so just as a purely professional issue, it's a privilege," Borichevsky said.
While they're on opposite sides of the stage in La bohème, they are grateful to be in the same city sharing their love for each other and their craft.
"We would both agree that we live a pretty charmed life," Lewek told CBS News Colorado.
"I can't imagine any better person to sing with," Borichevsky said before giving his wife a kiss.
Opera Colorado's La bohème runs five nights only: February 22, 25, 27, 28, 2025 and March 2, 2025 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House.

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