Review: A Chicago ‘La Bohème' at Lyric Opera turns winter into spring into winter
Saturday's spring opener at the Lyric Opera of Chicago took place as a fool's spring gave way to the reality of the calendar, as a green sea of St. Patrick's Day revelers, clad for the hopes of April, discovered just how quickly March can turn frigid on you. The audience for 'La Bohème' entered the doors of the great opera house in one season and exited in entirely another.
Giacomo Puccini's Mimì, who understood the power of seasonal change better than anyone in the operatic canon, surely would have sympathized, singing as she does about how loneliness is most acute in winter, when even the sun denies its companionship. She claims that the first kiss of April (from her lover? from the sun?) will belong to her. Not that such a day is ever promised.
Still, Melanie Bacaling's staging of 'La Bohème' — this Rogers Park-born director's debut at anything like this level — certainly has its heart more in April than March, especially given the presence of a swath of Uniting Voices of Chicago singers (formerly the Chicago Children's Choir) joining the Lyric Opera Chorus and the optimistic take from its two stars, the American lyric soprano Ailyn Pérez, also a Chicago native, and the Samoan tenor Pene Pati.
The latter makes a strikingly well-received Lyric debut, seemingly relishing every moment, every note, his voice akin to a pint of Guinness in a cozy pub, or a surprisingly sensual morning. The Canadian conductor Jordan de Souza understands what part the Lyric Orchestra must play here, and so it does.
Pati's Rodolfo worries for Mimì, one discerns, but even in her final moments, there he is in the corner of the garret, smiling away, dreaming of a recovery that never comes. Pérez's Mimì doesn't seem to worry about seduction either way; in this production, Rodolfo is the calm from the storm of her life. The notion of refuge is there in how they sing to each other, and how they dance in the Parisian snow, two sunny dreamers, one better off than the other but both turning to La Vie Bohème as refugees from the harshness of the wintery world beyond the Café Momus.
Under its former general director Anthony Freud, the Lyric pursued its post-pandemic recovery on twin tracks: a traditional experience here, paired with something that pushes the envelope there. The latter slot this spring is occupied by Missy Mazzoli's contemporary piece 'The Listeners,' opening March 30, and the former with this lush 'La Bohème,' new to Chicago but with sets by Gerard Howland created for the Los Angeles and Dallas Operas some years ago. Howland did add a 'Waiting for Godot'-like tree for the Parisian winter exterior, but even the falling snowflakes are lit by Duane Schuler as if this were 'White Christmas,' which I don't mean as a pejorative. Costumes originally were designed by the late British designer Peter J. Hall.
Lyric, of course, has produced this most accessible of operatic titles — it was the source for Jonathan Larson's musical 'Rent' and any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical repertory will hear familiar notes and chords — on and off for some 70 years. It has been a staple of the Wacker Drive repertoire since besuited and bedecked Chicagoans of the era of the first Mayor Daley came to dab their eyes.
Freud clearly decided to lean into 'La Bohème's' entry-level popularity: there is a lobby exhibition of the piece's history at the Lyric and, more importantly, he predicted that the affection for the title would be a way to protect a new director like Bacaling, as well as to support a Chicago-born star (who is singing as Mimì several times around the world this year), an energetic young conductor, the Chicago-based newcomer Ian Rucker (who plays a pleasingly goofy Schaunard), and the 36-year-old Lyric favorite Will Liverman, who essays with some depth the jealous Marcello. It all paid off; the presence of the children's choir on stage was part of the reason for so many children in the house, I suspect, but it added to the sense of communal enjoyment as little kids watched and, one hopes, felt.
The splendid soprano Gabriella Reyes seemed to catch this mood when she came out for her bow with Musetta's little dog, the two grinning from ear to ear, as was Peixin Chen, although the sharp-edged bass is the singer who, as Colline, gives the show at least some of its requisite gravitas.
Puccini fans will leave well satisfied. 'I am always fine until that one chord,' I heard one departing woman say behind me as she protected herself against the sudden chill with the warmth of what sounded like an emotional capitulation with a familiar cue.
La Vie Bohème, indeed.
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
cjones5@chicagotribune.com
Review: 'La Bohème' (3.5 stars)
When: Through April 12
Where: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive
Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
If You Had Wealthy (Or Famous) Classmates In High School Or College, Tell Us What Your Experience Was Like
Everyone has classmates they remember — and if you went to a school with wealthy students, you might have wild stories and secrets from those years of rubbing shoulders with the rich. So, if you went to a top school with wealthy or famous peers, we want to hear about your experience. Related: Your Wedding Preferences Will Reveal Your Inner Disney Princess Like, maybe you went to an elite high school and saw firsthand how much money your classmates would spend on everything — from designer clothes to luxury vacations. Related: Most People Can't Ace This US Geography Good Luck! Perhaps you went to a private school in a super wealthy area and became close friends with the rich — and you have wild stories about the parties or drama they would get into. Mayyybe you had some wholesome encounters with your wealthy classmates who had famous parents that completely changed your perspective of them. Or perhaps you attended an Ivy League university and even had celebrity classmates — and you have some juicy stories of what they were really like. Tell us about your experience going to school with the wealthy or famous — and what surprised you the most — in the comments. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, feel free to use the form below. Your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post. Also in Community: Your McDonald's UK Order Will Reveal The Perfect Summer Activity For You Also in Community: I'm Sorry, But Every American Should Be Able To Pass This Basic-Level US States Quiz Also in Community: Which Disney Princess Are You? Build A $500 Outfit To Find Out
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Teachers Who Are Fed Up With Parents Not Taking Part In Their Child's Education — Tell Us What You Wish They'd Do
As a former high school English teacher, I can list all the ways I thought I'd see parents get involved in their child's education — and all the ways it rarely happened. It's unfortunately not an uncommon experience for educators. So I'm asking teachers (past and present) in our BuzzFeed Community to share ways they wish parents took on a more active role in their child's education. Related: Your Wedding Preferences Will Reveal Your Inner Disney Princess Maybe you, like me, used to teach English literature, and found yourself sending progress reports home regularly for students falling behind. However, no one seemed to respond until report cards hit their mailbox. Then, several parents wanted to know what extra credit opportunities could be made available for their kid who was missing dozens of assignments. TV Land / Related: Most People Can't Ace This US Geography Good Luck! Maybe you're an elementary school teacher, and one of your students keeps getting physical with others. Not only is it flat-out mean, but it's also a distraction in the classroom. You've tried to host guided conversations with the parents about techniques that could curb the behavior at home, but the parents refuse to believe it's happening at all. Or, maybe there's a student in your class who is never IN class. Their parent pulls them out of school for vacations monthly. And while you love that the kid is getting to live their best life, it's very hard to keep them on track, and you wish their parents could at least keep them up to date on their studies while abroad. Whatever the case may be, we want to hear about it. Teachers, tell us how you wish parents got more involved in their child's education in the comments. Or, if you'd like to remain anonymous, use the Google form below. Your response could be featured in an upcoming post. Also in Community: Your McDonald's UK Order Will Reveal The Perfect Summer Activity For You Also in Community: I'm Sorry, But Every American Should Be Able To Pass This Basic-Level US States Quiz Also in Community: Which Disney Princess Are You? Build A $500 Outfit To Find Out
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's new No. 1 show is a soapy crime drama — and I'm surprised how much I want to binge-watch it
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Netflix's new crime drama 'The Waterfront' is basically a more grown-up spin on 'Dawson's Creek.' It follows an extended cast of characters in a waterside town as their personal drama entangles with their somehow even more chaotic professional lives. While its cast may be comprised of (mostly) adults, the melodrama feels just as soapy as the problems faced by Dawson and his pals in the iconic teen drama series. Only this time, there are more references to drug smuggling and high-stakes criminal activity than fretting over not getting asked to prom. Considering 'The Waterfront' comes from Kevin Williamson, creator of 'Dawson's Creek' as well as 'The Vampire Diaries' and the 'Scream' movie franchise, it's not a huge surprise that its tone is more sudsy than serious. And yet, despite things verging on cheesy on more than one occasion, after starting the series this week, I feel a strong compulsion to binge the rest right now. And clearly I'm not the only one who's been hooked by the new series. After about 24 hours on the platform, "The Waterfront" has rocketed straight to the No. 1 spot in the Netflix top 10 most-watched list. It's currently the most popular show on the service in several countries, including the U.S. So, if you're looking for a summer binge-watch, 'The Waterfront' might just be the perfect candidate, offering eight episodes stuffed with twists, betrayals, and 'shocking' revelations. It's a frothy throwback to a previous era of television, and I'm surprised how much that simple concept still appeals. Inspired by true events, 'The Waterfront' is set in the fictional North Caroline beach town of Havenport, a location controlled by the Buckley family. This chaotic clang has a tight grip on everything from the local restaurants to the fishing industry that keeps Havenport ticking. However, their empire is built on sand, and starts to crumble when patriarch Harlan (Holt McCallany) steps back from business after suffering a heart attack, and his reckless son Cane (Jake Weary) attempts to fill the void with some pretty disastrous results. It soon becomes clear that when you swim in murky waters, you don't come out clean. Thrown into the mix are the matriarchy of the family, Belle (Maria Bello), and daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist), a young mother struggling with addiction and battling over custody of her son. Let's just say, the Buckleys aren't exactly a picture of the perfect American family. As the authorities start investigating a double homicide, which could implicate the Buckleys in a series of narcotic crimes, the family finds themselves scrambling to cover their tracks, but their interpersonal fighting threatens to sink everything they've built even before the cops can uncover their secrets. It soon becomes clear that when you swim in murky waters, you don't come out clean. After streaming the first couple of episodes of 'The Waterfront,' one thing is very clear: This show is basically a slick-looking soap opera. It's stuffed with clunky dialogue exchanges, characters making decisions that in reality would lead them to ruin (but somehow work out), and a sense of escalation that sees the rabbit hole of chaos the Buckleys have dug only get bigger with each passing scene. It's certainly not awards-caliber drama. Yet, it's just self-aware enough to remain highly watchable. It's the sort of disposable TV that dominated the pre-streaming era of television. You could easily imagine the season being stretched to 20+ episodes, with a whole load of additional sideplots added to bulk things out. While the crime aspect is pretty prominent throughout — with Harlan and Cane's attempts to bring their unstable empire back under control taking the lion's share of the early screentime — the aspect that appealed to me most was actually Bree's attempts to connect with her estranged son, and her snarky snipe at her ex-husband. Benoist is a bit of a show stealer. Based on what I've consumed so far, 'The Waterfront' isn't a crime drama series that is going to live long in the memory. Heck, after just two episodes, the earliest moments are becoming a bit hazy, but I still feel surprisingly compelled to keep watching and see where this ride concludes. The show's combination of criminal dealings and relationship drama — in between drug dealings, Cane is trying to reconnect with a former flame — is a potent mix, and narrative wrinkles are dished out at a frequent enough clip that you can mostly gloss over the often hamfisted scripting and the times where the plot askews logic in favour of a big twist. 'The Waterfront' has arrived on Netflix at just the right time. Its beachside setting and its easy-watching nature feels fitting for the summer months. It's a Netflix original series you can consume in a relatively short amount of time, mostly enjoy while it lasts, and then move on without any lingering thoughts. It's probably not going to be ranked in many best-of-the-year lists. But that's not necessarily a deal-breaker. At least for me, I'm happy to make room in my streaming schedule for a show that offers intrigue, even if I can already tell it's not going to be a show that lives long in the memory. At least in the moment, there's enough soapy substance to keep me invested, and I'm curious to see where the Buckleys end up by the final episode. If you're itching for a Netflix show you can tear through in just a few evenings, or a single weekend, then 'The Waterfront' should fit the bill nicely. It's not going to leave the enduring legacy of some of Kevin Williamson's previous work, but it's pretty watchable, even if you can excuse some hokey dialogue. Meanwhile, if you're looking for more streaming options, check out our guide to everything added to Netflix in June 2025, which includes plenty of bingeable shows and original movies. Watch "The Waterfront" on Netflix now New on Netflix in June 2025 Netflix has racked up 15 No. 1 shows in 2025 (so far) Netflix drops first look at new political thriller series
