La Bohème Returns For New Year’s Eve And Season Opening
Opera Australia’s summer program opens with Gale Edwards’ production of La Bohème, a revival of Puccini’s classic bohemian love story presented against the backdrop of 1930s Berlin.
Opening on New Year’s Eve at the Sydney Opera House, there will be fireworks at 9 o’clock, during intermission and afterwards guests can join the midnight celebrations at the best harbourside location in the city.
The cast includes Australian-Chinese tenor Kang Wang who returns from overseas to make his Opera Australia debut in the role of lovelorn poet Rodolfo. South Korean Ji-Min Park shares the role in his return to the Joan Sutherland Theatre stage. South Korean star soprano Karah Son who wowed audiences in 2019 with her moving portrayal of Cio Cio San in Graeme Murphy’s production of Madama Butterfly, will take the stage as Mimi sharing the role with Italian soprano Valeria Sepe making her company debut.
Julie Lea Goodwin and Samuel Dundas reprise the roles of passionate lovers Musetta and Marcello. They perform under the baton of award-winning Italian conductor Carlo Goldstein, who leads an ensemble cast including Opera Australia favourites Richard Anderson, Graeme Macfarlane and Benjamin Rasheed. Michael Lampard makes his Opera Australia debut in the role of Schaunard. Staged against beautifully detailed sets and costumes, this perennial favourite tells the story of ordinary people living passionate lives. It is true to Puccini’s signature verismo genre, which focuses on stories about real people rather than fable and mythology.
The cast and creatives: Conductor | Carlo Goldstein and Tahu Matheson/ Director | Gale Edwards/ Revival Director | Liesel Badorrek/Set Designer | Brian Thomson/Costume Designer | Julie Lynch/ Lighting Designer | John Rayment
CAST
Mimi | Karah Son, Valeria Sepe/ Rodolfo | Kang Wang, Ji-Min Park/Musetta | Julie Lea Goodwin/Marcello | Samuel Dundas/Schaunard | Michael Lampard/Colline | Richard Anderson, David Parkin/Benoit | Graeme Macfarlane/Alcindoro | Tom Hamilton/Officer | Clifford Plumpton/Sergeant | Malcolm Ede/Parpignol | Nara Lee, Benjamin Rasheed
Performed in Italian with English Surtitles
Running time: approximately 2 hours & 15 minutes, including one interval.
BOOKINGS
or Opera Australia Box Office 02 9318 8200
Single adult tickets from $48 (fees may apply)
