Heartache and soaring arias as Burnaby Lyric Opera stages La Bohème at the Shadbolt, April 6 to 13

Young stars bring Puccini’s bohemian Paris to romantic life

Burnaby Lyric Opera presents La Bohème at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts on April 6 at 7:30 pm, April 8 at 2 pm, April 10 at 2 pm, and April 11 and 13 at 7:30 pm

IT’S ONE OF THE MOST performed operas in the world—for good reason—but Giacomo Puccini’s beloved La Bohème drew criticism when it debuted in 1896. Some people couldn’t abide the scandalous affair between its unmarried couple: the poor seamstress Mimi and her poet lover Rodolfo.

Their unabashed liaisons in beautiful bohemian Paris are what make the opera feel so modern today. And now the rising young stars of Burnaby Lyric Opera are fully staging the show, complete with gorgeous arias—a fitting cast for a plot that’s all about the joy and heartbreak of youthful love. The production is also a chance to catch some of these singers before they move onto bigger companies and concert halls around the world.

La Bohème remains a perfect introduction to Italian opera, with many songs that even the uninitiated will recognize from movies; keep an ear out for the showstopping “Quando m’en vo” and the achingly romantic duet “O soave fanciulla”. (Don’t worry about knowing Italian: the show will be sung with English surtitles.)

The Shad's James Cowan Theatre offers a uniquely intimate setting to experience monumental opera—amid a tiny Parisian garret—up close.

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Janet Smith

Janet Smith is founding partner and editorial director of Stir. She is a Webster Award–winning arts journalist who has spent more than three decades immersed in Vancouver’s performing arts, film, and gallery scenes. She sits on the Vancouver Film Critics’ Circle.

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