November 2-5, 2017

AUDIENCE GUIDE

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The 2017-18 Season is presented by Donna and Donald Baumgartner

BIENVENUE À LA BOHÈME!W e h o p e t h i s g u i d e

e n h a n c e s y o u r j o u r n e y

t h r o u g h t h e s t r e e t s o f 1 9 5 0 s

P a r i s w i t h t h e w o r l d ' s

f a v o r i t e B o h e m i a n s :

R o d o l f o , M i m i , M a r c e l l o ,

M u s e t t a , C o l l i n e , a n d

S c h a u n a r d .

B e s w e p t a w a y b y t h e

g o r g e o u s m u s i c a n d

b e a u t i f u l d a n c i n g – i t m i g h t

b e a d i f f e r e n t t i m e a n d

p l a c e , b u t t h e l i f e o f a

B o h e m i a n w i l l a l w a y s b e f u l l

o f p a s s i o n a n d p a i n , l i f e a n d

d e a t h , l o v e a n d l o s s…

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Sponsored by Stanley Kritzik

L a B o h è m e

b y G i a c o m o P u c c i n i

W o r l d P r e m i e r e , F e b 1 , 1 8 9 6

T u r i n , I t a l y

Artistic Director Michael Pink turned a few heads when he announced he would present a ballet version of Puccini's iconic opera, La Bohème. The music and libretto are so well-known. Will the story still connect with the audience if you take out the voices? Pink answered with a resounding "yes", premiering La Bohème on the Milwaukee Ballet stage in 2012.

La Bohème was the first opera Artistic Director Michael Pink experienced as a young man, and he was instantly attracted to the characters and their passion for life and the arts, and, of course, to Puccini's intoxicating music. It was years later, on a family holiday in Paris, that Pink began to envision La Bohème as a ballet.

"It had all the necessary elements for a dance drama – lush music, real life characters and, at its heart, a haunting story of love, envy, and loss,” said Pink.

The story, he felt, was one the dancers could really consume. He explains, "La Bohème is about young people, young artists. It just translates so well on our dancers who are themselves bohemian in spirit, youthful, and carefree."

Pink also became intrigued by the idea of using a small cast. "Many times with major productions," he said, "the scenes are filled with set pieces and corps dancers. Having fewer dancers in the studio allows me to delve into the story of Mimi and Rodolfo, and their friends in Paris."

LA BOHÈME, A  LA MICHAEL PINK

The challenge was adapting Puccini's operascore for dance. The famous arias and duets would need to become stirring solos and pas de deuxs. While Pink acknowledged many are accustomed to hearing voices over the score, he could remove them and retain all of the emotions in the performance. In fact, it could be an advantage.

The skill, notes Pink, was to arrange the music in a way that replaces the vocals without losing the emotional impact of the voice.

He called on his music director, Andrews Sill, to create an arrangement for Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra that would leave the audience fulfilled. A few of the tempos would also need to be quicker to match the rhythms dancers are accustomed to.

Sill and the Orchestra earned praise for their new interpretation of Puccini's score. The Shepherd Express wrote,

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"Sill fashioned a sublime score from Puccini's opera, adapting as necessary

and also expanding it ...the performance of the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra under

Still's baton was sensational."

Sill also added new music for a scene Pink desired to include in the ballet.

Pink noted, "I had always thought there was a part of the story that was not fully explained. Mimi and Rodolfo have fallen madly in love in the first two acts of the opera, but by act three, they are estranged."

"Rodolfo talks about Mimi encouraging the attentions of other men, driving him wild with jealousy. I felt that showing this in the ballet adaptation it would clarify the story for the audience," he explained.

"Apparently in the original libretto, there was a fifth act that showed Musetta introducing Mimi to a Viscount, explaining to her that she could be in love with Rodolfo but, she needed someone to pay the bills."

"Puccini chose not to incorporate this into the finished piece, but I thought it was valuable. Andrews Sill and I worked with two pieces of incidental music by Puccini to create this scene in Musetta's apartment."

Pink made another strong artistic choice by transporting the story to the 1950s. Moving the action closer to the present, he hoped, would help the audience engage with the characters and their story in a brand new way.

The updated era gave costume designer Paul Daigle an exciting new creation palette. He used striking colors to create the costumes for La Bohème. There are about 55 pieces in the show. Half were handmade in our costume shop, and the other half were vintage purchases from local antique stores.

In its review, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel noted:

Pink completed his creative team with scenic designer Richard Graham, who created the imaginative set of Peter Pan, and Emmy Award-winning lighting designer David Grill, who has illuminated nearly all of Pink's ballets in Milwaukee.

Michael Pink's La Bohème was loved by critics, audiences, and the dancers alike. Pink jumped at the chance to present it again to open our 2017-18 season.

"I’m grateful for the opportunity to revisit this beautiful score and delve further into the characters with the Company,” he said.

Pink's La Bohème is dedicated to his wife, Jayne.

"Daigle's costumes are masterpieces of period and style and inviting color.

Particularly effective are the women's skirts, which use drape and flow of

fabric to underscore both character andmovement."

Annia Hidalgo. Photos: Mark Frohna

Davit Hovhannisyan and Timothy O'Donnell

Davit Hovhannisyan and Luz San Miguel

meet thebohemians

Rodolfo Mimi

Marcello Musetta

Schaunard

Davit Hovhannisyan Patrick Howell Luz San Miguel Nicole Teague-Howell

Timothy O'Donnell Annia Hidalgo

Colline

Parker Brasser-Vos Garrett Glassman

Isaac Sharratt Marize Fumero

Randy Crespo Barry Molina

Thurs & Sat

Thurs & Sat Thurs & Sat

Thurs & Sat

Thurs & Sat Thurs & Sat

Fri & Sun Fri & Sun

Fri & Sun Fri & Sun

Fri & SunFri & Sun

Headshots by Timothy O'Donnell

1950s Paris. Christmas Eve in the Latin Quarter. Marcello, a painter, and Rodolfo, a poet, keep warm by burning pages from Rodolfo’s latest novel. They are joined by

comrades Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician. Schaunard has recently landed a job and brings food, fuel,

and money for all to enjoy. While they celebrate, Benoit, the landlord, arrives to collect rent. They ply him with wine before

embarrassing him and throwing him out. The friends prepare to depart for Café Momus, but Rodolfo must first finish

writing an article. A knock at the door reveals Mimi, a neighbor, asking for a light for her candle. She becomes faint so he

offers her wine. Mimi realizes she has dropped her key, and together, they search for it. Rodolfo finds it, but hides it to

prolong his beautiful guest’s visit. He finally gives Mimi the key and feels how cold her delicate, little hand is. The

attraction is palpable. The two leave to join Rodolfo’s friends at the Café.

Café Momus

The street is filled with Christmas spirit. A dancer from the Moulin Rouge excites the crowd and whimsical toy seller

Parpignol gives presents to the children. Marcello’s former lover, Musetta, arrives with her wealthy benefactor, Alcindoro,

in tow. Trying to regain Marcello’s attention, she asks the accordion player to accompany her as she flirts with the men.

Alcindoro asks her for a kiss, but she insists she will only concede under the mistletoe; As he leaves in search of the

mistletoe, Musetta and Marcello are free to embrace once more. The sound of street musicians draws the café patrons

outside, and Alcindoro returns to find an expensive bill. He leaves dejected.

Musetta’s Apartment Mimi enters wearing one of Musetta’s borrowed gowns. Musetta knowingly introduces Mimi to a wealthy aristocrat.

Consumed with jealousy, Rodolfo storms out from the party.

Outside a bar, where Marcello and Musetta now live and work. Mimi struggles to tell Marcello she is leaving town, as she cannot live with Rodolfo’s incessant jealousy. They hear

Rodolfo coming and Mimi hides. He tells Marcello he wants to part from Mimi, Marcello doubts his sincerity, Rodolfo

breaks down; revealing she is dying and he can do nothing about. It can only worsen in the poverty they share. Rodolfo

discovers Mimi, realizing she has heard every word, he begs her forgiveness. Meanwhile Marcello and Musetta quarrel.

They part in anger Mimi and Rodolfo decide to stay together until spring.

Several months later Rodolfo and Marcello lament their loneliness and lack of inspiration as Colline and Schaunard bring meager offerings of

food. The four amuse themselves with play-acting when Musetta bursts into the room saying Mimi is outside, too weak to

climb the stairs. As Rodolfo returns with her, Musetta tells Marcello that Mimi begged her to bring her to her lover’s arms

to die.Musetta wants to sell her jewels to buy medicine. Colline offers to sell his ‘life long companion’, his coat.

They all leave Mimi and Rodolfo alone to recount their first meeting.

Musetta returns with her muff to keep Mimi’s hands warm, Mimi slips away peacefully

Act One

Act Two

Act Three

Synopsis

Giacomo Puccini was born on December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Italy. He came from a long line of musicians dating

back to the early 18th century. At age 14, he had jobs at two churches playing the organ, but he quickly realized

that opera, not church music, was his passion. Puccini studied at the musical conservatory in Milan from 1880 to

1883. During his time there, he met a group of artists called “The Scapigliati.” Defined "disheveled" or "unkempt",

the Scapigliati were the Italian equivalent of the French Bohemians. Puccini's time with them helped him create

the world and characters of La Bohème.

Puccini wrote a total of 12 operas in his lifetime. His first opera, Manon Lescaut, made a splash in the world of

Italian opera. His most famous works, La Bohème, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly, were written consecutively.

Puccini once said that his success came from putting "great sorrows in little souls." His operas paint pictures of

people in all walks of life, enduring the same trials: love and envy, loss and heartbreak. Puccini wanted to shine a

light on the “small people,” as he called them.

Puccini employed musical motifs that represent characters, themes, and moods so that the music underscored

and highlighted aspects of the drama. In the case of Mimi and Rodolfo, the closing musical phrases mimic earlier

scenes, bringing the opera full circle and revealing the memories recurring in their as they say farewell.

Puccini, like many writers and artists, used real life experiences in his creations. Once, when he was short on

money, he pawned his coat so that he could take a ballerina on a date. In La Bohème, you will see Colline do the

same thing to afford medicine for Mimi.

A Puccini opera is not known for its happy ending. He had a fixation for killing off his main characters. This is

especially true of the women; at least one of the female characters ends up dying in eight out of his 12 operas.

Giacomo Puccini was a heavy smoker, which eventually caused his demise. He died of a heart attack in Brussels

on November 29, 1924, following surgery for throat cancer.

Giacomo Puccini an Italian Bohemian

Bohemian Rhapsody

La Bohème was loosely based on Henri Murger’s novel "Scenes de la Vie de Boheme." The opera is actually more like Murger’s play “La Vie de Bohème.” However, the play had so many copyright restrictions, Puccini claimed his opera was based on Murger’s novel, not his play.

Maestro Leoncavallo, Puccini's friend and fellow composer, was working on a libretto entitled La Bohème. He asked Puccini to take a glance and consider a collaboration. Puccini took a look, but told Leoncavallo he had no interest.

A few months later, Puccini revealed he was working on his own version. Furious, Leoncavallo made a public statement in the Italian newspaper claiming that he alone had the rights to create this opera. Puccini responded, “Let him compose, and I will compose. The public will judge.” (Il Corriere della sera, March 24, 1893)

Carlo Bersezio, a writer for Italian newspaper La Stampa

wrote, “[Puccini cannot be forgiven for] composing his music hurriedly and with very little effort to select and polish…[The work contains] music that can delight

but rarely move…” Despite the negative press, it

quickly became a popular work and spread to opera companies

all across Italy. La Bohème remains one of the most performed operas in the

world. The others? Tosca and Madame Butterfly, both composed by Puccini.

Not all of the critics were impressed

with the premiere

Broadway smash RENT was inspired by La Bohème. This rock opera, set in the 1990s in New York City, made its

Broadway premiere in 1996, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. A film version was released in 2005.

n o u n , a p e r s o n w i t h u n c o n v e n t i o n a l s o c i a l h a b i t s , e s p e c i a l l y o n e i n v o l v e d i n t h e a r t s . U s u a l l y i n a c o l o n y w i t h o t h e r s . s y n o n y m s , f r e e s p i r i t , g y p s y , v a g a b o n d , w a n d e r e r

B o · h e · m i · a n bō ˈhēmēən

Fun Facts

B e f o r e t h e w o r d b e c a me a s y n o n y m f o r a r t i s t , B o h e m i a n r e f e r r e d t o a n a t i v e o r i n h a b i t a n t o f B o h e m i a , w h i c h w a s o n c e a k i n g d o m i n t h e w e s t e r n r e g i o n o f t h e C z e c h R e p u b l i c . B o h e m i a n w a s a l s o u s e d t o i d e n t i f y t h e i r l a n g u a g e b e f o r e " C z e c h " b e c a me p r e v a l e n t i n t h e e a r l y 2 0 t h C e n t u r y .