Building on a series of firsts, the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music will continue to break ground with in-repertory productions of La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini and RENT by Jonathan Larson in February 2011. Larson based RENT on the story of La Boheme and used a number of melodic themes from the opera for his musical.
In the past three years, B-W's nationally recognized music theatre department has been chosen to present the non-union premieres of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, BROOKLYN and [title of show].
Victoria Bussert, director of the music theatre program, will serve as the stage director for both La Bohème and RENT, utilizing the talents of music theatre and voice performance majors on stage and student instrumentalists in the orchestras. To our knowledge, these two pieces have not been performed together previously said Bussert who has directed La Boheme for Piedmont Opera and Puccini¹s Madame Butterfly for Cleveland Opera among others. In May she won the 2009 Award of Achievement in Theatre from Northern Ohio Live magazine. The annual awards recognize the excellence of people throughout Northeast Ohio in categories ranging from architecture to the arts to civic leadership.
This project will provide a unique opportunity for our undergraduate vocal and instrumental musicians who would ordinarily not be exposed to this repertoire in an undergraduate-only setting,² said Conservatory Director Peter Landgren. "At the same time, we hope to encourage our enthusiastic music theatre audiences to experience this beautiful opera and see another side of our Conservatory's talent."
Bussert is particularly interested in illuminating the connections between the two pieces and celebrating the work of Puccini and Larson. Using a single set for both productions, La Bohème will be set in the O30s and Rent in current times. The creative team for both productions includes Anna Maria D'Antonio, choreographer; Jeff Herrman, set design and Charlotte Yetman, costumes, all members of the B-W faculty. A guest musical director (as yet undecided) will lead La Bohème. The music director for Rent will be Ryan Garrett. Garrett, a music theatre major who will be a junior in 2010, was the assistant music director for last spring¹s production of [title of show] at PlayhouseSquare. He came to B-W from San Antonio where his composition Return to the City Overture won the Future Classics Competition in 2008, and was premiered by the San Antonio Symphony.
Landgren added, For fans of Puccini's hallmark opera La Bohème, be prepared this will not be the same production that you have seen previously. Accept that the rules have been changed. We have a responsibility to our young vocalists to train them for careers that will last many years past
commencement. This will be a creative, educational and innovative approach to an opera that should be sung by these young musicians, and we believe that our faculty has the intelligence and experience to make magic and education happen in perfect harmony.'
La Bohème and RENT are scheduled to run for two weeks, February 15 February 27, 2011. The Saturday and Sunday schedule will include both productions, one beginning at 2 p.m.; the other, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets will go on sale at the B-W theatre box office in September, 2010. Ticket prices will be announced at a later date.
