Franco Zeffirelli's Staging of Puccini's LA BOHEME to Return to The Metropolitan Opera in October

Puccini’s timeless tragedy La Bohème returns to the Met stage for 18 performances this fall and winter, featuring three stellar casts and important role debuts for sopranos Federica Lombardi and Elena Stikhina, and bass-baritone Adam Plachetka, among others. Franco Zeffirelli’s beloved staging opens October 10 and stars Lombardi in her company role debut as the heroine Mimì, opposite tenor Matthew Polenzani as the poet Rodolfo. Lombardi returns to the Met following her critically acclaimed portrayal of Donna Anna last season in director Ivo van Hove’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

 

In the roles of the on-again, off-again couple Musetta and Marcello are soprano Olga Kulchynska and Plachetka, singing his first Marcello at the Met. The cast also includes baritone Sean Michael Plumb in his Met role debut as Schaunard, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Colline, and baritone Donald Maxwell as Benoit and Alcindoro. Maestro Carlo Rizzi takes the podium to mark 30 years of conducting at the Met, having made his debut leading La Bohème on October 29, 1993.

 

Starting on November 5, soprano Anita Hartig and tenor Stephen Costello join Rizzi as Mimì and Rodolfo. The new cast also features soprano Heidi Stober in her Met role debutas Musetta, baritone Alexey Markov as Marcello, baritone Rodion Pogossov as Schaunard, and bass Krzysztof Bączyk as Colline.

 

Conductor Marco Armiliato leads the January 4, 8, and 13 performances. Sopranos Elena Stikhina and Kristina Mkhitaryan both make their respective Met role debuts as Mimì and Musetta under his baton, with tenor Joseph Calleja singing the role of Rodolfo.

 

La Bohème remains the most produced opera in Met history, with 1,373 performances since its first staging on November 9, 1900. The classic production by Franco Zeffirelli premiered on December 14, 1981.

La Bohème Worldwide Broadcasts on Radio and Online

The October 10, October 25, November 1, November 10, November 21, and January 13 performances of La Bohème will be broadcast live on Metropolitan Opera Radio 

and SiriusXM channel 355. Audio from the October 10 and October 25 performances will also be streamed live on the Met’s website, metopera.org. Audio from the January 13 performance will be broadcast over The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.

 

Puccini at the Met: A Centenary Celebration

To commemorate the approaching centenary of Giacomo Puccini’s death on November 29, 2024, the Met will showcase its long and distinguished history with the great Italian composer’s masterpieces in an exhibition that will feature rarely seen images of stars throughout the Met’s history, original set designs, and archival treasures such as documents signed by Enrico Caruso and Puccini. Puccini’s legacy has resulted in some of the company’s most spectacular productions and set the stage for legendary performances by generations of opera’s biggest stars.

 

Of history’s canonical composers, only Puccini had a close relationship with the Metropolitan Opera, visiting the old opera house at 39th Street and Broadway twice: once in 1907 for the company premieres of Manon Lescaut and Madama Butterfly, and a second time in 1910 to oversee the world premiere of La Fanciulla del West. La Bohème has taken the Met stage more times than any other opera, with Tosca and Madama Butterfly not far behind, both falling comfortably within the company’s top ten titles. Turandot has been a constant and beloved presence in recent decades, and Manon Lescaut, Il Trittico, and La Fanciulla del West have made numerous successful returns. This season will feature performances of four of his works: La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, and La Rondine.

 

The exhibition will be available for public viewing in the North Gallery, from the opening of the 2023–24 season.

 

For More Information

For further details on La Bohème, please click here.

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