Written by Erin Lindstrom
By: April Phillips
Virginian-Pilot correspondent
November 6, 2015
“La Boheme,” one of the most recognizable operas of all time, is a work that celebrates the ideals, the beauty and the tragedy of youth. The bohemian characters who give the opera its title live in the moment in a way that is hard to maintain once the responsibilities of work, family and bills chip away at youthful idealism. Perhaps it’s ironic that such a work has become so rooted in tradition that many productions of the opera are hidebound.
Virginia Opera intends to bring an edge to its seventh production of “La Boheme.”
The core of the artistic team for “La Boheme,” conductor Adam Turner and stage director Kyle Lang, are in their early 30s. They are aware of audience expectations – “La Boheme” was the first opera ever performed by Virginia Opera, and most patrons know the story of impoverished young friends and their struggles with love. However, the two men say they aren’t afraid to take chances in order to set this production apart from the past. Turner said audiences might be surprised at the pacing of the music.
“Some people have said I’m conducting like a bat out of hell, but that’s how (Giacomo) Puccini wrote it. The tempo indications are in the score. This production is going to have forward momentum,” he said.
Members of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performed the score in the previous six productions under former conductor and artistic director Peter Mark.
“This is their first time playing it under a new conductor, and they’ve said it gives new life to the piece,” Turner said.
Lang said he’s trying to do the same with the stage direction. A long-time Virginia Opera choreographer and assistant director, he is in the driver’s seat for the first time. Four principal members of the cast are making their main stage debuts with the company, but they’ve all performed their roles multiple times with other opera companies.
“They know these characters, and that informs their portrayal,” Lang said. “However, the cast was open to exploration, and we’re all different people than we were a year or two ago. They play the roles differently based on life experiences, and they have been really helpful in offering ideas to propel the characters forward to make this production unique.”
Lang has shifted the opera’s time period from 1830 to 1939, at a time in Paris known as the Phony War. This was a relatively quiet eight-month period at the start of World War II between the declaration of war and the beginning of massive bloodshed. Lang said the audience’s understanding of what’s to come adds a layer of desperation to the struggles of the main characters.
“Moving it to an era we’re more familiar with makes it more nostalgic and relatable,” he said.
Lang and Turner said this production hits all the right notes for patrons who have seen the production multiple times as well as for others who are new to opera.
“Audiences are going to get the grand spectacle,” Turner said. “This is a multifaceted show with intense dramatic love; quiet, still moments; lots of laughter; and grandeur.”
“This is a traditional show for a reason,” Lang said. The music is unparalleled, and the characters are real and relatable.
Much like the band of bohemians in “La Boheme,” Lang and Turner, close friends in real life, said they feel that the company has bonded in a way that is rare among professionals who spend their lives traveling between companies and productions.
“We are family,” Lang said. “It’s important that this isn’t just successful for me in my directorial debut, but that it’s successful for the whole company. We are all invested. It’s really cool.”
If you go
What:Virginia Opera production of “La Boheme.”
When: 8 p.m. tonight, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Where: Harrison Opera House, 160 W. Virginia Beach Blvd., Norfolk
Tickets: $17.27 – $116, www.vaopera.org
For more info visit here.vaopera.org or call 866.673.7282.