Opera: La Boheme

Premiere: 1896

Music by: Giacomo Puccini

Libretto by: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Songs: "Che gelida manina," "Si, mi chiamano Mimi," "Donde lieta usci," "O Mimi tu piu non torni," "Vecchia zimarra"

La Boheme Tickets

La Boheme is a popular four-act Italian opera composed by the legendary Giacomo Puccini. It revolves around the story of a young group of artists and musicians struggling to survive in the harsh milieu of 1830s Paris. The story is partially based on a collection of short vignettes from the French novelist Henri Murger. Puccini also created the score for Tosca in 1900, Madame Butterfly in 1904 and Turandot in 1924. Both Tosca and Madame Butterfly involved collaborations with Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa on the libretto, also known as the text, of the work. As an opera of cultural significance, the La Bohome tour continues to influence audiences and musicians to this day. For example, the story formed the basis for the popular 1996 musical Rent by Jonathan Larson. Check out StubHub for your La Boheme tickets. Live performances are on tour in the Chicago area.

The Bohemians

La Boheme originally debuted on Feb. 1, 1896, in Turin, Italy, at the Teatro Regio opera house, which still operates today. Proving popular with audiences, the opera was soon performed throughout Europe and around the world. The first American production took place in Los Angeles, California, on Oct. 14, 1897. Many different versions of the opera have been staged over the decades, and La Boheme is now considered to be one of the most popular operas of all time. In 1990, film director Baz Luhrmann produced a modernized version of La Boheme for Opera Australia. The 2002 Broadway production of this modernized take received six nominations from the 57th Tony Awards. It won two awards, including Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design, as well as a special award for Excellence in Theatre. The 2010 West End revival also won a Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production.

La Boheme Chicago Tickets