Puccini

October 24, 2009 - 8:55am
The Syracuse Opera gave patrons something to smile about tonight with its first show of the season, La Boheme.

For non-opera lovers, La Boheme rings no bells until you say the magic words, “It’s Rent set in the late 1800s.”  The Broadway version stays faithful to its inspiration, making La Boheme infinitely more accessible to younger audiences even with Italian operatic singing and English subtitles flashing above the stage.

La Boheme is one of Giacomo Puccini’s most popular operas alongside Madame Butterfly.  With a libretto by Guiseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, it was first performed in Turin, Italy on February 1896.  

October 22, 2009 - 2:24pm
Syracuse Opera held a dress rehearsal last night of Puccini's "La Boheme" which demonstrated the clear, romantic vision of director Joseph Bascetta and a solid cast.

Puccini's most beloved characters came to life last night as Syracuse Opera unveiled a traditional, but vibrant, vision of 19th-century Paris.

 "The show is fresh, youthful, and realistic,"  said director Joseph Bascetta before the performance. "It is relevant to everyone because it gets down to the basics of life: love, relationships, separations, and death."