Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo & Juliet” brought
Shakespeare to young people and convinced them it was cool. Now,
Luhrmann attempts to turn them on to Italian opera.
Luhrmann’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s “La
Bohème,” which runs through March 7 at the Ahmanson
Theatre, tells the tale of two poor Bohemians, Mimi and Rodolfo,
who meet and fall in love. It’s a typical lovefest in the
vein of another Luhrmann spectacular.
Think “Moulin Rouge” on stage.
The costumes, sets and lighting are all over-the-top, often
leaving the audience’s heads spinning. However, credibility
is not completely discarded. With snow blowing around
Rodolfo’s stark, colorless apartment, it is easy to shiver
with the cast as the play chillingly opens.
Everything in the opera is meticulously choreographed, right
down to the scene changes. As the second act opens, the muted
apartment set exits and Luhrmann’s creativity takes over. An
explosion of lights on Paris and Café Momus illuminate zany
Bohemian life. The stage is packed with vibrantly dressed
prostitutes, clowns and dwarves. The scene is so charged with
energy, it’s almost exhausting to keep up. Fortunately,
intermission soon follows.
Puccini purists, fear not ““ his classic Italian score does
not take a backseat to the whimsical scenery. Luhrmann and music
director Constantine Kitsopoulus have assembled a cast of some of
the world’s finest singers to give voice to Puccini’s
romantic Italian.
For those wary of the supertitles, don’t let it be an
alienating factor. There are multiple screens throughout the
theater, ensuring that nobody leaves with a strained neck. In
keeping with the contemporary focus.
While both “Moulin Rouge” and “La
Bohème” burst with fantastic color, there is nothing
eerie or obnoxious about the latter. Watching “Moulin
Rouge” felt like stepping into a nauseating circus; “La
Bohème” is like stepping into a French watercolor
painting and soaking up the sensuous music and images.
Simply put, “La Bohème” is just gorgeous, or,
as Marcello prefers to say, “as beautiful as the
dawn.”
-Fay Gordon