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Palo Alto Online

Bohemian rhapsody

by Laura Reiley

I t may well be the best loved opera of all time. Certainly Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece is a perfectly measured cocktail -- equal parts tender love story, uproarious comedy, thrilling spectacle and heartbreaking drama. The sweeping melodies and brilliant score are balanced by a stunning setting, the Bohemian world of turn-of-the-century Paris.

Is it any wonder, then, that the cast and crew of West Bay Opera's "La Boheme" can barely contain their enthusiasm?

"It's absolutely gorgeous and so romantic, it goes straight to your heart," gushed stage director Kenneth Tigar. "It's a great joy to work with such a masterpiece. It is challenging, but my job is to present the essence of 'La Boheme.'"

Tigar seems up to the challenge. A seasoned veteran of what he calls "literature on the stage," he directed last season's production of "Tartuffe" at West Bay Opera, the first American production of Dürrenmatt's "The Visit," "A Doll's House," "The Yeomen of the Guard," "The Zoo Story" and the world premiere of "The Genius" by Mitch Giannunzio.

Even for an old hand, "La Boheme" is an ambitious undertaking -- West Bay Opera's production, which opens tonight at the Lucie Stern Theatre, packs nearly 60 people onto the stage. There are 10 principals, a chorus of 30, a band, a children's chorus, 10 non-singing extras and a whole lot of others.

"It's an enormously big show," Tigar explained. "It's wild and exciting and beautiful -- a huge technical challenge. The second act alone is overwhelming and it's only 18 minutes long."

But at the core of this extravaganza is that little, ephemeral wisp called love. One of the greatest love stories in literature, it tells the tale of Mimi and the poet Rodolfo, who meet and fall instantly in love in a shabby garret in Paris one Christmas Eve.

"It's love at first sight," Tigar said. "You see the moment that they meet and the chemistry that develops immediately -- to bring that to the stage has been very exciting."

Jonathan Boyd, who plays Rodolfo along with Benoit Gendron (the show has two complete casts of principals), attributed much of the show's energy to Tigar and Music Director David Sloss, but acknowledged the challenges of mounting such an ambitious show.

"The biggest challenge was working with two different casts. Each of the cast members for both casts had their own ideas of how the character should be played, and just fitting the two casts onto one stage was a challenge for Ken Tiger. The greatest surprise is to see how each person has created his or her character. The beauty of live theater is that you can live the same story from many dramatic interpretations. As performers we strive to bring something new and exciting each time."

This particular staging of "La Boheme" indeed has something new and exciting -- it has been placed in the era when Puccini wrote it (although Puccini envisioned it set 30 to 40 years earlier), allowing costume designer Latifa Nedjdoub, set designer Jean-François Revon and lighting designer Chad Bonaker to work in an art nouveau style.

"It was a very romantic period," Tigar explained. "One that speaks to the essence of what 'La Boheme' is."

From the lovebirds' cold garret at the beginning to the raucous Café Momus in Act Two, to the streets of Paris in Act Three and then back to that tiny garret in Act Four, the story of Mimi, Rodolfo, their roommates, Marcello and Musetta, and their other friends plays out with much of the drama and vitality that "La Boheme" was full of at its premiere in Turin in 1896.

But is there anything that will surprise inveterate "La Boheme" lovers?

"I would love to answer this question, but if I did I would have to kill you," joked Boyd. "But in all seriousness, bring your tissues. This production will get the tears flowing for sure."

What: "La Boheme," presented by West Bay Opera in Italian with supertitles.

Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto

When: Tonight through Sunday and May 31 through June 2; Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m.; Sunday matinées at 2 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $38, with a special $19 youth ticket (for those under 18) for Sunday matinées only.

Info: Call (650) 424-9999 or visit www.wbopera.org.