Past Performances
La boheme
Presented at Knox United Church, Parksville, November 4 and 5, 2005Story and photo by Steven Heywood
La bohème brings crowd to its feet
An opera end in tragedy? Why, I've never heard of such a thing. Kidding aside, Vancouver Island Opera's presentation of La bohème was so well done, you could be excused for forgetting it was being staged outside of some grand operatic hall.
Not that the Knox United Church's new facilities are anything to sneeze at - in fact the music and singing were so clear the audience could hear the passion, the emotion from each of the singers. So much so that during the final act - in which Mimi the seamstress and Rodolfo the poet express their love so eloquently before Mimi shuffles off her mortal coil - there were few dry eyes in the house.
Vancouver Island Opera's Tatiana Vasilieva put together a tremendous production in La bohème, drawing on some talented singers and drawing in patron-of-the-arts Iona Campagnolo, B.C.'s Lieutenant Governor for Friday's opening performance.
Outstanding performances all around, but mention must be made of Megan Bryden's Mimi, Paul Ouellette's Rodolfo, Andrew Greenwood's Marcello the painter in baritone, Evelyn Thatcher's Musetta, Marcello's sweetheart and the entire orchestra, which shared the stage with the performers.
La bohème was thoroughly enjoyable and proves that if opera is done right, you don't need to understand Italian, French, Spanish, Latin - or even English - to get the picture.
