Rodolfo (William Joyner) comforts Mimi (Maureen O’Flynn) in rehearsal for Indianapolis Opera’s November 20 and 22 performances of La Bohème.
It is no secret that I love my job. But I have to confess that La Bohème is one of my favorite operas, and the thought of getting up in the morning to attend rehearsal of a favorite with a cast with this much talent is absolutely invigorating!
You will have no choice but to be drawn into love story of Mimi and Rodolfo through the exquisite Act 1 duet created by soprano Maureen O’Flynn and tenor William Joyner. They have worked together before, and they are well matched in that both care as much about their acting performances as they do the music they create. I mentioned Maureen’s acclaimed career in last week’s commentary. To that I would add my appreciation for Bill’s work. He is such a consummate professional—so comfortable in his roles that he can make instantaneous adjustments, in either rehearsal or performance, and make them appear entirely natural.
In contrast to the delicate love between Mimi and Rodolfo is the tumultuous relationship between Marcello and Musetta, sung by Sean Anderson and Laura Pedersen. You will remember Sean’s flair for comedy from last season’s Pirates of Penzance, in which he played the bungling Pirate King. In addition to his fine baritone, he demonstrates great comedic timing in his frustration with the on-again, off-again Musetta, whose glittering personality is perfectly captured by Laura’s obvious zest for this role and her dazzling command of the music.
While the love stories are central to this opera, we should not overlook the importance of the camaraderie among the four “bohemians”, who support each other through poverty, joy and sorrow. Rounding out this quartet are Gustav Andreassen as Colline and Chad Reagan as Schaunard. Gus’ rich bass tone captures perfectly the philosophical mood of his character, especially in Act 4, where things become very somber indeed.
Chad’s is a great story! As you may recall, last season he was a member of the Indianapolis Opera Ensemble, our young artist/education outreach program. It is such a pleasure to see him perform with confidence among a group of professionals who have a great deal more experience than he has. It means that the time we spend coaching and encouraging can provide excellent results.
And our favorite mainstay is bass Mark Gilgallon, who plays two roles in this production. You will recognize him from a number of productions in recent seasons, and we are so fortunate to have such a talent here in Indianapolis.
Our director, Michael Ehrman, made an excellent point at the Opera Lite event this week. That was that, no matter how many times all of the artists have performed Bohème, each production is different and fresh because of the varied abilities and personalities that come together to create each performance. It is the level of professionalism and talent among such artists that produces new insight each and every time we present a classic such as Bohème.
Great art! Did I mention how much I love my job?
Jim
