What is it about “La Bohème” and “Carmen”?
Counted among the most beloved operas of all time, both are returning to Bay Area stages in the next few days.
Longtime opera fans as well as first-time audiences are drawn to the thrill of these enduring works. And even for those simply looking for a great holiday treat, now’s the time to get tickets for Puccini’s “Bohème” at Opera San Jose and/or Bizet’s “Carmen” at San Francisco Opera.
With opening nights approaching at both companies, we asked two of the artists set to appear in starring roles about the attraction of these iconic works.
“It’s just so beautiful,” said soprano Kearstin Piper Brown, who is alternating with Mikayla Sager in the leading role of Mimi in Opera San Jose’s “La Bohème.” Puccini’s masterful opera is under the direction of Michelle Ainna Cuizon, with music direction by Joseph Marcheso.
“If people want to experience a beautiful, touching love story,” Brown added, “this is it.”
Brown, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, praises the way the opera paints an irresistible portrait of young love in the Paris demimonde.
“I love playing with the moment when she and the poet Rodolfo first meet,” she said, adding that she and her fellow cast members are having a great time exploring those scenes. “It’s really interesting in finding those moments, playing on that with my colleagues and finding something different in each rehearsal.”
Mimi, she adds, has become a cherished role. “She’s very loving, but she has a past, she has a history. She’s a little feisty. What’s been really interesting is finding those moments of taking her out of who people might think she is, and playing on who she fully is as a woman and a lover.”
“Carmen” invites the same kind of exploration, says Jonathan Tetelman, singing the role of Don Jose in Bizet’s opera.
The Chilean American tenor has earned enthusiastic reviews for his performances in the role, as Don Jose’s red-hot relationship with Carmen locks them both in mortal danger.
With Swiss French mezzo-soprano Eve-Maud Hubeaux in the title role, the production, directed by Francesca Zambello, is filled with heightened intensity, says Tetelman. “Every scene is a banger,” he said.
“It’s really one of those perfect storms,” he added. “It’s a great story, and great music all the way through. It just ramps up. I think it’s quite complicated, and filled with complex emotions.”
In recent seasons, Tetelman has sung a range of tenor roles, and he recently released a new album of Italian tenor arias.
He’s sung excerpts from “Carmen” in concerts, but these San Francisco Opera’s performances mark his first full production of this timeless opera. He’s clearly excited about the results.
“This is my first real role debut, with time to develop character and rehearse with the orchestra,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic process.”
Bizet, notes Tetelman, died before “Carmen” became one of the most enduring operas of all time.
“He never got to see what a real work of art it is,” he said. “But it’s stood the test of time. It’s just magical.”
Contact Georgia Rowe at [email protected]
2 CLASSIC OPERAS
“Carmen”: Presented by San Francisco Opera; Nov. 13-Dec. 1; War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco; $28-$426; livestream performance 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, $27.50; sfopera.com.
“La Boheme”: Presented by Opera San Jose; Nov. 16-Dec. 1, California Theatre, San Jose; $58-$215, operasj.org.
