When it comes to programming, The Dallas Opera seems to have settled on a strategy that seeks to please two types of audience members: those that crave something innovative and fresh, and those that long for standard takes on the familiar. Wisely, they are throwing the bulk of their energy and money at enticing the former group with innovative contemporary works and interesting productions, and then rounding out their seasons with budget-friendly versions of standard classics that will appeal to more conservative opera lovers. La Bohème, which opened over the weekend, belongs to the latter category. The production, costumes, and staging feel tired and dull to me, but strong singing and beautiful playing from the orchestra redeem the experience.
Puccini’s La Bohème is a classic primarily because the music is utterly gorgeous and memorable. On opening night, conductor Riccardo Frizza exploited Puccini’s heart-wrenching melodies with vibrant, luscious sounds from the orchestra. At times, he also pushed the music a bit too much in terms of both tempo and volume. The positive side to this strategy was that the music was interesting and lively, never stagnant or dragging, and that it had a satisfying, full-bodied sound. But, especially in Act One, several of the singers struggled to keep up with the quick pacing and many were overpowered and drowned out by the orchestra. These balance and tempo issues limited musicality; it’s hard to thoughtfully shape a phrase when you’re rushing to catch up with the orchestra and constantly forced to sing at full-voice in order to be heard. That being said, balances improved with each act on Friday night, and my guess is that they will continue to do so in subsequent performances.
Vocally, Ana María Martínez and Bryan Hymel (as Mimi and Rodolfo respectively), were every bit the stars they needed to be in the lead roles. Their duets were beautiful, strong, and always on-pitch and in-sync. Martínez in particular has a captivating vibrato. She can spin a seemingly endless phrase with amazing dynamic control, and her interpretation of Puccini’s melodies on Friday night were beautiful, subtle, and artistic. I was less impressed with Hymel’s musicality. He has a naturally strong, gorgeous sound that is both powerful and rich, but he rarely chooses to shape a phrase, and I found his acting to be stiff and completely unengaging. He’s like the handsome guy who relies solely on his good looks and never says or does anything interesting. Don’t get me wrong – Hymel’s voice is spectacular. But if he added more nuanced phrasing and believable acting to his arsenal, he’d likely catapult to stardom.
The story of La Bohème follows a pretty standard romantic plot: boy meets girl, boy and girl instantly fall in love, then out of love, then back in love, and then, as in most romantic operas, girl dies tragically (in this case of Tuberculosis). Along the way there are crowd scenes, ensemble scenes, and humorous side-stories, but Mimi and Rodolfo’s love affair is the heart of the story.
In this production, there is little spark or chemistry between Martìnez and Hymel. It doesn’t help that Martìnez is dressed like a frumpy, up-tight nanny when the two first meet, or that Hymel’s acting style is limited to occasionally lifting his arms as he belts out his lines. Martìnez did tug on heart strings. Her final scene was every bit the tear-jerker it needed to be. But I found her chemistry in scenes with Rodolfo’s friend Marcello (played by Jonathan Beyer), more intriguing than those with Rodolfo himself. The only other woman in this opera – Davinia Rodriguez as the saucy, sexy Musetta – outshone nearly everyone else dramatically. She was charismatic without relying on camp, and she sang her heart out at every turn. Her voice was less refined then Martìnez’s, but what it lacked in finesse it made up for in raw power.
Rodolfo’s band of brothers were vocally solid but largely forgettable dramatically (with the exception of Jonathan Beyer, who brought depth to the role of Marcello). The rest of the cast was equally solid, especially tenor Jay Gardner who played a charming Parpignol alongside equally charming choruses (both adult and children).
The set and costumes (by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and Peter J. Hall respectively) are traditional and do a fine job of placing the actor-singers in 19th-century bohemian Paris. (This production is also owned by TDO, providing it with the highly attractive quality of affordability.) The stage direction (by Peter Kazaras) felt uninspired and unoriginal to me.
Puccini’s music will likely always stir hearts, and love stories are timeless. But as time goes by and centuries pass, the details of the plots of operas like La Bohème come across as increasingly outdated. I know and love this opera deeply, but I was struck on Friday night by just how old-fashioned the opening act must feel to anyone unfamiliar with the work. As the story begins, a group of men (bros, if you will), joke and scheme, laughing with their landlord as they collectively objectify women and boast about sexual conquests. When Rodolfo and Mimi meet, he immediately launches into a braggadocious description of himself (“Who am I? A poet. What do I do? I write. How do I live? I live!”). Only after he has had his lengthy say does he ask Mimi anything about herself, to which she replies with dated humility (“My story is simple…I have a quiet, happy life…”). The male characters in this opera all have professions. The women are either sexual objects or sickly love interests.
Of course, La Bohème is hardly a worst offender when it comes to sexism, and many great and worthy works of art from the past are filled with this kind of rampant gender imbalance (and worse), but there are ways to update performances of these works. I’ve seen many stagings of romantic era operas in which the costuming, sets, and staging work together to overcome and update outmoded plotlines and lyrics. Mimi is, in fact, a powerful character. But her power was not fully on display in this hyper-traditional production. Updating older works for the 21st century takes loads of creativity, effort, money, and risk, but it is worth it in order to intrigue new audiences and highlight the truly timeless elements of masterpieces like La Bohème. With its last two productions this season (Salome and Everest) this company proved what it is is capable of in terms of innovation, modernization, and production quality. This La Bohème will certainly appeal to many, but to me it felt like a safe, comfortable step backwards.
