Impressive 'La Boheme' debut for Mimi understudy
Lyric Opera of Chicago's Saturday-Monday opening "weekend" is history, and now, "La traviata" and "La Boheme" will be with us exclusively for the rest of this month and beyond.
Monday night's opening of Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme" was notable for the Lyric Opera debut of soprano Elaine Alvarez, who took on the leading role of Mimi on less than a week's notice when the Lyric terminated the contract of Angela Gheorghiu after the Romanian soprano had missed six of 10 rehearsals, including last week's crucial orchestra rehearsal.
But Alvarez, already understudying Gheorghiu in the role, was ready to step in, and the young Cuban-American acquitted herself exquisitely as Puccini's doomed young seamstress, one of the opera's most beloved female roles, and one she will perform later this season in Leipzig, Germany.
Alvarez's Mimi is a perfect match for the ringing, secure Rodolfo of Italian tenor Roberto Aronica, who also was the Lyric's Rodolfo in 2001-02, one of five roles he's sung here. Their first-act love duet ("O soave fanciulla"), one of those meltingly beautiful melodies that were a Puccini specialty, was just one of several examples of a wonderful collaboration despite Alvarez's and Aronica's limited rehearsal time together.
The great Café Momus scene comprising Act 2 belongs to Musetta, the Paris courtesan with a heart of gold. Portrayed by American soprano Nicole Cabell, the scene includes Musetta's waltz ("Quando meen vo") in which the entire Bohemian neighborhood joins in: brass band, adults and children (kudos to the Lyric Opera Chorus and Chicago Children's Choir).
Cabell, a 2005 alumna of the Lyric's Ryan Opera Center, is making her featured Lyric Opera debut with these performances (she sang several roles as a member of the Opera Center). The California native has the kind of star quality, and best of all the vocal resources, that bodes well for a long and successful international career.
Sir Andrew Davis, lifting the baton on another of his typically busy seasons in Chicago (five of the eight operas), brought out the best in the Lyric Opera Orchestra, cast and choral forces. "La Boheme" is one of the two or three most-performed operas, yet Davis on Monday brought to this well-worn score a feeling of musical discovery.
The Lyric's third opera this season, its first-ever performances of Handel's "Julius Caesar," doesn't open until Nov. 2, so if you're a Verdi or Puccini fan, here's your big chance to enjoy one or both of grand opera's best-loved tearjerkers.
Opera review
'La Boheme'
Where: Ardis Krainik Theatre, Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive.
When: Additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, 13, 16, Nov. 9, 17, 21 and 23; 2 p.m. today, Sunday and Nov. 14
Tickets: Call (312) 332-2244, Ext. 5600, or visit lyricopera.org, for availability and reservations; major credit cards accepted.
At a glance:
Opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini, with libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Designed by Pier Luigi Pizzi; Renata Scotto, stage director; Donald Nally, chorus master;Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis
Starring:
Elaine Alvarez as Mimi
Roberto Aronica as Rodolfo
Nicole Cabell as Musetta
Quinn Kelsey as Marcello
Levi Hernandez as Schaunard
Dale Travis as Benoit
Andrea Silvestrelli as Colline