The premiere of G. Puccini's "La Boheme" (conducted by Gintaras Rinkevičius, directed by Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, with set designer Dirk Bird and costume designer Juozas Statkevičius), which was presented at the Vilnius Congress Hall in 2006, was extraordinarily successful. “La Boheme” was then shown more than 40 times. This production of G. Puccini's opera has turned into a unique work of art, a kind of a phenomenon, and a legend in the history of Lithuanian opera. After 15 years, its ideas of staging and aesthetics remain impressive and inspiring, so LNOBT, along with the Bohemian creators, came up with the idea of reviving the production on our stage. The first premiere performances were presented in summer 2021 during the festival “LNOBT Open” in the courtyard of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. In January 2022, we are inviting you to the premiere of VCO‘s “La Boheme” on the main stage of the theatre.
Production presented in collaboration with
The action of the opera begins in 1830. Christmas Eve in Paris. The poet Rudolph and the painter Marcel live in the attic of the house, they are both penniless. To warm himself, Rudolph lights the fireplace with one of his creative manuscripts. Two friends arrive: the philosopher Kolen and the musician Šonar with a snack and wine. Benoit, the manager of the house, enters demanding rent, but is served wine and begged off. Marcel, Kolen and Schonar leave for the cafe, Rudolph stays behind to finish the manuscript. At that moment, a neighbor knocks on the door of the attic room and asks to light the extinguished candle. She chokes and passes out, Rudolph revives her and lets her out, but after a while the girl returns and says she lost the key. While searching for the key, both of their candles go out and their hands touch in the darkness. Rudolph introduces himself as a poet who is poor in money but rich in ideas, the girl says that everyone calls her Mimi. Rudolph and Mimi go outside and join their friends in a cafe. At that moment, Marcel's ex-girlfriend Musette arrives with her "guardian" Alcindor. She agrees with Marcel to renew their relationship and leave Alcindor. Alcindor is sent to buy shoes for Museta, and the group then leaves the cafe, leaving Alcindor to pay the bills when he returns.
A month later, Rudolf is angry with Mimi and Marcel is angry with Musette. Mimi claims that a relationship with Rudolph is impossible because of his jealousy. He is jealous of her, a wealthy viscount. Rudolph admits that he loves Mimi, but due to lack of money, he cannot take care of her because she is sick and will die. Marcel breaks up with Musette, and Rudolph agrees with Mimi that he will live with her until spring. Some time later, Rudolf and Marcel work in the same attic and remember their former lovers. Friends Kolen and Šonar come to them like at the beginning of an opera. They begin to have fun, but the fun is interrupted by the arrival of Musette, who announces that Mimi is seriously ill at the bottom of the stairs and has escaped from the viscount. She is taken to the attic, put to bed, where she confesses that she wanted to die with Rudolph. Friends go out to call the doctor and buy medicine. Left alone with Rudolph, Mimi admits that she knew that Rudolph had found her lost key much earlier in the attic. When her friends return, Mimi pretends to be asleep and dies before the doctor arrives.