The final presentation in the San Francisco Opera's fall season is a brand new co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Canadian Opera Company of Giacomo Puccini's evergreen La Boheme. Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner John Caird and designed by Olivier Award-winner David Farley, the fresh staging is something of an early gift to fans before the upcoming holidays.
Two "international" casts alternate in the primary roles, and SFO bills them this way to avoid negative comparison of an "A" or a "B" list. All are cast from strength with the accent on youth for an opera that is all about the appetite for love and drama of early life. We caught the first cast on opening night, and without any way to make a fair conclusion, the second crew should probably concentrate on their own unique strengths without competition, because the standard was already set very high.
Against a wonderfully fluid backdrop of impressionist canvases (presumably by the young artist Marcello) stacked everywhere onstage and easily flipped and revolved to present seamless scene changes, the central pair of lovers played out their stormy love affairs while passionately singing some of Puccini's best melodies.
The unquestioned star of opening night was American tenor Michael Fabiano. He first sang the role of the poet Rodolfo in this production in Toronto, but his past San Francisco appearances have been building momentum to his recognition as an international talent. He delivered on the early promise with a career-defining performance. Looking just right and sounding marvelous, Fabiano personified his character with a pure and powerful voice that seemed to have no limit, and that flowed naturally from his thoughtfully nuanced acting.
As his tragically fated lover Mimi, Greek soprano Alexia Voulgaridou made her SFO debut in a less successful performance that still proved satisfying enough by the final curtain. She clearly has all the notes and the requisite power when singing at full voice, but in softer passages a curious constriction seems to damp her down. If Voulgaridou's enactment of the consumptive heroine was the weakest link in a strong cast, it was not enough to lower the impact of the opera's story, and when singing with Fabiano at her side we could easily ignore minor flaws.
Another star turn came with the appearance of Nadine Sierra in her role debut as the naughty but irresistible Musetta. Talk about dream casting. The beautiful young soprano owned the stage as soon as she made her splashy entrance in the Latin Quarter scene. She sang her famous Waltz with superb agility, and her acting, by turns sulky and adorable, always felt genuine. Sierra's portrayal should put her on the radar for any company casting the part in the future.
As her on-again, off-again boyfriend the painter Marcello, Russian baritone Alexey Markov made his SFO debut with a nicely shaded and well-sung performance that also seemed to fully inhabit the character. We could feel for him as he let the lovely coquette get his mind in a whirl, while still enjoying the fine and powerful strength of his voice.
In supporting roles the cast could hardly have been bettered. This was a Boheme where everyone seemed age-appropriate, and the attractive and able singers added immeasurably to the pleasures of Caird's unfussy but detailed direction.
Ian Robertson's SFO Chorus made the most of their contribution in the lively second act, and the youngsters among them got an early curtain call, allowing them their own age-appropriate departure time.
As the other inhabitants of the garret apartment, SFO Adler Fellow Hadleigh Adams got a chance to show his genial side as Schaunard, the musician of the group. Tall and handsome with a lighter but always audible baritone, he was especially appealing in his moments of horseplay with the roomies. American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, like Hadleigh Adams, will be playing his part for the entire run. He is getting a lot of exposure this season, making another impressive appearance at the War Memorial concurrently as Alcindoro in La Cenerentola. As the philosopher Colline, Van Horn is again a strong presence onstage. His aria bidding farewell to the overcoat he intends to sell to buy medicine is sung with touching emotion.
Conductor Giuseppe Finzi sets the seal on a near-ideal re-acquaintance with one of the world's favorite operas. It is certainly a favorite in these parts, having been the Company's most frequently mounted work (233 mainstage performances prior to the current run). We never fail to marvel at the theatrical and musical worth of Puccini's rightfully popular score, and the SFO is ending the season with a near-perfect showcase.