Immersive and unconventional, The Atlanta Opera’s 21st-century “La bohème” triumphs at Pullman Yards

PERFORMANCE REVIEW:

The Atlanta Opera
September 18, 20, 22, 25, 27 & 29, October 1, 3 & 5, 2024
Pullman Yards
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
Giacomo PUCCINI: La bohème
James Lowe, conductor; Tomer Zvulun, co-director; Vita Tzykun co-director, set & projection designer; Giacomo Puccini, composer; Luigi Illica & Giuseppe Giacosa, librettists. Cast: Kameron Lopreore (Rodolfo), Amanda Batista (Mimì), Luke Sutliff (Marcello), Cadie J. Bryan (Musetta), Allen Michael Jones (Colline), David Crawford (Schaunard), Andrew Nolen (Benoit/Alcindoro). Creative: Gregory Luis Boyle, assistant director; Amy Sutton, costume designer; Thomas C. Hase, lighting designer; Parker Molacek, projection programmer; Natalia Carlson, associate lighting designer; Lindsey Ewing, wig & makeup designer; Michael Lewis, assistant scenic designer; Joshua Reid, sound designer; Rolando Salazar, chorus master.

William Ford | 20 SEP 2024

The latest series of performances of Puccini’s La bohème by The Atlanta Opera (AO) takes place at the historic Pullman Yards in Atlanta. A former industrial complex in the Kirkwood neighborhood, Pullman Yards now serves as a venue for film production, concerts, and other entertainment offerings. The main building is a hulking brick structure in what was a manufacturing plant. This historic site, central to the Kirkwood Historic District, offers a vast, open space that AO has creatively transformed for the performance.

Produced by Tomer Zvulun and designed by Vita Tzykun, this series reimagines La bohème during the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the musical Rent, which adapts the story to the 1990s HIV/AIDS crisis. Both shows will be performed on the same set, with action happening around the seated audience, featuring different casts and musical forces on alternating nights.

Puccin’s beloved La bohème is one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide, and there’s good reason for it. There is music, partying, a “hooker with a heart,” and a frail heroine. It tells the story of a group of young, impoverished artists living in New York in this version during the 2019 to 2022 pandemic years. The central plot revolves around the love affair between Rodolfo, a poet, and Mimì, a seamstress. They fall in love instantly, but Mimì’s illness and their poverty strain their relationship.

Meanwhile, Rodolfo’s friend Marcello, a painter, has a tumultuous relationship with Musetta, a flirtatious singer. Despite their love, Rodolfo and Mimì separate due to their dire circumstances. In the final act, Mimì returns to Rodolfo’s garret, gravely ill, and their friends try to help her. Sadly, Mimì dies in Rodolfo’s arms, leaving him devastated.

A challenge of updating to the 21st century something written in 1895 is that, without changes to the libretto, there are references to the popular culture at the time of its writing, e.g., a group of hip New Yorkers wanting to dance the Gavotte or Bourrée or when Mimi tells Rodolpho that she makes her living embroidering flowers. While AO aimed to update the story by replacing tuberculosis with COVID-19, references to the pandemic were limited to TV clips and hazmat suits, leaving Mimì’s death disconnected from the virus. Artistic license likely forgives these anachronisms.

Kameron Lopreore as Rodolfo cradles Amanda Batista as Mimi. (credit: Raftermen)

The opera unfolds in four acts, with scenes alternating between intimate spaces and more expansive settings. The use of an island in front of the stage and catwalks extending into the audience created an immersive experience, though the venue’s size challenged this intimacy. The first act is placed in an artists’ apartment somewhere in Manhattan. These scenes took place in front of the main stage on a sort of island. The second act takes place at the Café Momus. This scene was on the main stage, which was a two-level setting with a spiral staircase connecting them. Act 3 takes place in a tavern again on the main stage. Act 4 returns to the artists’ apartment. There were also two catwalks jutting out from the main stage, where street scenes, including a parade, take place.

The AO orchestra was located behind the stage. There were strategically placed monitors that enabled the cast to see the conductor (James Lowe); I could not determine if the conductor could see the singers. There were large flat-screen monitors placed throughout the theater used for supertitles.

The AO staff must be given credit for making a performance space of what was once a warehouse. The theater space was nicely demarcated into various rooms using pipes and curtains. The auditorium itself was large, holding maybe 800 seats, of which about 60% were occupied. I think the intent was to make this performing space intimate, but it is too large for that theater-in-the-round effect. That led to two problems. The first is that the singers were mic’d, which caused their voices to sound a bit homogenous. The second is that it was difficult to tell at times where one should pay attention, given there were few directional cues to the sound. This was especially true when the AO chorus was on stage. In addition, the air handling equipment provided a constant drone throughout the performance.

But the most important part of the evening was the music and the singers; for these, the production was a triumph. Amanda Batista played the part of Mimi. She has a grand soprano voice that never became strident or off-pitch. The only issue with her performance was that I could not believe she was a frail, terminally ill young woman, with COVID or otherwise. Maybe a bit more makeup would have made her look tired, hungry, and haggard. The other primary role, that of Rodolfo, was sung by Kameron Lepreore, who has a clear and clean tenor voice. Lopreore’s acting was probably the strongest of the evening, making his Rodolpho the most convincing.

Other standout vocal performances were those of soprano Cadie J. Bryan as Musetta and baritone Luke Sutleff as Musetta’s love interest, Marcello. In fact, Ms. Bryan, based on her acting skills alone, may have been a better fit for the Mimi role.

The AO orchestra was in fine form, as was the AO chorus and children’s chorus. While they were in constant motion while on stage, they seemed well-prepared, with no accidental collisions in sight!

Despite the challenges of performing in a non-traditional venue, Tomer Zvulun’s vision paid off. This La bohème was an artistic triumph, showcasing the bold risks the Atlanta Opera continues to take under his leadership. ■

Performances of The Atlanta Opera’s “La bohème” continue at Pullman Yards through October 5, alternating with performances of “Rent.”

About the author:

William Ford is an avid classical music fan and a clinical psychologist based in Atlanta. His reviews and interviews can most frequently be found online at Bachtrack and www.atlantamusiccritic.com

Read more by William Ford.