A Sweeping Night of Passion and Human Vulnerability, Driven by Performances That Draw the Audience Into Puccini’s Legendary World of Bohemians in Paris.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11-27-2025
LA Opera’s revival of La Bohème on November 22 was more than just a performance; it was like stepping through a doorway into another world entirely. The moment the curtain rose, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion disappeared, replaced by a humid Parisian attic, a space suddenly alive with laughter, longing, and the unmistakable, driving pulse of Puccini.
The company has brought back Herbert Ross’s legendary 1993 production, yet the evening is anything but a museum piece. The work breathes, pulses, and aches with the urgency of youth, the fire of creativity, and the fleeting, cruel nature of time.
Director Brenna Corner emphasizes immediacy in her staging. She crafts each scene with such emotional clarity, allowing reactions to develop naturally rather than look like pre-set, decorative gestures. The result is a production that moves with the messy, genuine rhythms of human connection.
Running through mid-December, this version feels remarkably spontaneous and lived-in. These bohemians are truly a close-knit, striving group, creating art on the edge of winter. Together, they fight for warmth and full bellies even as they pursue pure expression.
Janai Brugger, as Mimi, becomes the magnetic, quiet center of the entire tragic arc. Her entrances shift the atmosphere, bringing a palpable, almost still gravity that commands the eye. Her voice carries immense warmth, yet her smallest gestures reveal a heart-stopping vulnerability. Her romance with Oreste Cosimo as Rodolfo is volatile and real.
Every emotional tremor transpires across her features, drawing the audience directly into her guarded inner world. Brugger presents a Mimi who doesn’t merely portray fragility but understands the fierce, quiet strength that must exist within it. She is the evening’s undeniable beating heart.
South Korean baritone Gihoon Kim delivers a volatile, wonderfully unpredictable Marcello. His spirited presence crackles with energy, perfectly balanced by Erica Petrocelli’s Musetta, who exudes bright, captivating confidence from the moment she steps onto the stage.
Together, their chemistry creates a vibrant friction, instantly illuminating the performance and capturing the exhilarating push-and-pull of two people who love fiercely and argue passionately. The scenes between the two lovers provide lively, welcome breaks in the tension with color and humor, balancing the opera’s intense emotional depth.
In the pit, Lina González-Granados continues her ascent as one of LA Opera’s most captivating conductors. She shapes Puccini’s lush score with impressive, visceral precision. Some passages surge ahead with electrifying speed; others slow just enough for a poignant detail to emerge. Her crescendos build with controlled, formidable force, and the orchestra responds to her with seamless unity. Under her leadership, the music doesn’t just accompany the story: It lives, breathes, and constantly propels the narrative forward.
Gerard Howland’s scenic design enhances the experience with skillful detail. The garret perfectly captures the cramped, romantic charm of artistic struggle. Café Momus bursts with life, frantic movement, and vibrant color. Winter then descends over Act Three with a visual chill that reflects the harsh season outside the theater. The environment feels genuine, not just decorative, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the Paris of the Bohemian era rather than stay as detached observers.
As the final, heartbreaking notes faded, the room remained silent for a long moment, the stillness sending its own powerful message. This revival succeeds because it honors what makes La Bohème an eternal classic while allowing a new generation of performers to refresh its soul.
Indeed, it’s a production that offers beauty, truth, and profound emotional depth at a time when audiences desperately crave all three. It was a night that fiercely reminded us all why La Bohème endures, and why opera continues to matter so deeply.
Photos by Cory Weaver, Courtesy of the LA Opera
