(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set joking around with the staff during set photos were: Michael Adams (Marcello), Celena Shafer (Musetta), Jennifer Black (Mimì), Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), from left.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set joking around with the staff during set photos were: Michael Adams (Marcello), Celena Shafer (Musetta), Jennifer Black (Mimì), Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), from left.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), acting out various scenes.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Kathleen Clawson, right, sets up scenes for set photos as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set was Celena Shafer (Musetta), showing a little leg for fun.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Kathleen Clawson, center, sets up scenes for set photos as Celena Shafer (Musetta) makes a face when she asks if it's safe to take a sip of her drink as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set joking around with the staff during set photos were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello), Jennifer Black (Mimì), Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), from left.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set joking around with the staff during set photos were: Michael Adams (Marcello), Celena Shafer (Musetta), Jennifer Black (Mimì), Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), from left.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Kathleen Clawson, right, sets up scenes for set photos as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), acting out various scenes.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Director Kathleen Clawson, center right, exclaims "Opa! for good luck," as she dabs some spilled drink on her neck as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, sets up scenes for a photo shoot. On set were: Michael Adams (Marcello), Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), Jennifer Black (Mimì), and Celena Shafer (Musetta), from left.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celena Shafer (Musetta) is attended to by hair and makeup artist Yancey Quick as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), acting out various scenes.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celena Shafer (Musetta) jokes around with the staff during set photos as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celena Shafer (Musetta) poses for a photo by the staff as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo), acting out various scenes.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Celena Shafer (Musetta), Michael Adams (Marcello).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017. On set were: Jennifer Black (Mimì) and Scott Quinn (Rodolfo).
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Celena Shafer (Musetta) jokes around with hair and makeup artist Yancey Quick as Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Behind the scenes, Utah Opera's season opener, "La bohème," Puccini's popular tearjerker about starving artists in turn-of-the-century Paris, opens for five shows on Oct. 7, 2017.
If you’re like most people with even a passing interest in opera, chances are you don’t need your arm twisted to go see another production of “La bohème.” But if you’re one of the few on whom the Puccini tearjerker’s charms have been lost, the beautiful production now playing at Utah Opera just might be the one to win you over.
“La bohème” was the first show Utah Opera produced, back in January 1978, so the company has brought the opera back for a seventh time to kick off its 40th season. Artistic director Christopher McBeth has assembled an excellent cast, led by soprano Jennifer Black and tenor Scott Quinn as ill-fated couple Mimì and Rodolfo. They are among the most appealing singers the company has engaged recently, singing with clear, strong technique in Saturday’s opening performance and appearing completely at ease with one another.
Soprano Celena Shafer and baritone Michael Adams are cast as Musetta and Marcello, whose relationship is more volatile but who seem like they’d be more fun at parties. Most of Marcello’s singing on Saturday was done by John Nelson, flown in from Boston at the last possible minute when Adams came down with bronchitis. (It was far too late for Nelson to learn all the blocking, so he sang from the edge of the stage while Adams pantomimed the part.) McBeth is hopeful that Adams can resume the role Wednesday if not sooner. But Nelson is a fine vocalist, and the effect of hearing Marcello’s voice come from the other side of the stage was only mildly distracting.
Shafer, a perennial favorite at Utah Opera, gave a more restrained performance in her role than she did in the company’s 2010 production, but she’s still a force of nature, and she put on a veritable singing clinic in Act 2. Like Marcello, you’ll probably find that resistance is futile.
Baritone Samuel Schultz and bass Ao Li were charming as the other bohemians, Schaunard and Colline. Li’s farewell to Colline’s beloved overcoat was exceptionally moving.
Conductor Robert Tweten led the Utah Symphony in a lovingly detailed performance of the lush Puccini score. Director Kathleen Clawson’s affection for the opera likewise came through clearly in the lovely stage pictures she created as well as in some unexpected moments of fun, such as an amusing bit involving Schaunard and his violin. She also deployed the cast’s physical chemistry — not only in the romantic pairings, but also in the playful camaraderie of the four bohemians — to good effect.
The handsome Peter Dean Beck set, with its sharply raked stage, and Susan Memmott Allred’s costumes gave the production a visual environment befitting its grand sound.
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La vie bohème<br>Utah Opera kicks off its 40th-anniversary season with a beautiful production of one of the world’s most popular operas.<br>When • Reviewed Saturday, Oct. 7; continues Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Oct. 9, 11 and 13, 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Oct. 15<br>Where • Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City<br>Running time • About 2 1/2 hours, including intermission<br>Tickets • $21-$103; utahopera.org
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A graduate of Granger High School and Utah State University, Cathy joined the Tribune staff in 1988. She has been a copy editor, hyphenating compound modifiers and eschewing the serial comma, since 1989; she also has written about music since 1990. Other skills include speaking Spanish, throwing Harry Potter-themed parties and baking lemon bars.
Catherine Reese Newton
A graduate of Granger High School and Utah State University, Cathy joined the Tribune staff in 1988. She has been a copy editor, hyphenating compound modifiers and eschewing the serial comma, since 1989; she also has written about music since 1990. Other skills include speaking Spanish, throwing Harry Potter-themed parties and baking lemon bars.