LA BOHÈME

2021 / 2022 Main Hall the 9th Season

24 December * Friday * 7:00 pm
25 December * Saturday * 5:00 pm

Giacomo Puccini
LA BOHÈME
Opera in 4 acts

PRODUCTION GROUP
Conductor: Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdin
Director: Andrea Bernard
Scenographer: Ezio Frigerio
Costume Designer: Franca Squarciapino
Chief Chorus Master: Yerzhan Dautov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Projection Designer: Sergio Metalli
Lighting Designer: Vincenzo Raponi
Assistant Directors: Yerenbak Toikenov, Tecla Gucci
Assistant Scenographer: Riccardo Massironi
Assistant Costume Designers: Danièle Boutard, Anna Verde
Choirmasters of the Children's Studio: Altynganym Akhmetova, Aigerim Makibayeva

The plot of La bohème was borrowed from the popular French novel Scènes de la vie de
bohème by Henri Murger. Puccini composed the music of La bohème in eight months. The world
premiere of La bohème took place in Turin on 1 February 1896, conducted by twenty-eight-year-
old Arturo Toscanini. Soon La bohème won stages worldwide.
La bohème is perhaps the most French in style and spirit Italian opera, characterized by
surprising subtlety of emotions. The opera is set in the Latin Quarter of Paris on Christmas Eve.
All the characters of the opera are young. These are beggar intellectuals: poet Rodolfo, painter
Marcello, musician Schaunard and philosopher Colline. Need is a constant companion of their
lives, but they do not lose heart and have fun even when they have nothing to pay to the landlord
or to heat the fireplace. In the young people’s everyday life, there is a place for joy, poetry,
friendship and love.
A casual encounter of Rodolfo and Mimi, a seamstress girl, living in the same house,
awakens love in his heart. Mimi returns his love. However, happiness does not last long. Rodolfo
and Mimi break up: she is consumed by tuberculosis and Rodolfo’s housing is damp and cold.
The spring passes, and Mimi returns to Rodolfo, but her days are numbered. The world is
arranged in such a way, that the most pure, gentle and defenseless is doomed to destruction.
Director Andrea Bernard will present a new stage version of Giacomo Puccini's opera La
bohème. The spectacular two-level sets, a train entering the stage and other findings of the
celebrated set designer Ezio Frigerio, as well as the Holiday Scene featuring professional circus
artists, will make a familiar life story of young creators unrecognizable.

ROLES AND PERFORMERS

Mimi – Galina CHEPLAKOVA /

Bibigul ZHANUZAK, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Rodolfo – Medet CHOTABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan /

Sayan ISSIN
Musetta – Yelena GANZHA /

Saltanat AKHMETOVA, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Marcello – Talgat MUSSABAYEV, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan
Colline – Bolat YESSIMKHANOV / Shyngys RASYLKHAN
Schaunard – Yerzhan SAIPOV / Yevgeniy CHAINIKOV
Alcindoro – Shyngys RASYLKHAN / Dinmukhamed KOSHKINBAYEV
Benoît – Talgat GALEYEV / Zhandarbek YERKINBAYEV
Parpignol – Talgat ALLABIRINOV
Customs Sergeant – Nurlybek KOSPARMAKOV / Samat ZHARYLKASSYNOV

Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including two intervals)

Performed in Italian

(with synchronized Kazakh and Russian subtitles)

Management reserves the right to substitute artists