Baz Luhrmann launched his first production of La Bohème on 28 July 1990 at the Sydney Opera House, Australia. He then went on to direct two more Australian productions of Puccini's opera in 1993 and 1996, including a televised performance in 1993 that is available to buy on DVD.

 

Following the success of his previous productions of La Bohème, Luhrmann took his magnificent opera to US theatres in 2002. After a six week sell-out run in in San Fransisco's Curran Theatre, Luhrmann's production was launched on Broadway in December 2002 to excellent reviews from fans and critics alike. The production went on to win two Tony Awards - Best Scenic Design for Catherine Martin and Best Lighting for Nigel Levings - as well as a special ensemble award for the eight principal actors rotating in the lead roles of Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta and Marcello. La Bohème's Broadway run finished on 29 June 2003. On 9 January 2004, the production began a new season in Los Angeles. La Bohème played in Los Angeles from 9 January 2004 until 7 March 2004 at the Ahmanson Theatre.

 

 

Source: http://www.bazthegreatsite.com/index.htm

 

"La Bohème is the story of the doomed love affair between the consumptive Mimi, a seamstress, and Rodolfo, a writer. The original production, inspired by an autobiographical novel written by Henri Murger in the 1840's, was set in Bohemian Paris in the 1830's. Luhrmann's Broadway version, which is based on the acclaimed, sold-out production he mounted in 1990 for The Australian Opera in his native Sydney, takes place in Bohemian Paris in 1957."

The following notes were written by Baz Luhrmann and were featured in the Opening Night on Broadway Playbill for La Bohème:

 

Thirteen years ago, the Australian Opera approached us about mounting a production of La Bohème - their aim was to attract a new, and perhaps younger, audience to opera. Our mission was to work with a young cast and to address this near 100-year-old work as if it were being presented for the very first time.

We set out on a six-month research and development tour to Torre del Lago, Italy, where Puccini composed the opera, then to Paris, the city in which the story is set. Being young and fairly bohemian, we immersed ourselves in the world that Henri Murger inhabited when he wrote the play Scenes de la Vie de Bohème, on which the opera is based. During this period, we came to realize that Puccini, by adapting a wildly popular, risque play for the opera, had clearly set out to create a work that would appeal to everyone. After all, Italian opera was mainstream entertainment, virtually the television of its time.

At the conclusion of making Moulin Rouge, we committed to a new production of La Bohème which, although it was to be a new interpretation, was realized in the spirit of the original 1990 production. Again we found ourselves asking the questions: How do we make the opera as direct, accessible, funny and emotionally engaging as it was to the first audiences in 1896? A first step was to help a contemporary audience understand who the characters were by making them visually accessible. Bohemians of the 1840s typically wore large, floppy velvet hats, ZZ Top beards and checkered pants, while the girls looked somewhat like Little Bo Peep. We decided to reset our production from that period to the relative match of the Left Bank world of Paris, 1957 - the jazz clubs and cafes of Sartre, Nico and Sagan. This was also necessarily a time in which death by tuberculosis was still a credible reality.

Our next step was to cast young players close to the ages of their characters in Scenes de la Vie de Bohème. These singers in their mid-20s would have to be vocally exceptional and have the acting ability to reveal the inner life of their character through song. Because of the vocal demands of the score, each lead player could only perform their role safely three shows a week. Our Broadway cast would need to perform eight times a week, and so we required, at a minimum, three sets of lead players. Travelling the globe and auditioning more than 2,000 singers over a two-year period, we were able to bring together some of the world's finest young singers from as far away as China, Russia, the UK, Europe, Canada and, of course, the USA.

Our final issue was that the opera was written in Italian, which could alienate a contemporary Broadway audience. There was no question of translating the libretto into English, for the shape and form of the Italian was essential to the resonance of the music. Many opera companies overcome this issue by projecting an English translation above the stage. These subtitles  can sometimes end up being overly formal direct translations. We needed to pursue a supertitle philosophy that would make this production as accessible as possible. So, working with an Italian language coach and using a word-for-word translation as a reference point, the writing team, in conjunction with the singers, distilled the Italian into the spirit of what was being said using a 1950s vernacular. There are anachronisms and sometimes leaps of the imagination - for instance, a carriage in the original libretto is now a Rolls Royce. The intention behind this is the same as the motivation behind all of our choices: to open doors to the sublime experience that is Puccini's music and the universal story of La Bohème.

Source: http://www.bazthegreatsite.com/index.htm

La bohème is an opera in four acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. The world premiere performance of La bohème was in Turin on February 1, 1896 at the Teatro Regio and conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. Since then La bohème has become part of the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most frequently performed operas internationally.

The Opera centers around a community of artists in Paris, particularly between the romantic relationship of poet Rodolfo and grisette Mimi. Like the parallel relationship of Rodolfo's roommate Marcello and the beautiful Musetta, Mimi and Rodolfo's love is not without conflict. At the end of the opera, however, they are united tragically as Mimi returns to the garret and dies there, surrounded by her friends. Musical devices emphazise the libretto, which consists of common language turned poetic.

 

The Characters

Rodolfo (tenor) - A poor Parisian poet who falls in love with Mimi. His jealousy drives her away, but secretly he is concerned that he cannot give her the care she needs.

Marcello (baritone) - Rodolfo's roommate, a painter. He carries on a stormy, tempestuous relationship with Musetta.
Colline (bass) - A philosopher, he lives in the same apartment with Marcello and Rodolfo. He pawns his overcoat to get money for Mimi's medicine.
Schaunard (baritone) - A musician, Schaunard is the fourth roommate.
Mimi (soprano) - She tells Rodolfo that her real name is Lucia, but that everyone calls her Mimi. She is a poor seamstress who is suffering from consumption (tuberculosis).
Musetta (soprano) - A flirtatious coquette, Musetta loves Marcello but is always trying to make him jealous.
Benoit (bass) - The somewhat bumbling landlord of the building where the four roommates live.
Alcindoro (bass) - A rich older man, an admirer of Musetta's. She uses him to make Marcello jealous.

 

Synopsis

Act I

In their Latin Quarter garret, the near-destitute artist Marcello and poet Rodolfo try to keep warm on Christmas Eve by feeding the stove with pages from Rodolfo’s latest drama. They are soon joined by their roommates—Colline, a philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician, who brings food, fuel, and funds he has collected from an eccentric student. While they celebrate their unexpected fortune, the landlord, Benoit, comes to collect the rent. Plying the older man with wine, they urge him to tell of his flirtations, then throw him out in mock indignation at his infidelity to his wife. As his friends depart to celebrate at the Café Momus, Rodolfo promises to join them later, remaining behind to try to write. There is another knock at the door; the visitor is a pretty neighbor, Mimì, whose candle has gone out on the drafty stairway. No sooner does she enter than the girl feels faint; after reviving her with a sip of wine, Rodolfo helps her to the door and relights her candle. Mimì realizes she lost her key when she fainted, and as the two search for it, both candles are blown out. In the darkness, Rodolfo finds the key and slips it into his pocket. In the moonlight the poet takes the girl’s shivering hand, telling her his dreams (“Che gelida manina”). She then recounts her life alone in a lofty garret, embroidering flowers and waiting for the spring (“Mi chiamano Mimì”). Rodolfo’s friends are heard outside, urging him to join them; he calls back that he is not alone and will be along shortly. Expressing their joy in finding each other (Duet: “O soave fanciulla”), Mimì and Rodolfo embrace and slowly leave, arm in arm, for the café.

Act II

Amid the shouts of street hawkers, Rodolfo buys Mimì a bonnet near the Café Momus and then introduces her to his friends; they all sit down and order supper. The toy vendor Parpignol passes by, besieged by eager children. Marcello’s former sweetheart, Musetta, makes a noisy entrance on the arm of the elderly but wealthy Alcindoro. The ensuing tumult reaches its peak when, trying to regain Marcello’s attention, she sings a waltz about her popularity (“Quando me’n vo’”). She complains that her shoe pinches, sending Alcindoro off to fetch a new pair. The moment he is gone, she falls into Marcello’s arms and tells the waiter to charge everything to Alcindoro. Soldiers march by the café, and as the bohemians fall in behind, Alcindoro rushes back with Musetta’s shoes.

Act III

At dawn on the snowy outskirts of Paris, a customs official admits farm women to the city. Merrymakers are heard within a tavern. Soon Mimì wanders in, searching for the place where Marcello and Musetta now live. When the painter emerges, she tells him of her distress over Rodolfo’s incessant jealousy (Duet: “O buon Marcello, aiuto!”). She says she believes it is best that they part. Rodolfo, who has been asleep in the tavern, wakes and comes outside. Mimì hides nearby, though Marcello thinks she has gone. The poet first tells Marcello that he wants to separate from his sweetheart, citing her fickleness; pressed for the real reason, he breaks down, saying that her coughing can only grow worse in the poverty they share. Overcome with tears, Mimì stumbles forward to bid her lover farewell (“Donde lieta uscì”) as Marcello runs back into the tavern upon hearing Musetta’s laughter. While Mimì and Rodolfo recall past happiness, Musetta dashes out of the inn, quarreling with Marcello, who has caught her flirting (Quartet: “Addio dolce svegliare”). The painter and his mistress part, hurling insults at each other, but Mimì and Rodolfo decide to remain together until spring.

Act IV

Now separated from their girlfriends, Rodolfo and Marcello lament their loneliness in the garret (Duet: “O Mimì, tu più non torni”). Colline and Schaunard bring a meager meal; to lighten their spirits the four stage a dance, which turns into a mock duel. At the height of the hilarity Musetta bursts in to tell them that Mimì is outside, too weak to come upstairs. As Rodolfo runs to her aid, Musetta relates how Mimì begged to be taken to her lover to die. The poor girl is made as comfortable as possible, while Musetta asks Marcello to sell her earrings for medicine and Colline goes off to pawn his overcoat, which for so long has kept him warm (“Vecchia zimarra”). Left alone, Mimì and Rodolfo wistfully recall their meeting and their first happy days, but she is seized with violent coughing. When the others return, Musetta gives Mimì a muff to warm her hands and prays for her life. As she peacefully drifts into unconsciousness, Rodolfo closes the curtain to soften the light. Schaunard discovers that Mimì is dead, and when Rodolfo at last realizes it, he throws himself despairingly on her body, repeatedly calling her name.

 

Source: http://archive.operainfo.org/broadcast/operaSynopsis.cgi?id=3&language=1

 

 

As most of you know David and Sarah support VH1 Save The Music Foundation, some information for those of you who doesn’t…

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation was founded in 1997 as a public affairs initiative of the VH1 network. The Foundation’s core mission is to restore instrumental music education programs, ensuring that every child has access to a complete education that includes the benefits of music instruction. Since its inception, The Foundation has remained faithful to and focused on making our mission come to life.

The inspiration for The Foundation grew out of John Sykes’s volunteer experience as Principal for a Day at the Brooklyn, New York public school, PS 58 - The Carroll School. John saw first-hand how the students in the music program at PS 58 were struggling due to the great need for musical instruments and he was inspired to dig deeper into the problem and learn more about the benefits a student receives from studying a musical instrument.

The Foundation examined the music education system throughout the nation, they found that music education is not only important for its intrinsic value, but research consistently demonstrated that students who study an instrument enhance their critical thinking skills and their ability to work together as a team. They are more engaged in school and less likely to drop out; and they do significantly better in all of their academic endeavors. Upon seeing the facts about the benefits of music education in a young person’s life, VH1 started The Foundation. Since that visionary moment, the VH1 Save The Music Foundation has proudly restored over 1,600 instrumental music programs in more than 100 cities nationwide, putting instruments into the hands of 1.2 million children. The Foundation is able to make grants of music education programs because of the generous support from its corporate sponsors, foundations, individuals and partners.

 

If a need for instrumental music education exists, ‘Vh1 Save The music Foundation’ looks to the superintendent and school board for a commitment to restore music in every school within a district. With a common goal of fully rebuilding, community partnerships are created and instrumental music education is brought back to life.

 

Make a Donating:  http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/donation

Website: http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/

 

Following Dave and Sarah exemple Divokitties introduce you a Brazilian Association that smusical education for young girls in need.

 

The main product of the Didá is the Girl’s (young women’s) Band, formed exclusively for women. This initiative also originated in the mind of Master Neguinho in unremitting search for tapping into Didá, the power of creation.

The Educational and Cultural Association Didá is a social program without solid financial support that gratuitously acts to promote educational activities on the basis of the art including the popular manifestations created and maintained by the Africans and their descendants. The educational foundation is in the transformation (of young lives) through percussion, more specifically of samba reggae. This variant of rhythms was created by Didá founder Neguinho do Samba. Neguinho has for more than three decades invested his experience and discipline to transform the lives of impoverished young children in the historic central district of Salvador, Bahia into responsible citizens and conscientious parents. These youth would otherwise be without prospects for a future.

Didá, is a Yorubá word that means the power of creation, the name was chosen by the Master Neguinho to communicate that creation is the way of all artistic expression. The name also relates directly to the beneficiaries of Didá, since it is women who give birth in our world. The Didá School today offers courses in 11 subjects: percussion, Afro dance, theater, capoeira, crafts, singing, drum battery, guitar, cavaquinho (a kind of small guitar), keyboard and sopro (a wind instrument). The number of students per year varies between 600 and 800 children and adolescents. Didá has 23 professionals including instructors, coordinators, maids, cooks, and collaborators. Each day basic meals are served; breakfast, lunch and supper for 40% of the pupils and evening snacks for 100% of the pupils.

Didá functions Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM. The main objective of Didá is the education of women and children through the performing arts. The courses are distributed between the days of the week, circulating between them and six concurrent educational projects:

 

• Family Mocambo Didá
• Afro Brazilian aesthetics and beauty
• Bloco-Afro carnival
• Store of articles Didá (merchandising)
• The Sòdomo (an African word) project for young children
• Center of feminine improvement Didá Feminine Band

 

In brief, these projects aim to stimulate collective constructive manifestations, to work together to establish the conscience of community experience respecting the similarities and the differences between people and activities.

Take a look how can you support this Association: http://www.projetodida.org/support_eng.php

Website: http://www.projetodida.org/

Just because the world is Diva, our birthday project for David: