10 Reasons Why You Should Not Miss Watching La Boheme in Manila!
1. If you love Opera, witness the first ever full length all-Filipino cast Opera in the Philippines!
” This 2008 production brings a talented young cast and fresh inventive staging making it a real operatic tour-de-force. Playing the lead roles are tenors Juan Alberto Gaerlan, Dondi Ong and Gary del Rosario, who by the way also sang “Parpignol” in the Rolando Tinio version of Boheme at the CCP in the 90s. He is also presently a resident artist of the Seattle Opera House after spending many years with Cleveland Opera. Mimi, on the other hand, will be performed by Jennifer Uy, a finalist in the 2001 Maria Callas Opera Grand Prix in Athens, Greece, where she has worked intensively with Dame Joan Sutherland and Gundula Janowitz. Alternating as Mimi is Maribel Miguel who is making her opera debut while sopranos Ana Feleo and Elaine Lee play Musetta. Baritones Lawrence Jatayna and Jesus Baang plays Marcello while Joseleo Logdat and John Ocampos plays Colline and Schaunard, respectively. ” (Philippine Opera Company)
2. If you are watching an Opera for the first time, join us in our excitement in watching the “World’s Most Popular Opera” according to the New York Times!
I am excited to watch my first Opera. I don’t have to fly all the way to La Scala in Milan or Metropolitan Opera House in New York to watch one. Also, La Boheme in Manila is more targeted to the youth rather than the elite society of Manila. I like the Philippine Opera Company’s advocacy of bringing the Opera to more Filipinos as possible. The biggest misconception of the Opera is that it is only for the elite who can appreciate Italian music. I love a lot foreign songs which I don’t even know the lyrics like Con Te Partiro (Time to Say Goodbye), Pie Jesu, and a couple of Josh Groban songs. I know a lot of friends who also listen to Italian or Opera music.
La Boheme will be purely in Italian and there will be no subtitles. The trick in watching this opera is you need to read the synopsis of all the 4 acts before watching it. In this way, you already know the gist of what is happening and you can concentrate in appreciating the beautiful love songs in Italian. It would be better if you can listen to La Boheme music before watching the show. I included the synopsis of La Boheme Manila in this post and the you tube videos of the 1979 La Scala performance of La Boheme.
3. If you have watched La Boheme Opera before, why not watch La Boheme with Manila as the setting?
LA BOHEME IN MODERN DAY MANILA? WHY NOT? by Floy Quintos, Director of La Boheme
When Giacomo Puccini wrote his immortal opera, “La Boheme”, he gave the world a view of love and lovers that was far from pretty or sanitized. And yet, the opera about Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta, Marcello and their band of young bohemians is still called, “the greatest love story ever sung”. Perhaps the real glory of “La Boheme” lies in the fact that the storyline delves into youthful passion, obsessive jealousy, co-dependency and love-at-first sight and makes these rather unruly and uncontainable feelings soar with beauty of his music.
Puccini was also very concerned with the concept of “verissimo”, a truthful rendition of life even in an art-form like opera that is governed by artifice. He wrote about young people on the fringe of society, young people who make art and who can’t pay their bills, and yet are given to grand passions and extravagant gestures, like falling in love and breaking up on a whim. In short, it is a love story all about the dizzy joys and deep pitfalls of young love, as all young people experience it. The universality of Puccini’s themes transcends borders and, yes, physical settings.
Thus, it seems only right that the Philippine Opera Company’s exciting new production of “La Boheme”, while retaining the original Italian libretto, is set in present-day Manila, a city obsessed with youth and beauty. In this new production, Rodolfo and Marcello are Indie artists working on their manuscripts and their multi-media art forms. Mimi is a creator of silk accessories, and Musetta, an ambitious and brazen performer out to make a name for herself. The horizon that Rodolfo’s garret looks out to, is a jungle of billboards advertising the promises of youth and beauty. The famous Café Momus is set in a street full of tiangge stands. The third act, traditionally set in a camp outside an army garrison, is now a tired perya in the off-season. The characters of Puccini’s masterpiece could be any young person wanting to make a name in a city that doesn’t care. That is the look and feel of the POC production. Aside from being a statement on the impermanence of love, the POC “Boheme” is also about a statement about young people on the fringe of society.
4. If you are a RENT fan, watch ACT I where you will see the original version of RENT’s Would You Light My Candle song.
La Boheme, Manila ACT I. In their small apartment, the painter Marcello and indie film art director Rodolfo try to keep warm by burning pages from Rodolfo’s latest drama. They are joined by their comrades — Colline, a young philosopher, and Schaunard, a musician who has landed a job and brings food, fuel and funds. But while they celebrate their unexpected fortune, the landlord, Benoit, arrives 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. As the friends depart for a celebration at the nearby Café Momus, Rodolfo promises to join them soon, staying behind to finish writing an article. There is another knock: a neighbor, Mimì, says her candle has gone out on the drafty stairs. Offering her wine when she feels faint, Rodolfo relights her candle and helps her to the door. Mimì realizes she has dropped her key, and as the two search for it, both candles are blown out. In the moonlight the art director takes the girl’s shivering hand, telling her his dreams. She then recounts her solitary life, embroidering flowers and waiting for spring. Drawn to each other, Mimì and Rodolfo leave for the café.
La Bohème 01 – La Scala 1979 – Che gelida manina
LaBohème 02 – La Scala 1979 – Sì, mi chiamano Mimì
La Bohème 03 – La Scala 1979 – O soave fanciulla
5. If you are an Ana Feleo fan, watch ACT II where I can’t wait to see how Ana Feleo would perform the sexy Musetta.
La Boheme, Manila ACT II. Amid shouts of street hawkers, Rodolfo buys Mimì a bonnet near the Café Momus before introducing her to his friends. They all sit down and order supper. A toy vendor, Parpignol, passes by, besieged by children. Marcello’s former lover, Musetta, enters ostentatiously on the arm of the elderly, wealthy Alcindoro. Trying to regain the painter’s attention, she sings a waltz about her popularity. Complaining that her shoe pinches, Musetta sends Alcindoro to fetch a new pair, then falls into Marcello’s arms. Joining a group of marching soldiers, the Bohemians leave Alcindoro to face the bill when he returns.
La Bohème 04 – La Scala 1979 – Quando m’en vo’
6. If you are a blogger, Bachelor Girl is inviting bloggers for a special La Boheme preview!
7. If you are heart broken, you might be able to empathize with the emotions of the songs in Act III of La Boheme in Manila!
La Boheme, Manila ACT III. At dawn on a rainy night, a Customs Officer admits farm women to the city. Musetta and revelers are heard inside a tavern. Soon Mimì walks by, searching for the place where the reunited Marcello and Musetta now live. When the painter emerges, she pours out her distress over Rodolfo’s incessant jealousy. It is best they part, she says. Rodolfo, who has been asleep in the tavern, is heard, and Mimì hides; Marcello thinks she has left. Rodolfo tells Marcello he wants to separate from his fickle sweetheart. Pressed further, he breaks down, saying Mimì is dying; her ill health can only worsen in the poverty they share. Overcome, Mimì stumbles forward to bid her lover farewell as Marcello runs back into the tavern to investigate Musetta’s raucous laughter. While Mimì and Rodolfo recall their happiness, Musetta quarrels with Marcello. The painter and his mistress part in fury, but Mimì and Rodolfo decide to stay together until spring.
La Bohème 05 – La Scala 1979 – Donde lieta uscì
La Bohème 06 – La Scala 1979 – Dunque è proprio finita
8. If you are a fan of Jennifer Uy, I can’t wait to see her performs the death love scene of Mimi and Rodolfo !
La Boheme, Manila ACT IV. Some months later, Rodolfo and Marcello lament their loneliness in the garret. Colline and Schaunard bring a meager meal. The four stage a dance, which turns into a mock fight. The merrymaking is ended when Musetta bursts in, saying Mimì is downstairs, too weak to climb up. As Rodolfo runs to her, Musetta tells how Mimì has begged to be taken to her lover to die. While Mimì is made comfortable, Marcello goes with Musetta to sell her earrings for medicine, and Colline leaves to pawn his cherished overcoat. Alone, Mimì and Rodolfo recall their first days together, but she is seized with coughing. When the others return, Musetta gives Mimì a muff to warm her hands and prays for her life. Mimì dies quietly, and when Schaunard discovers she is dead, Rodolfo runs to her side, calling her name.
La Bohème 07 – La Scala 1979 – Mi sento assai megli
La Bohème 08 – La Scala 1979 – Sono andati?
9. If you are watching Paul Potts, please watch FIRST our very own talented Filipino Opera Singers sing Italian Songs in La Boheme.
La Boheme will be performed on October 3-5, 2008, a few days before the Paul Potts performance on October 8. Let us support our very own Filipino Opera talents!
Tickets for 2008 LA BOHEME, CCP Main Theater
( For OAP Friends, I can help you get the tickets please text me Anton +63917-5683627 or email me Anton@Diaz.PH)
Oct. 3 (8pm) GALA NIGHT
Orchestra center P4,000.00
Orchestra side P3,000.00
Balcony 1 center P1,500.00
Balcony 1 side P1,000.00
Balcony 2 P 500.00
Box (6 exclusive seats)
Parterre Box (6 exclusive seats) P30,000.00
Upper Box P20,000.00
Lower Box P10,000.00
Oct. 4 (8pm), Oct. 5 (3pm)
Orchestra center P3,000.00
Orchestra side P2,500.00
Balcony 1 center P1,500.00
Balcony 1 side P1,000.00
Balcony 2 P 500.00
Box (6 exclusive seats)
Parterre Box P20,000.00
Upper Box P15,000.00
Lower Box P10,000.00
Discounts:
Senior Citizen 20%
Students 50% (for Balcony 1 and 2 sections only)
Please contact the Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786 or visit www.philippineoperacompany.com for more details.
Tickets are also available at all TicketWorld outlets with trunkline number 891-9999.
10. If you comment on this post, you might just win tickets to La Boheme in Manila!
Our Awesome Planet fully supports the most awaited opera La Boheme in Manila! OAP will give prizes to the best comments and reactions to this blog post.
Live an Awesome Life!
Text and Photos by Anton Diaz. www.OurAwesomePlanet.com Copyright 2008.
I’ve been meaning to watch this, especially since my partner and I are having our second anniversary that week (on the 4th to be exact)! Ang alam ko nga, may afternoon showing.
I actually have the mp3s of the songs in my computer, and they make good background music when I’m writing. But thanks for the video clips! It’s much more emotional seeing the songs acted out.
hi anton.. from reading the synopsis of the 4 acts, it seems that the storyline is very similar to rent. is this where rent based its story from?
anyway, let us know if it’s good. i do like listening to classical music but i still need to convince my wife to go and watch this. i’m also thinking of watching the paul potts concert.
Thanks for the shout out, Anton!
….No prizes sa akin period….i already made my comment to bachelor girl….i can assure you that la boheme philippines is going to be different than anything you’ve seen in the past & even better than the ‘original’ but only ‘if’ philippine opera performers if the philippines will add some UNIQUE ‘state of the art’ FILIPINO TRAITS meaning THE ‘filipino’way by using filipino style opera called ‘pananaghuy’ singing style while using a new modern filipiniana style mode of character of almost no vulnerabilities but can be shy or timid & can take the leads when nature calls style of femininity lol that includes the used of ‘filipiniana’ STATE OF THE ART physical movements called PADULAS NA PAURONG{slide & glide but in artistic ‘shapes’ & graciously while hard-stiff in motions}or we called it SOCIAL FINNESSE instead of just a character walking changing moving hard-stiffly[boring}but filipino styles those lovely feminine sophisticated but ‘rural’ pero ‘pang masa’ na matatag na shoulders chest & hands{even if characters calls for stiff-hard rural folks lol! that should make your international opera play way better in quality anywhere in the world along with the better blend of costumes{color coordinations & styles}& of course right positioning of lights & sounds so goodluck jennifer la boheme opera & thank you philippines….
….No prizes sa akin period….i already made my comment to bachelor girl….i can assure you that la boheme philippines is going to be different than anything you’ve seen in the past & even better than the ‘original’ but only ‘if’ philippine opera performers if the philippines will add some UNIQUE ‘state of the art’ FILIPINO TRAITS meaning THE ‘filipino’way by using filipino style opera called ‘pananaghuy’ singing style while using a new modern filipiniana style mode of character of almost no vulnerabilities but can be shy or timid & can take the leads when nature calls style of femininity lol that includes the used of ‘filipiniana’ STATE OF THE ART physical movements called PADULAS NA PAURONG{slide & glide but in artistic ‘shapes’ & graciously while hard-stiff in motions}or we called it SOCIAL FINNESSE instead of just a character walking changing moving hard-stiffly[boring}but filipino styles those lovely feminine sophisticated but ‘rural’ pero ‘pang masa’ na matatag na shoulders chest & hands{even if characters calls for stiff-hard rural folks lol! that should make your international opera play way better in quality anywhere in the world along with the better blend of costumes{color coordinations & styles}& of course right positioning of lights & sounds so goodluck jennifer la boheme opera & thank you philippines….
Yes Sherwin- Rent is based from La Boheme
Can’t wait to see jennifer perform mimi. Naiinip na ako. 1st time ko watch opera thanks for posting the synopsis and songs. Been reading on it nga eh para may idea din. Gonna borrow the best of Opera Music from my dads CD collection, to hear more.
Can’t Wait.. Will definitely catch the show!
Good luck Jenn, and to the rest of the cast! Kudos to the Philippine Opera Company.
Cheers.
let’s support our very own filipino artists! by the way, is ana feleo the daughter of laurice guillen and johnny delgado?
This is great!
Even Paul Potts himself said LA BOHEME remains his favorite Opera of all time.
More power to the philippine opera company.
i’ve never watched opera but would certainly want to..
would definitely love to watch the show. It would be my first opera experience….
Tanghalang Pilipino already did a Tagalog version of La Boheme in the 90’s. It was extremely good.
hi anton,
i’m a huge fan of RENT and am planning to watch La Boheme for this reason.
i’m interested to take 2 Balcony Center tix (preferably first row) for the Gala
Night Oct. 3rd.
Peter
Sounds like an amazing show! Good luck Jenn and the rest of the cast.
OPERA???? DIBA BORING YUN???? BAKA SAYANG LANG BAYAD KO… juz a thought…
mitch,
the only way to know for sure is to watch 😀 i’m thinking the same thing, but since RENT was partly based on La Boheme, it shouldn’t be so bad 😀
augh! i wish i could see it. i might go to ny next year, but i’m sure that i couldn’t watch it there either because the tickets would be way beyond my means. besides, it would be interesting to see what la boheme would be like had puccini lived in manila.
i saw some of the rehearsal clips on the Lifestyle channel. i got goosebumps. will definitely go watch!
i want to see Jen perform!!
my lola started humming bits of the famous scenes after we saw the trailer from lifestyle network. she’s a big fan of the opera, having loads of classical CDs in her small library! too bad we don’t get to watch shows as they are really pricey. hope we get a chance this time through your kindness! 😀
i cant wait to watch the sneak peek tonight!!! 🙂
okay, i know this is probably much too late already, pero try lang… http://jesterinexile.blogspot.com/2008/10/greatest-love-story-ever-sung-behind.html
i wanna see this; my first real-life opera! woot!
Hi Anton!
Help me naman sell 2 tickets for the OCT 5, Sunday 3pm show. I can’t make it kasi. I’m selling it for Php 4000 for the two tickets. Text me 09178980023/09228502972.
Orchestra Side F111/F112
Thanks!
Got to catch the rehearsals. It was great! People should really watch this.
http://dappie2002.multiply.com/journal/item/115/Watch_La_Boheme_this_weekend_Philippine_Opera_Company_part_1_of_3
http://dappie2002.multiply.com/journal/item/116
Posted one more entry about this. Watch people!!!
http://dappie2002.multiply.com/journal/item/117/The_La_Boheme_and_RENT_connection_part_3_of_3
How does one enjoy an opera without hearing it? You can’t!
Immediately after Act 1 of “La Boheme”, at least 20 people left the theatre. Some went straight to the parking lot. While others, Filipinos and foreigners alike, went straight to the table (where the programs were sold) to express our disappointment and frustration. We simply could not hear the opera. With the exception of Rodolfo, one can barely hear the rest of the characters. Only Rodolfo’s soaring high notes that made an impression. This would have surely been a goose bump moment had there been a sound system.
The lack of acoustic enhancement was the tragic mistake. It is mind boggling to me that the Philippine Opera Company did not take careful measures to ensure the enjoyment of the first ever, full length opera with an all Filipino cast.
It was also quite annoying to see some characters dressed as if they were appearing in “Rent”. Layers of clothing, beanies and scarves were worn while they huddled in front of a fire. Seriously, it never gets that cold in Manila. The set design was a very poor and uninspired version of the “Rent”set design.
Whenever I watch an opera, I am prepared to hear magnificent voices, spectacular sets and grand costumes. Now, take the period costumes away and you are left with what looks like a run-through or rehearsal for an opera. I am not saying they need to be in evening gowns or showgirl costumes. But they could have at least given it more thought.
Rodolfo and Mimi’s outfits in Act 1 were beyond horrendous. Being Bohemian does not mean being “baduy” or devoid of style. In fact, the Bohemian style has even inspired haute couture.
Only three things were praise worthy of the October 4 performance: Rodolfo, Musetta and the video backdrop.
I immediately texted everyone I knew of this utter waste of time. Many had planned to go on the last night but opted not to because they have received similar warnings from other victimized friends.
reasons why filipino pride must COMES FIRST before profits coz if you ‘don’t’ instead of big success more likely lost of BIGGER incomes lost of cast ‘bonuses’ which is always what happens any first any grand shows any art or products exhibitions must be ‘presented’ in highest forms of presentations possible to zeal or maybe guarantee that ‘extra’ additional success that generates extra incomes & bonuses to all involved so AOP learned from any ‘missed’ so you are better prepared next time lol
frustrated & dissappointed named viewer: i can understand your concerns but to used the word ‘victimized’ is below the belt coz i do not believe that the creation of local la boheme is intended to victimized anyone but just a poor foresights hindsights of the stage o costumes director maybe he-she lacked that SOPHISTICATIONS
you meant to see but please do not put them down ON THE SPOT if youre an ANTI FILIPINO SUCCESS STORIES coz it is ‘noticeable’.. constructive criticism is fine but not those INFLAMATORY coz asking the public not to be supportive coz you didnt like the costumes o your hearing aid is poor is very ANTI FILIPINO SUCCESS STORIES salamat kung makikinig kayo sa payo ko lol
We watched the Fri, Oct 3rd opening night show and all I can say is “Wow”.
I found myself drawn to Mimi (Jennifer Uy). Her singing was effortless. It was amazing to see how relaxed she looked when singing. Her voice had a beautiful ring. The lines were clean. By the middle of the last act, I was in tears.
We sat in the balcony.
Rodolfo (Gary del Rosario)and her were a perfect match. I have also heard many good things about del Rosario and he did not disappoint.
why not visit the La Scala cafe 🙂
http://lascalacafe.com/
http://lascalacafe.multiply.com/
mahihina mga boses…si gary del rosario lang ang magaling….sayang bayad ko!!!!!