In October of 1897, the opera had also reached the shores of North America with Los Angeles hosting the American premiere. Interestingly enough, this first performance garnered a subdued reaction from the audience and polarized responses from critics, yet the opera quickly gained traction throughout Italy and four more opera houses had mounted their own productions in the following season. Thus the premiere of La bohème on Februat the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy was highly anticipated among the public. Puccini first settled on the subject of a Bohemian opera in 1893 and his interest in the material was strengthened following a well-publicized argument with rival composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. A tale of joy and sorrow, of love and loss, the timeless boy-meets-girl love story of La bohème sings meaning into the small mementos and chance encounters that come to define our very lives.
Yet Rodolfo worries that his destitution will only quicken Mimi’s lessening health. However, that is the very point for Miss Kent somehow brings the common touch to her productions – not a criticism – making them more accessible to ordinary folk and, in fact, less high brow.A group of young Bohemians commune together in poverty, but passion emerges when a chance encounter causes Rodolfo to fall in love with the enchanting Mimi. Maybe Miss Kent has won over another convert who is prepared to periodically park Hello Dolly, Showboat and Cabaret in favour of something a little more high brow. On Thursday it was the turn of Tosca which, for all its melodrama, excessive passion and unashamed hyperbole, was wonderful and yes, dare I say it, I thoroughly enjoyed the production.
Now, I am a devotee of both if still a relative amateur! Many years ago, as a complete opera novice – I am a self-confessed ‘musical’ man – I vowed that I would never judge this art form until I had seen at least 10 productions the same was true of ballet. On Thursday, in Tosca, it was the turn of two local greyhounds! But where was Miss Kent? Swanning around in the bar quaffing champagne with the local hoi polloi of Bradford? No! At the end of the evening she was in the theatre entrance, shaking buckets and collecting cash in aid of a local greyhound charity!Īnd I applaud this lady with the ‘common touch’ who, it is widely acclaimed, has never been afraid to go where others have feared to tread.īold, possibly brash, but certainly never understated, she has bludgeoned a traditional world into accepting her unique brand of opera, introducing this traditionally elitist art form to a wider audience and this opera amateur salutes her. Fourteen years ago Kent’s productions were described by The Times as the Las Vegas of opera, stuffed full of golden eagles, naked dancers, white stallions and dancing fountains!
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