CRITIC’S PICK: Most opera and Broadway theater fans know that Jonathan Larson’s “Rent” is loosely based on “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini. Both works tell the tale of a group of artists struggling to survive amid poverty and disease, tuberculosis ca. 1830 in the case of “La Boheme”; HIV/AIDS in Larson’s rock musical, set in 1996.For the third and final installment in The Atlanta Opera’s “Bohème Project,” which began last January with a traditional mainstage performance of “La Bohème,” the company is staging a new, immersive production of “Rent” premiering on Sep. 18 and an updated production of “La Bohème” — set during the COVID era — which premiers on Sep. 19, both at Pullman Yards.Two years ago, the last time The Atlanta Opera presented a pair of operas (“As One” and “Cabaret”) at Pullman Yards, the experience was delightfully refreshing. Within the casual confines of the former railroad facility, the dramatic, emotional and technical aspects of The Atlanta Opera’s always superb, world-class productions were on full display. The packed house was electric with joyful energy.Both “Rent” and La Boheme” will be tailored for modern day audiences. If you don’t think you like opera, give one of these productions a chance. Check the Atlanta Opera website for a full list of performances and ticket info. – Doug DeLoach
From the venue:
Following the 2023-24 season’s traditional production of Puccini’s La bohème, in September the Atlanta Opera Discoveries series continues the “Bohème Project” with two immersive productions at Pullman Yards. Produced by Tomer Zvulun with Ukranian-Israeli American designer, director, and multimedia artist Vita Tzykun, the Discoveries series “Bohème Project” comprises repertory performances of a modern-day La bohème–with the COVID-19 pandemic in place of tuberculosis—with the Broadway show it inspired, Jonathan Larson’s Rent, which updated Puccini’s story of friendship, passion, and art by setting it in the midst of the 1990’s HIV/AIDS crisis. Both performed on the same set, with the action taking place in and around the seated audience, the productions will feature different casts and musical forces and will alternate nights for most of the run.
Three Pandemics. Three Centuries. One Story.
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