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Airdate: La bohème

Jennifer Byrne will host a live performance of Puccini's romance from the Sydney Opera House.

Following its live to air telecast of Keating the Musical, ABC2 will next air a live performance of Opera Australia’s La bohème.

Jennifer Byrne will host the event from the Sydney Opera House, co-hosted by The Chaser’s, Chris Taylor.

Directed by Melbourne Theatre Company’s Simon Phillips, it stars Antoinette Halloran and is described as a ‘bohème for the twenty-first century’.

It airs 8pm Wednesday, 29 October 2008 on ABC2.

Press Release:

Revel in this tale of young love, with all its Bohemian grit and glory, as it is transmitted via satellite from the iconic Sydney Opera House direct to your television screen.

ABC2 Live presents Opera Australia’s La bohème is hosted by Jennifer Byrne, esteemed journalist and presenter of ABC TV’s First Tuesday Book Club and co-hosted by The Chaser’s, Chris Taylor. During interval there will be captivating backstage interviews with the cast and crew including principal artists.

La bohème is a tale of young love and has been cast with some of Opera Australia’s leading young artists. Antoinette Halloran plays the leading lady, Mimì. As the poet, Rodolfo is Carlo Barricelli, an Australian-born tenor of Italian heritage, who now resides in Bologna. Joining him are bohemians José Carbó as Marcello, Richard Anderson as Colline and Warwick Fyfe as Schaunard with John Bolton Wood as their landlord Benoit. And the show-stealing role of Musetta goes to one of Opera Australia’s favourite sopranos, Amelia Farrugia.

The story tells of a group of friends – a poet, a philosopher, a musician and an artist – living in Paris at the turn of the century. Money is tight but love is free and the romance between the poet Rodolfo and seamstress Mimì inspires some of the most touching music ever written.

Simon Phillips, artistic director of Melbourne Theatre Company, directs this production as a ‘bohème for the twenty-first century’. Conducting Puccini’s intricate and captivating score is Ollivier-Philippe Cunéo. Stephen Curtis is set and costume designer, and Matt Scott is lighting designer.

4 Responses

  1. My husband and I saw this Opera in Syndney this year on October the 14th and were thrilled to see it again.
    ABC’s coveraged was fantastic – will it be available on DVD?
    Thank you for a magnificent night’s viewing,
    Kind Regards
    Mary Odgers

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