La bohème

Lead Donor of the GNO

Major Sponsor

Giacomo Puccini’s heart-wrenching opera La bohème returns to the Stavros Niarchos Hall for six performances, from 21 December 2024 to 5 January 2025. The story portrays the romance between poet Rodolfo and seamstress Mimì, against the backdrop of a freezing Christmas Paris. A relationship that starts from the moment they meet and ends with Mimì’s death of tuberculosis.

La bohème is often referred to as the absolute opera, as it combines a wonderful spectacle with a moving storyline, extreme emotions, and unique music. Most opera houses consider La bohème as the most suitable work for introducing a new audience to the world of opera. Through the captivating music of La bohème Puccini portrayed the full palette of emotions – from great love, joy, and carefreeness to betrayal, despair, and the pain of loss.

In the esteemed British director Graham Vick’s staging, the group of these young bohemian artists is moved from 19th-century Paris to 21st-century Athens, in a landmark performance for Greek opera standards. “We attempted to reveal the essence of the work so as to have something that was universal to any time. Not so much as timelessness as the fact that humanity never changes; death is death, poverty is poverty, students are students,” explains Vick in his note. A director known for his experimental approach, exploring and breaking down clichés in the art of opera.

The cast includes both acclaimed and emerging protagonists, such as Yannis Christopoulos, Vassiliki Karayanni, Nikos Kotenidis, Danae Kontora.