Milwaukee Ballet’s ‘La Boheme’ delivers beauty in simplicity

The Milwaukee Ballet Company opened its 48th season with Michael Pink’s reinterpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème as a ballet. Reset in the artistic underground of 1950’s Paris, the production's sets, costumes and dance style effectively carry the audience into that vibrant world. 

Audience members both familiar and unfamiliar with the iconic opera did not miss the glorious arias depicting the colorful, yet tragic struggles of bohemian life. (Those absolutely starving for the vocal component were treated to the Florentine Opera’s 2017-2018 Studio Artists in recital prior to the performance.) Instead, Puccini’s score took the lead. Arranged and conducted by Andrews Sill, the score not only bridged the space where vocalists might have been, but also enhanced the storytelling on stage anew, or possibly as Puccini envisioned it.

The limited number of dancers on stage created an atmosphere of emotional expressiveness and intimacy. This allowed for more expressive acting and emotive exchanges by the principals that charmed the audience.

Davit Hovhannisyan gave a heartbreaking and sensitive performance as Rodolfo, with a convincing narrative voice that permeated his every movement.

Luz San Miguel and Annia Hidalgo were a delight to behold — a thrilling juxtaposition. San Miguel’s Mimi was sweet and genuine, with an air of innocent fragility, while Hidalgo’s Musetta conveyed unbridled feminine power, dancing with poise and wonderfully long, sweeping lines.

The scenes of male camaraderie between the quartet of Rodolfo, Marcello (Timothy O’Donnel), Schaunard (Parker Brasser-Vos), and Colline (Garrett Glassman) were meticulously well executed.

The Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra was in rare sonorous form, aided by Puccini’s characteristically large instrumentation. A full and balanced brass section  complimented the richness of the strings well — an absolute must to pull off Puccini. Pizzicato in the strings was also well executed.

Concertmaster Pasquale Laurino is to be commended on the difficult job of convincingly staying with the on-stage accordion during Act II during the reimagined “Musetta’s Waltz,” despite the challenge of separation from pit to stage, and accounting for the accordion player’s rubato. Although the accordion mix in the house was a bit overpowering and out of balance to the orchestra, Stas Venglevski’s performance was exquisite. Technical issues with the accordion’s amplification did unfortunately detract from the overall effect.

Audiences expecting to be wowed by the grandeur of Pink’s past creative giants like Mirror Mirror or Dracula were delighted instead by the profound beauty in simplicity. Stage became storybook, yet almost too quickly the feather light atmosphere and gaiety succumbed to the reality of the human condition. A poignant season opener to be sure.

The audience guide for La Bohème is recommended reading and a great help in catching the nuances of each condensed act.

If you go

Milwaukee Ballet presents La Bohème, through Nov. 5, at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts in Uihlein Hall. Tickets are available at milwaukeeballet.org or by phone 414-902-2103. Pre-show events are presented an hour before each performance in the Marcus Center's Magin Lounge, with one more chance to catch the Florentine Studio Artists at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 3.