Cape Town Opera’s ‘La Bohème’ set in dystopian SA township

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Breathing music, life and love into the East London Guild Theatre, the Cape Town Opera will be staging one of the world’s most beloved and best-known operas — La Bohème — in the city this September.

Two East London performances will kick off what is set to be a four-city tour of the opera, but unlike most productions that skip over the smaller towns and choose instead the big metros with thriving theatre scenes, the Cape Town Opera’s Judith Neilson National Tour will also see La Bohème staged in Gqeberha, Graaff-Reinet and Oudtshoorn.

This is the first time, since South Africa was plunged into the first of a series of lockdowns in March 2020, that the Cape Town Opera will be touring.

Seven talented young South African opera singers will bring the famous tragedy to life, opening the world of opera up to audiences that are not often given the opportunity to enjoy the art form.

And, according to director Magdalene Minnaar, La Bohème — a tale of four struggling artists and their dealings in love, life and everything in between — is the perfect introduction into this world.

Composed by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, La Bohème is a four-act opera that first premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin, Italy, in 1896.

Since then, it has become one of the most popular and most performed operas in the world.

Traditionally, the tale is set in 1830 Paris and follows the bohemian lives of four friends struggling to make ends meet.

Through music, audiences are taken on a journey of love, illness, financial woe and creativity.

It’s a story about creative people living in poverty, but they have a lust for life

“It’s a story about creative people living in poverty, but they have a lust for life,” said Minnaar, whose artistry has seen the Cape Town Opera’s version of La Bohème combine both traditional and contemporary concepts.

Having previously directed a production of Puccini’s La Bohème for a Mbombela-based (Nelspruit) festival in 2019, Minnaar said La Bohème was one of her favourite operas.

“I’m not a fan of Puccini per se, but in La Bohème the perfect symbiosis of music and words gives it an organic cohesion that is amazing.

“It’s a relatable story told with the attention to detail you usually only find in films.”

She said the characters were incredibly important to the story and that her director’s approach was to focus primarily on showcasing the characters as best as possible.

The characters are paramount, so vibrant that instead of having them subordinate to the set and costumes, I’ve put it the other way around, so that the setting supports the characters

“The characters are paramount, so vibrant that instead of having them subordinate to the set and costumes, I’ve put it the other way around, so that the setting supports the characters,” Minnaar said.

Following the same storyline, presenting the same iconic characters and giving audiences the incredible music Puccini’s masterpiece is known and loved for, the Cape Town Opera’s La Bohème is not set in 19th century France, but rather in a dystopian South African township.

“The story is so universal.

“You could set it in space and it would still make sense, but the idea to set it in Africa is to make it as accessible as possible. I mean, we have a braai on stage,” Minnaar quipped.

“The story is so universally applicable, but in wanting to bring it to places and audiences that have not been exposed to opera ever or very often, the idea of taking the original and putting it in a local setting makes the opera more accessible to those audiences.”

With just three weeks of rehearsals together, the cast is led by Eastern Cape-born opera singers, soprano Zandile Mzazi as Mimì and tenor Lukhanyo Moyake as Rodolfo.

The skilled cast also comprises Bongani Kubheka as Marcello, Ané Pretorius in the role of Musetta, Lwazi Dlamini as Schaunard, Conroy Scott as Colline, and Garth Delport as Alcindoro, who, together, will treat audiences to all the beauty, emotion, tragedy and moving music of La Bohème.

Pretorius, whose character is the star-crossed, on-and-off lover of Marcello, said the experience of getting to know a character through the music and becoming that character on stage, was always one of the most rewarding experiences of her work.

“We’ve only just started rehearsals with the cast and my character is not on stage yet, but the most rewarding thing for me is still getting to know the character, looking at the music, translating it and learning the humanity of the characters and how the music enhances that,” said Pretorius.

“When we first meet Musetta she is comes across as quite a frivolous person but then we get to know her and see how she takes care of Mimi, and by act three she’s quite serious.

“To see the development and put yourself in a character’s shoes and uncover why she is the way she is and finding that in the music, is really rewarding.”

Pretorius, a mezzo soprano, said she was looking forward to performing La Bohème in smaller cities.

Everyone should have the opportunity to experience it and enjoy it and La Bohème is a great introduction to opera — it’s one of the most emotionally fulfilling operas

“I’m so passionate about bringing opera to the masses.

“It’s a fantastic art form that shouldn’t be only for an elite group of people.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to experience it and enjoy it and La Bohème is a great introduction to opera — it’s one of the most emotionally fulfilling operas,” said Pretorius.

“I’m really excited, we rarely get the chance to do tours like this.”

She said it was wonderful to be back in rehearsals working with other artists and performers.

“It’s great to be working on a production again.

“I can feel myself slowly coming back to life again.

“We’re all really grateful and very aware of the privilege we have being able to do this,” Pretorius said.

Minnaar said while rehearsals looked very different with various Covid-19 protocols in place, it was great to be back doing what she loved.

“It’s very strange; we’re all rehearsing with masks on and we can’t hug each other, but to walk into a room full of performers and work closely with a cast and crew again is wonderful.

“It’s the first time in a year-and-a-half that I’ve had contact with a stage designer again,” said Minnaar, who saw many productions put on hold during the course of the last 18 months due to the pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

“It was heartbreaking.

“I think I’ve had about six productions put on ice or cancelled and there’s so much work that goes into it, from the pre-production to the rehearsals.

“Being back is great and for me, the whole experience has cemented the fact that this is what I love and what I want to do.”

The team have spent two months on pre-production of the opera and have just completed their first week of rehearsals.

The production team also comprises international set and costume designer Bettina John, lighting designer Stefan Benade and musical direction by Jeremy Silver.

Minnaar said the team was exceptional and audiences could expect a wonderful opera experience.

“We have a great team and a very talented cast — they’re all fantastic singers.

“It’s a beautiful production filled with South African talent at it’s best and it’ll be a phenomenal experience for audiences,” Minnaar said.

The Cape Town Opera’s Judith Neilson National Tour of La Bohème begins in East London with two performances at the Guild Theatre on September 8 and 9 at 7pm.

Thereafter the opera will be staged at the Savoy Theatre in Gqeberha (September 11 and 12), The John Rupert Little Theatre in Graaff-Reinet (September 15 and 16) and at the Civic Centre in Oudtshoorn (September 18 and 19).