Opera review: Experience the beautiful 'La Boheme'

Giacomo Puccini's "La Boheme" will be the Live from the Metropolitan Opera broadcast Saturday at the Town Plaza Cinema in Cape Girardeau. The performance begins at 12:30 p.m.; there will be an encore presentation at 2 p.m. Sunday.

I would like to address this article to those of you who have never been to an opera, would never go to an opera and don't even like opera (even though you have never seen one). If this describes you, then this is the opera for you to see. Why? Because it is a perfect work, and it is so much fun and so tragic all at the same time. The Met production is spectacular, and the cast is first rate. So, now let me tell you the story.

Act I begins in a garret in Paris. It is Christmas Eve, and it is cold outside. Two young men, Rodolfo and Marcello, live in the garret. When their friends arrive with food and drink, the party begins. They indulge in mock sword fights, eat, drink and when the landlord arrives to ask for the rent, they remind him of his amorous escapades. Everyone leaves to go to the Cafe Momus — everyone except Rodolfo. He stays behind to finish his article. There is a knock on the door and when he opens it, he sees a young woman standing in the doorway; it is Mimi. He invites her in, she loses her key, they look for it, they fall in love and then leave to go to the Cafe Momus and join the other young people.

Act II takes place at the Cafe Momus. This is a spectacular scene of Paris on Christmas Eve. There are soldiers, townspeople, students, just about everyone in the city is there. Musetta, who is Marcello's girlfriend, shows up with her newest conquest. She sings the famous "Musetta's Waltz" in which she taunts Marcello.

They fight, then make up. Before they leave, the bohemians present the bill to the old man who was with Musetta.

Act III takes place at a tollgate at the edge of Paris. Mimi, Rodolfo, Marcello and Musetta are all in this scene. They sing of their problems, their love, and they long for spring. Snow is falling, and again, it is cold. It is obvious that Mimi is quite ill but she and Rodolfo promise to stay together until spring.

The fourth act takes place back at the garret. The bohemians are all there and there is a knock at the door. They open it to see a sick and pale Mimi. There is no hope for her as she is dying of tuberculosis.

As the act comes to a close, Mimi dies and Rodolfo is heartbroken as are all of his friends. So ends one of the most touching and wonderful scenes in all of opera.

Please join me Saturday for an experience I can promise you will stay with you forever.

Barb Herbert of Cape Girardeau is an opera lover and host of Southeast Public Radio's "Sunday Night at the Opera."