La Boheme Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 2001
John Allison - Opera
… La Boheme received a near-ideal performance (June 23), sensitive, beautifully scaled and more than the sum of its parts. Federico Cortese set the tone by conducting with zest but also lyrical flow, and there was a young and lively cast. Most outstanding of all, and surely the vocal discovery of the season, was Pamela Armstrong’s fresh Mimi, sung with passion and amplitude. Gerard Powers was an upfront Rodolfo, but pushed his tenor dangerously hard, so the best of the Bohemians was Lester Lynch’s warm, burly Marcello. Yali-Marie Williams’s Musetta had plenty of temperament and sang brightly, spoiling things just occasionally with brittle tone. Kyle Ketelsen made a sonorous Colline, and Terry Hodge’s Benoit and Alcindoro registered much more potently than usual. Tim Ocel’s production in Erhard Rom's sets—the most elaborate of the season, but still simple and apt—captured the freshness of Puccini’s masterpiece, not as easy as is often thought. Even in this most traditional corner of the repertory, Opera Theatre showed what makes it one of the most special opera companies in America.
Photo: Jeffrey Dunn
Tim Mix
La Boheme
Puccini
Boston Lyric Opera
2007