The production of La Boheme took place at Artemus Ham Concert Hall on the campus of the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. Ham Hall provides wonderful acoustics for the Neveda Opera Orchestra and Chorus as well as the solo voices.
- The production
- The Orchestra and Chorus
- Starring roles
The Production of La Boheme
The production of La Boheme was initiated by Nevada Opera Theatre under the general and artisic direction of Eileen Hayes. "Even with this difficult economy, opera must continue to flourish along wiht the other arts in Southern Nevada. It is more important than ever to have opera nourish your sould and to introduce and educate the young students about this beautiful art form", stated Eileen Hayes.
The opera performance was set in Artemus Ham Concert Hall and semi-staged. This simple staging helped focus attention on the music. The Nevada Opera Theatre has always brought in the outstanding voices for the starring roles and contributed to the expansion of the Arts by allowing the Orchestra and Chorus to be filled with local talent. The Opera was produced in four acts with an intermission and two short pauses. This arrangement of the Opera allowed the scenes to shift and yet continued to allow the Opera to flow.
The Nevada Opera Theatre Orchestra and Chorus were Conducted by Maestro Frank Fetta,
Fetta's current position is on the faculty of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California . The 26 piece orchestra and the 17 voice chorus provided the accompaniment for scenes and the solo voices. The Opera was sung in Italian.
The Starring Roles for La BohemeDemetra George, a talented soprano, sang the role of Mimi, which she is repeating from the Nevada Opera Theatre production in 1998. Suzanne Vinnnik ,who has studied throughout the country and world and sung for galas, concerts and solo recitals throughout the United States and the world, sang the role of Musetta. Kelly Anderson, currently on the faculty of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, sang the role of Marcello. Eric Castro, Artistic Direstor and co-founder of American Shakespeare Company, sang the role of Schaunard. Dr. Morton Hyson, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, sang the role of Colline.
The opera provide an outstaning musical opportunity for the Las Vegas Valley. The magnificent voices and the live orchestra combined to give a "Valentine" to all those who love classical music. The Opera was well recieved by more than one thousand in attendance. Many are looking forward to the production of Madama Butterfly on June 13, 2010 in Henderson, Nevada and next years 25th season's production of Aida.
Kim Youmans - Kim Youmans is an acclaimed educator, teaching preschool through graduate school. He writes about Theology, travels, and the outdoors.
