Ep. 147 Puccini's La Bohème

You cannot escape reality. That being said, artists since time immemorial have tried. Puccini’s La Bohème follows a group of young people seeking to escape the world of the ordinary, living in an attic and sacrificing everything for their art and romantic ideals. Our popular cultural image of the “starving artist” comes in large part from La Bohème and its descendants. Most famous among those descendants is Jonathan Larson’s Rent, which is directly based on Puccini’s opera. In turn, Puccini’s librettists owe much to author Henri Murger and others before him. This chain of tradition has gone on to inspire countless other works of art, and moves us–veterans and newcomers alike–to laughter and tears. You’ll likely find yourself wanting to go back to spend more time with these charming, flawed, thoroughly human bohemians.

Pat and co-host Kathleen Van De Wille are joined by Opera Omaha’s principal guest conductor, Steven White, and general manager, Allison Swenson. We are grateful for Opera Omaha’s help in our exploration of La Bohème.

Opera Omaha will be performing La Bohème November 13 and 15, 2026.