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Location: Sydney

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2025

August

Sat
23 Aug 2025

Mon
25 Aug 2025

Thu
28 Aug 2025

Sat
30 Aug 2025

September

Tue
02 Sep 2025

Thu
04 Sep 2025

Sat
06 Sep 2025

Mon
08 Sep 2025

Wed
10 Sep 2025

Fri
12 Sep 2025

Tue
16 Sep 2025

Thu
18 Sep 2025

Sat
20 Sep 2025
Venue

Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point, Sydney

Running Time

Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one interval.

Language

Performed in Italian with English surtitles.

Please note

This production contains partial nudity.

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Experience the romance of the original bohemian love story.

A painter, a musician, a philosopher and a poet are having a night on the town. Café Momus is too pricey for them — they’ve nothing to weigh down those moth-eaten pockets. But why worry? The bar tab can wait.

The way first love grabs hold and floods you with something you’ve never felt before. The fire that burns you the first time jealousy flares. The growing up you do in the instant you realise love can’t last forever.

Some emotions are too big for words alone, and for that, we have music. La Bohème exposes your soul to the feelings that only music can express. It soars with the ecstasy of love, crackles with the pain of jealousy and cries with the agony of loss.

Gale Edwards’ glittering production, set in the fairy light-filled cabarets of 1930s Berlin, is a long-time favourite of audiences. Kang Wang returns with his celebrated portrayal of Rodolfo, alongside Olivia Cranwell as Mimi.

Cast & Creative

Conductor
Erina Yashima (23 Aug–8 Sep)
Director
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
Mimì
Rodolfo
Kang Wang (23 Aug–16 Sep)
Iain Henderson (18 & 20 Sep)
Musetta

Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus

La Boheme

Cheat Sheet: La Bohème

Everything you need to know about one of the world's most popular operas.

What happens in the story? Who was the composer? What should I expect from the music? Here’s everything you need to know…

Read the cheat sheet

La Bohème: The Costumes

Facts about La Bohème's beautiful costumes

Take one look at Julie Lynch’s costume designs for La Bohème, and it’s clear the designer is a details person.

See the designs
RENT musical

La Bohème in pop culture

Does the story sound familiar? Movies, pop music and Broadway musicals have all drawn inspiration from the original Bohemian love story. Here are just a few of La Bohème’s most memorable appearances in pop culture from recent decades.

Find out more

La Bohème at Sydney Opera House (2020)

Photograph: Prudence Upton

La Bohème at Sydney Opera House (2022)

Photograph: Rhiannon Hopley

La Bohème at Sydney Opera House (2022)

Photograph: Prudence Upton

La Bohème at Sydney Opera House (2023)

Photograph: Rhiannon Hopley

Synopsis

ACT I

It is Christmas Eve. Rodolfo, a poet, and Marcello, a painter, are freezing in their studio. Marcello is painting The Crossing of the Red Sea. Colline, a philosopher, arrives as the fire Rodolfo has lit with one of his manuscripts, flickers and dies. Schaunard brings reinforcements – food, wine and fuel for the fire, bought with unexpected money from his earnings as a musician.

A knock at the door and Benoit, the landlord, arrives demanding the rent. The four Bohemians ply him with wine and then bundle him off. Marcello, Colline and Schaunard go off to join the celebrations at the Café Momus. Promising to join them soon, Rodolfo settles down to finish an article he is writing.

There is another knock. This time it is a neighbour, Mimì – a beautiful young seamstress, holding her key and an unlit candle. She begs a light and Rodolfo obliges. Mimì departs and drops her key. Together they search for the key, and their hands touch. They tell each other about themselves and Rodolfo passionately declares his love. The new lovers then set off into the night to join the others.

ACT II

The square in which the Café Momus is situated is the Bohemians’ favourite haunt, bustling with shoppers and hawkers. Rodolfo buys his new love a bonnet.

At the café, Marcello’s old flame, Musetta, appears with a new admirer, Alcindoro. To attract Marcello’s attention, Musetta bursts into her famous waltz song. Marcello responds and Musetta, pretending that her shoe is pinching, dispatches Alcindoro to a cobbler. She joins in the revelry with Marcello and his friends. When they depart they leave a reminder for the hapless Alcindoro on his return – a huge bill!

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