La bohème

Bachtrack
“Laughing on the outside, crying on the inside: La bohème in Kansas City” by Hilary Stroh

Broadway World
“BWW Review: La bohème at Lyric Opera of Kansas City” by Kelly Luck

KC Applauds
“La bohème enthralls at Lyric Opera” by Greg Cantrell

Rodolfo – Georgy Vasiliev
Tenor Georgy Vasiliev returns to the Lyric in La bohème, most recently seen here as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (2018). Originally trained as a choral conductor in Moscow, his repertoire includes the Duke in Rigoletto, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Romeo in Romeo et Juliette, the title role in Faust, Alfredo in La traviata, Vladimir in Prince Igor, and Nemorino in The Elixir of Love. Vasiliev is a frequent concert soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Grand-Théâtre de Genève, Opera Australia, and others. He has sung at international festivals throughout the world, performing in Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Bruckner’s Te Deum, and Janàček’s The Eternal Gospel, among others.

Mimì – Raquel González
Raquel González returns to Lyric Opera, most recently seen here as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin (2017). Recent engagements include Liù in Turandot at New Orleans Opera; Anna Sørensen in Silent Night at Washington National Opera; Micaëla in Carmen at North Carolina Opera; First Lady in The Magic Flute at The Glimmerglass Festival and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; The Sandman in Hansel and Gretel with Washington National Opera; Tatiana in Eugene Onegin at Atlanta Opera; Violetta in La traviata at Opera on the James and Syracuse Opera; Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly at Central City Opera, and Mimì in La bohème at Opera Tampa and The Glimmerglass Festival.

Marcello – Timothy Renner *
Timothy Renner debuts with Lyric Opera in La bohème. Recent engagements include Escamillo in Carmen at the New National Theater Tokyo, Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles with Opera Tampa, and Germont in La traviata at Opera Columbus. Studying at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, he has performed di Luna in Il trovatore, the title roles in Rigoletto and Rubinstein’s The Demon, and various recital programs. Concert repertoire includes Carmina Burana, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and Ein deutsches Requiem. Upcoming engagements include Escamillo at Manitoba Opera, Alphonse XI in La favorite at AVA, and Elijah with the New Jersey Master Chorale.

Musetta – Sylvia D’Eramo *
Soprano Sylvia D’Eramo debuts with Lyric Opera in La bohème. D’Eramo was part of the Benenson Young Artist Program at Palm Beach Opera, where her appearances included Adele in the family performance of Die Fledermaus. Other recent engagements include a return to Santa Fe as an Apprentice in Summer 2019; soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra and Yale Philharmonia; and Pamina in The Magic Flute, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Yale Opera. In concert, she also appeared with the Marvin Concert Series for Verdi’s Requiem.

Colline – Christian Zaremba
Bass Christian Zaremba returns to Lyric Opera for La bohème, most recently seen here as Nourabad in The Pearl Fishers (2019). Other recent engagements include a debut at The Metropolitan Opera as Angelotti in Tosca; Zuniga in Carmen at Austin Opera; Sparafucile in Rigoletto at Michigan Opera Theatre; Colline in La bohème with Opera Omaha and Portland Opera; Jake Wallace in La fanciulla del West at Opera Omaha; Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Venture Opera; Master Fal in the U.S. Premiere of La mère coupable with On Site Opera, and, at Wolf Trap Opera, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia and Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro.

Schaunard – Hadleigh Adams *
Baritone Hadleigh Adams debuts with Lyric Opera in La bohème. Recent highlights include Ormonte in Partenope, Paris in Romeo and Juliette, Schaunard in La bohème, and Angelotti in Tosca with San Francisco Opera; Nicomedes in Young Caesar with Los Angeles Philharmonic; Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Pittsburgh Opera; Hawkins Fuller in Fellow Travelers at Minnesota Opera; Falke in Die Fledermaus at Cincinnati Opera; Creon/Tiresias in Oedipus Rex with The London Philharmonia Orchestra; Christ in Jonathan Miller’s staged production of St. Matthew Passion; Zoroastro in Handel’s Orlando at WhiteBox Theater, and Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music at Nederlandse Reisopera.

Benoit/Alcindoro – Jake Gardner *
Jake Gardner debuts with Lyric Opera in La bohème. Recent engagements include Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd and Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin with Houston Grand Opera; Benoit/Alcindoro in La bohème with Florida Grand Opera and Hawaii Opera Theater; The Hermit in Die Freischutz and Ashby in La Fanciulla del West at Virginia Opera; Scarpia in Tosca with Piedmont Opera; Bartolo in The Barber of Seville at Eugene Opera; Sulpice in Daughter of the Regiment with Hawaii Opera Theater; Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow with Los Angeles Opera, and Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun at Glimmerglass Festival.

Parpignol – Thomas Drew ~
Custom-House Officer – Matthew Black
Sergeant – Robert H. Riordan ~
Child – Leo Hentges *
Prune Man – Trent J. Green

* Lyric Opera Debut
+ LOKC Resident Artist
~ LOKC Apprentice Artist
@ Former LOKC Resident Artist

Conductor David Charles Abell
Director Kathleen Smith Belcher
Set Designer R. Keith Brumley
Costume Designer Martin Pakledinas
Lighting Designer Kendall Smith
Wig & Makeup Designer David Zimmerman
Chorus Master Piotr Wisniewski
Children’s Chorus Master Piotr Wisniewski
Music Librarian Elena Lence-Talley
Technical Director Brad Kanouse
Props Master Shawna Journagan
Costume Coordinator Mary Traylor
Asst. Costume Coordinator Nancy Robinson
Wig & Make-Up Assistants Michael Briseno, Katie Wasicko
Wig & Make-Up Crew Colin Fiore
Assistant Lighting Designer Mario Raymond
Figaro Simultext Operator Sarah Zsohar
Stage Manager Karl Anderson
Assistant Stage Managers Becky Fryberger, Alayna Powell
Child Coordinators Jeninne Coleman, Nicki Kearney
Head Scenic Artist Gen Goering
Head Carpenter Melvin McClenahan
Head Propsman Stephen Cochran
Head Electrician Artimio Wilson
Head Flyman James Vinzant
Head Sound Engineer Phil Rebel
Wardrobe Surpervisor Jan Toombs
Wardrobe Assistant Desiree Baird Story

* Lyric Opera Debut

Soprano
Judy Bliss
Melissa L. Faltermeier
LaTeesha M. Jackson
Kathryn Long
Kristin Newbegin
Kelli Van Meter +

Mezzo-Soprano
Kelly Birch @
Ashley Beth Burnett
Christina Casey
Elaine Fox ^
Sarah Lockwood
Katherine Menke

Tenor
Thomas Drew ~
Matt Foerschler
Trent J. Green
Jonathan Ray ^
Kevin Thomas Smith
Trevor B. Smith

Baritone/Bass
Matthew Black
Phil Eatherton
Thomas Garrison
Robert H. Riordan ~
Matthew Scrivner
Nathan Whitson

Supernumeraries
Deborah Carr
Lee Ernst
Wesley Kelley
Alisa Lynn
Vangie Rich
Colin Rosewicz
Ernesto Suarez
Abigail Triemer
Jeremy Walter

* Lyric Opera Debut
+ LOKC Resident Artist
~ LOKC Apprentice Artist
@ Former LOKC Resident Artist
^ Former LOKC Apprentice Artist

Erica Domen
Elena Green *
Covadonga Guerra *
Sarah Hayes
Audrey Hentges *
Leo Hentges *
Paige Jackson *
Leo Karaichev *
Holly Ladage *
Olivia LaFollette *
Katherine Mackenzie *
Cordelia E. McNabney *
Scarlett Nevins
Zoey Roberds *
Gillian Royster
Anna Tiedt *

* Lyric Opera Debut