Opera’s Greatest Love Story Opens Opera Orlando’s 10th Anniversary Mainstage Series

Opera Orlando kicks off its 10th Anniversary season this October On the MainStage in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with a new production of Puccini’s timeless and beloved La Bohème. The production, conceived and directed by Company artistic director Grant Preisser, takes this enduring love story from the Latin Quarter of Paris, France to the Old City of 1930s Shanghai when it was known as the “Paris of the East.” Puccini’s soaring melodies and glorious music will shine even brighter under the vibrant Shanghai lights sung by a star-studded cast in the original Italian with English and Spanish supertitles projected above the stage.

Featuring such beloved arias as “Si, mi chiamano Mimì..,” “Che gelida manina…” and “Quando

m’en vo…,” La Bohème tells a heart-wrenching yet heart-warming story that has inspired multiple generations over its 130 year existence and also served as the inspiration for the hit Broadway musical Rent. La Bohème is the definitive depiction of the joys and sorrows of love and loss while also revealing the deep emotional significance hidden in the trivial things—a chance meeting with a neighbor, a bonnet, an old overcoat—that make up our everyday lives. This new production places the beloved, familiar characters in 1930s Shanghai, which, with the influx of new trade routes, had become a bustling center of culture akin to New York City, London, and especially Paris, where La Bohème was originally set.

“La Bohème is such an iconic opera that is one of the most performed pieces around the world due to the humanity and universality of the story,” shares artistic director Grant Preisser. “This is my fourth production, and I am excited to explore how this story resonates for a Chinese band of bohemians learning how to navigate life and love in Shanghai during a time where the city was more foreign than Chinese. Shanghai in the 1930s was equal parts glamour and squalor. It was a place where people came to escape from their life elsewhere and start anew, as much as it was a place for people to disappear into, becoming consumed by their vices. It is a perfect place for dreamers aspiring for great things to be inspired by the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan Shanghai, and I am excited to build this world from scratch with new sets, costumes, and an incredible cast of singers.”

The cast is headlined by Chinese-American soprano Bizhou Chang in the role of Mimì. Although she is making her Company debut, she is renowned for her portrayal of Mimì both on stage and in film. Internationally-renowned tenor Yi Li joins her as the sensitive and suave writer Rodolfo, having just sung the role at Opera Tampa last season. He is also making his Company debut. Baritone SeungHyeon Baek returns to Opera Orlando to sing the role of the painter Marcello. He was last seen on stage in Steinmetz Hall as the title role in the Company’s production of Verdi’s Rigoletto. Playing his love interest Musetta is 2025-26 season Studio Artist mezzo-soprano Ruoxi Bian. This will be the first of many on stage appearances for Ms. Bian throughout the season. 

Leading this dynamite cast through Puccini’s exquisite and cherished score is conductor Allan R. Scott, making his Company debut. Maestro Scott is in his twentieth season as music director of the Helena Symphony Orchestra and Chorale, and he has been praised by SYMPHONY Magazine for his “large orchestra view.” Maestro Scott's expertise will be on full display as he conducts the always fantastic Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Orlando Apprentice and Studio Artists, Chorus, and Youth Company. 

This production is graciously supported by AdventHealth, the official health care provider and partner for Opera Orlando.

Individual tickets are on sale now and start at just $39 inclusive of all venue fees, or save big on all THREE operas “On the MainStage”—La Bohème, Silent Night, and the The Merry Widow—with a season subscription, starting at just $109. Tickets available exclusively through the Dr. Phillips Center’s Bill & Mary Darden Box Office (445 S. Magnolia Avenue, Orlando), online at www.DrPhillipsCenter.org or by calling (407) 839-0119, ext. 0.

See YOU at the Opera!

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