Barihunk trio in Paris Opera's "out of this world" La bohème

Roberto Tagliavini, Andrei Jilihovschi and Alessio Arduini

Artur Ruciński will sing Marcello and Alessio Arduini will alternate the role of Marcello with Andrei Jilihovschi in the Paris Opera's new production of Giacomo Puccini‘s La Bohème, which is set in outer space. The new production, directed by Claus Guth, opens on December 1st and runs through December 31st at the Opéra Bastille.

The new staging is set a century from now, “in a future devoid of hope in which love and art become the sole means of transcendence.”

Paris Opera's La bohème (photo: © Bernd Uhlig/OnP)

The casts includes barihunk Roberto Tagliavini as Colline, Sonya Yoncheva and Nicole Car as Mimi, Aida Garifullina as Musetta, and Atalla Ayan and Benjamin Bernheim as Rodolfo.

Andrei Jilihovschi, who is new to this site, was born in Moldavia in 1985 and studied music at the Stefan Neaga College in Chisinau, specializing in choral direction while also taking voice lessons. He made his stage performance debut at the Conservatory in the title role of Eugene Onegin.

He was a soloist at the Saint Petersburg’s Theatre Mikhailovsky, where he sang the role of Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore, Schaunard in La bohème, Robert in Iolanta, the Prince in Boris Asafiev’s Cinderella, Silvano in Un ballo in maschera, Baron Douphol in La traviata, and Dancaïre in Carmen. This is his debut role with the Paris Opera.

Gianluca Margheri, Cody Quattlebaum and Ken Mattice

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Michael Adams to make Utah Opera debut as Marcello

Baritone Michael Adams

American barihunk Michael Adams will be making his debut with the Utah Opera as Marcello in Puccini's La bohème, a role he debuted in 2016 at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. He was recently featured in Opera News as being among "25 Rising Stars: Opera's Exciting New Voices."

Adams was recently seen as Donald in Britten's Billy Budd at the Des Moines Metro Opera, a performance that will be broadcast on Iowa Public Television on September 29 at 8:30 PM CST.  The cast includes barihunks Craig Verm in the title role, Zachary James as the evil John Claggart and Emmett O'Hanlon as the Novice's Friend, as well as barihunk turned hunkentenor Chris Carr as Maintop.

Last month, the Washington National Opera announced that Adams would be one of the incoming members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, which began this month. Adams will be performing Melisso in Handel's Alcina in November and the Pilot in Portman's The Little Price in December with the company. He also is currently under a fest contract at the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
 
Joining him in the cast of La bohème will be Samuel Schultz as Schaunard, Ao Li as Colline, Jennifer Black as Mimì, Scott Quinn as Rodolfo and Celena Shafer as Musetta. Tickets are available online and performances are on October 7, 9, 11, 13 at 7:30 PM and October 15 at 2 PM.