La storia d'amore di Puccini tra Rodolfo e Mimi

Once more, I was sitting in a cherry seat at Asbury Memorial Church, this time C-1.

Once more, I was attending an event for this year's SVF-9, the final live event for me.

Once more, I was treated to an opera by Puccini, one of my favorites of all such writers.

This time, "La bohème" had been chosen, presented in an abridged form that kept it to one act, with four scenes.

I'm glad I chose my unicorn mask for this outing; a fanciful and romantic face covering, for this fanciful and romantic tale of love!

I've never seen the story in its full version, but of course I was familiar with it.

Peter Lake was here, as he had been last year, reprising his role as the Rodolfo, the in-love and lovesick writer and sweetheart of Mimi, pairing him again with Liz Lang, allowing her to show off her theatrical talents.

The role of his roommate, Marcello the painter, featured Jean Carlos Rodriguez, a new artist last year, who has certainly blossomed quite nicely!

That one's on-again, off-again lady love, the flirtatious Musetta, with Angela De Venuto proving to all, once again, that she has serious comedic chops!
Leo Radosavljevic and Marciano Gladić rounded out the sextet, as Colline (played by the other last year) and Schaunard, respectively, friends of Rodolfo and Marcello.

I had remembered to bring my glasses this time, but I was seated close enough to the screens that I didn't need them - yeah!

Thanks to more than half a lifetime of watching foreign films, I was able to bounce quickly over to the translations and then back to the action on the stage, so I missed none of the evolution of the love story...

and the struggle of staying together with money problems all the time...

and the struggle of staying together when one is very ill and the other helpless to aid...

and the eventual return of the two to each other's arms...

for one last embrace.

Oh, yes, my eyes were tearing up as Musetta had barged in, announcing that Mimi was down in the street, struggling to get up the stairs to see Rodolfo...

and, still, when vain Musetta rushes off to sell her jewelry for medicine and a doctor...

and, again, when she returns with Marcello, the pair having procured not only those items but also a muff to warm Mimi's cold hands...

and beyond, as Schaunard notices Mimi is not sleeping, but dead.

Wow.

As I was wiping the tears from my eyes, I saw Marijan doing the same.

Nice to know I had such good company for this final evening.

Bravo, my dears, bravo!