Florentine Opera's 'La Bohème' brings a love story to Black Milwaukee

Young goofballs starve and freeze in a cheap apartment they can't afford. But they have wit, art and song. And for a while, they’ll have love.

Puccini and his collaborators set his enduringly popular opera "La Bohème" in 1830s Paris, but Florentine Opera has moved it to Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood more than a century later, where it is perfectly at home. After all, there are always starving artists trying to find their next baguette and falling in love.

In an exciting cultural moment for Milwaukee, the eight primary singers in Florentine's "Bohème" are Black, fitting the setting.

I was invited to view Wednesday's dress rehearsal. Florentine will perform the show April 19 and 21 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center.

"La Bohème" is among the gentlest of operatic tragedies. It's love at first sight for poet Rodolfo (tenor Chaz’men Williams-Ali) with seamstress Mimi (soprano Michelle Johnson), but her heavy cough in the first act foreshadows her fate. Rodolfo's wingman, the artist Marcello (baritone Brian Major) has a passionate if stormy romance with Musetta (spinto-soprano Kelebogile Besong). The libretto gives Musetta the shady label of "grisette," but based on Besong's powerful voice, she needs to be a full-time singer!

Florentine's production, stage directed by Nadja Simmonds, brings out the comedy and brotherly love in the story, highlighting warm and funny moments particularly between Williams-Ali and Major, but also with their buddies, the musician Schaunard (baritone Leroy Davis) and philosopher Colline (bass Allen Michael Jones). Surprisingly for poor young men (and how does the philosopher make any money?), they're well dressed (courtesy of Mieka van der Ploeg's costume designs).

The Act 2 outdoor cafe scene is Milwaukee's starring moment, set in the Walnut Street area, with visible signs for the Regal Theatre (where "Carmen Jones" and "Edge of the City" are playing), Schuster's and Ambrosia, plus fresh paintings by muralist Ras ‘Ammar Nsoroma. Dramaturg Sheri Williams Pannell provided historical Milwaukee research for the production.

Somehow, Simmonds and company managed to fit the singers, all that scenery, the Florentine Opera Chorus, the St. Marcus Lutheran School children's chorus and teen actors from Pathways High School into the cafe scene and kept them flowing.

Florentine music director Francesco Milioto conducted the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra in Puccini's romantic score.

If you go

Florentine Opera performs "La Bohème" at 7:30 p.m. April 19 and 2:30 p.m. April 21 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, visit visit florentineopera.org or call (414) 291-5700 ext. 224.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Florentine Opera's 'La Bohème' brings a love story to Black Milwaukee