Bar Crawl Bohème: Night Two at Three of Strong Spirits

Opera in the Pines presents Bar Crawl Bohème, an immersive, community-focused English adaptation of the operatic classic La bohème, performed by and for Mainers in a first of its kind bar crawl across the state!

Many of us might already be familiar with the traditional version that inspired the musical Rent, featuring various scenes in the lives of four struggling artists: a poet, a painter, a musician and a philosopher. One Christmas Eve, their neighbor, the seamstress Mimì, knocks at their door, asking for a light for her candle. She quickly falls in love with the poet, Rodolfo, and their lives are changed forever. Our Bohemians attempt to find their way despite the dark realities of the world in this timeless story of the magic of first love, the special innocence of youth, and the devastation of loss.

This opera was first composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. Our libretto, adapted by Kristine McIntyre and updated by Sable Strout, will take place in 2019 Maine, with no idea what the new year will have in store.

We are proud to feature a cast entirely of Mainers for this production: Josie DiPhilippo (Piano, South Portland), Robert Gerold (Tenor, Portland), Mary Johnston Letellier (Soprano, Gorham), Daniel Laverriere (Baritone, Arundel), Joshua Miller (Baritone, Southwest Harbor), Kimberly Ouellette (Soprano, Lewiston) and Tyler Putnam (Bass-Baritone, Chebeague Island).

Date & Time: May 11 at 7:00 PM. Doors will open at 6:00 PM. We encourage you to arrive early in order to provide ample time to place your orders and take your seats. Seating is first come, first serve, with options for standing room.

Venue Partner: Three of Strong Spirits, 35B Diamond Street in Portland, Maine. Please be advised that this is a non-traditional performance venue and may include restricted sightlines, ambient noises, and alternative seating. Act II and III take place in, or just outside of, a bar, so you’re part of the story and part of the fun!

Food & Drink: Momma Baldacci’s will provide the perfect culinary pairings for an evening of Italian opera. Any food and drink purchases are not included in the price of your ticket.

Performance: The performance will be 50 minutes, performed without intermission, and sung in English with English supertitles.

More information: Opera in the Pines is passionate about making opera accessible for everyone. For information about our sliding scale admission policy, please contact operainthepines@gmail.com.

Founded by three Maine-raised artists, Opera in the Pines is an alternative opera company committed to reinventing the opera experience. We strive to provide other Maine based artists with the opportunity to showcase their talents, utilize unconventional spaces, and create intimate performance experiences for both seasoned opera lovers and new audiences alike.

To learn more about our production and our cast, visit operainthepines.com and follow us @operainthepines.