Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
929 N. Water St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
© Oak Park Journal photo

Florentine Opera presents La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini review by Ed Vincent   The performance in Milwaukee was a big treat. Robin Follman, as Mimi, was wonderful in her beauty and strength of voice- easily filling ever corner of the hall with her golden tones. William Joyner, as her lover Rodolfo, was a good match in voice and theatrics.  The Florentine has been one of the best rides from Chicago in these many years of seeing some of the Midwest's best operas.  The audience was filled to capacity, and we hope that it continues to grow so that in the future the runs be longer at the Florentine.  I have seen La Bohème many times all over our country. This is the first one that had the theatrics taken to new levels of fun.  Yali-Marie Williams, as the passionate Musetta breaks more plates on stage than I have ever seen before.  You would not see that at the Met or the Lyric in Chicago, but the Florentine cuts the edge with its bold fun the character can develope into.  Ms. Yali-Marie Williams also has a grand voice to go with her antics and passions. La Bohème is one of the world's most popular Operas.  It has a grand story, along with delightful music and song, and the Florentine has done Milwaukee proud with its latest presentation of this most loved opera. Florentine Opera to Present La Bohème What: La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini When: Friday, April 29, 2005 @ 7:30 PM Saturday, April 30, 2005 @ 7:30 PM Sunday, May 1, 2005 @ 2:30 PM Tuesday, May 3, 2005 @ 7:30 PM Where: Marcus Center for the Performing Arts 929 North Water St., Milwaukee, WI 53202 Tickets: Subscription packages that include La Bohème range from $15.00 to $124.50 and are available online at www.florentineopera.org; or Florentine Opera at 414-291-5700 ext. 224. Supertitles: La Bohème will be sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage. Description: Florentine Opera Company will present La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini April 29, 30, May 1 and 3, 2005 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Puccini’s La Bohème follows the romance between the poet Rodolfo and the beautiful Mimi. With their friends Colline the philosopher, Schaunard the musician, Marcello the painter and his fiery girlfriend Musetta, the artists charge headlong into a series of wild nights and romantic trysts set in the garrets of Paris and the raucous streets of the Latin Quarter. Against the revelry are poignant and touching moments of heartfelt emotion, true love and ultimate loss. From high spirits to tragic illness, La Bohème is full of melodies that have delighted and moved audiences for over a century. This Florentine production will feature Robin Follman as Mimi and William Joyner as Rodolfo. SYNOPSIS Act I Paris, the Latin Quarter, Christmas Eve, c. 1830. Marcello, an artist, and Rodolfo, a poet, are joined in their garret by the philosopher Colline and the musician Schaunard, who bring food and drink. Rodolfo burns some of his manuscripts to keep them warm. The landlord Benoit arrives, demanding rent, but they ply him with wine and trick him into believing that they are, in fact, well off. He leaves empty-handed. All leave for a café, except Rodolfo, who promises to join them when he has finished a piece he is writing. Left to himself he is interrupted by a knock on the door.   It is Mimi, a consumptive seamstress, in need of a light for her candle. Within minutes, they have fallen in love. Act II At the Café Momus Rodolfo introduces Mimi to his friends, including Musetta, who is attended by an elderly admirer, Alcindoro. When she notices Marcello, an ex-lover of hers, Musetta creates a scene to get rid of Alcindoro. When the bill arrives, no one can pay it. As a military band passes, they escape into the crowd. Alcindoro returns to find nothing but the Bohemians’ huge bill. Act III A few weeks later, Mimi comes to the inn looking for Rodolfo, but finds Marcello instead. She tells him of Rodolfo’s terrible jealousy, but when Rodolfo arrives she retreats to hear him give Marcello his version of the problem: he at first calls her a “heartless creature”, but then reveals his inability to endure life with a woman who is incurably ill. When her coughing alerts Rodolfo to her presence, they agree-albeit regretfully- to part company. Simultaneously, Marcello and Musetta begin squabbling over the latter’s infidelity, and they too decide to split up. Act IV In their garret Rodolfo and Marcello unhappily remember the women they have abandoned. The atmosphere warms when Colline and Schaunard arrive, but their good humor is shattered by news that Mimi is alone and near death. She has asked to spend her last hours with Rodolfo. When she is brought in, Marcello leaves to sell Musetta’s earrings for medicine, and Colline decides to sell his coat. Mimi dies as Rodolfo is looking out of the window. Thinking she is asleep, Rodolfo attends to her comfort until he realizes that Mimi is dead. Sobbing, he throws himself on top of her body. (The Rough Guide to Opera) ARTISTIC INFORMATION Robin Follman—Mimi Considered one of the rising young talents in the operatic world today, internationally acclaimed soprano, Robin Follman has appeared extensively in opera, concert, and oratorio in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Opera News hailed her as having "brought enchantingly pure tone, easy high range and rich musical style to her international-class Marguerite" and “a singer-actress fully worthy of that dual distinction” of her portrayal of Mimi in La Bohème. Recent engagements have included Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus with Michigan Opera Theater, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Santa Barbara Opera, and Carmina Burana in Portland, Oregon with the widely acclaimed dance troop, BodyVox. Future engagements also include a return to Michigan Opera Theatre as Marguerite in Faust, Musetta in La Bohème with Opera Grand Rapids, Hannah in The Merry Widow with Singapore Opera and in Malaysia, and a return to Florentine Opera as Mimi in La Bohème. Ms. Follman was last seen at the Florentine Opera in the title role of Tosca in 1999. William Joyner—Rodolfo One of the most sought after tenors on the international opera scene, William Joyner has performed with more than 40 opera companies and symphony orchestras around the world. In the U.S., he has appeared with The Washington Opera as Don Jose in Carmen, Faust in Boito's Mefistolele, Rodolfo in La Boheme, the Italian Tenor in Der Rosenkavalier, the New York City Opera as Don Jose and Rodolfo, the Houston Grand Opera as Faust in Boito's Mefistolele, the Pittsburgh Opera as Don Jose, the Minnesota Opera as Rodolfo and the Duke in Rigoletto, Florida Grand Opera as Macduff in Macbeth), the Cleveland Opera as the Duke of Mantua, New Orleans Opera as Don Jose, Orlando Opera as Don Jose and Alfredo in La Traviata, as well as with Opera Carolina, Opera Memphis, Sarasota Opera and Calgary Opera in Canada. He has also appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. This winter and spring, he returned to Paris as Eisenstein and will return to Calgary to sing the title role  in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, and debut in South America at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile singing title role in Gounod's Faust. Kelly Anderson—Marcello Baritone Kelly Anderson performed as Ping in Turandot as well as the role of Basil in the US premiere of Dorian Gray with the Florentine Opera. Yali-Marie Williams—Musetta An exceptional young singer at the beginning of her career, soprano, Yali-Marie Williams has already achieved success during the past year as Desdemona in Otello with the Teatro de la Opera de Puerto Rico and as Musetta in La Bohème for Opera Theater of St. Louis. Ms. Williams is a winner of Placido Domingo's Operalia Competition in 1999. She holds a Master of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Juilliard School of Music. In addition, she attended the Chautauqua Institution of Music School. She is a student of Marlena Malas and has worked with a number of notable conductors. Joseph Rescigno—Conductor Maestro Rescigno conducts two productions in the Florentine’s 2004-2005 season, his 23rd with the company, having led performances of standard and contemporary literature on four continents during a 30-plus year career. Opera and symphony lovers have seen him conduct at New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Montreal Opera and the Montreal Symphony, Dallas Opera, The Washington Opera, and in Columbus (OH), Portland (OR), Seattle, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, St. Louis, elesewhere in Canada, and in France, Italy, and Japan. His recordings include a Japanese opera with English libretto, Joruri, produced by Opera Theatre of St. Louis with the Tokyo Symphony. He later recorded Verismo with Diana Soviero and the orchestra of the Montreal Opera. With the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal, he recorded a Mozart CD featuring soprano Lyne Fortin plus CDs of Brahms, Mendelssohn and Beethoven. Lillian Groag—Stage Director Lillian Groag works in the theatre as an actress, writer and director. Her acting credits include Broadway, Off Broadway, Mark Taper Forum, and regional theatres throughout the country. She has directed at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, the Old Globe Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Mark Taper Forum's Taper Too, New York City Opera, Berkeley Repertory, Seattle Repertory, Glimmerglass Opera, the Sundance Institute Playwrights Lab, the Virginia Opera, Opera San Jose and the Company of Angels. She is currently completing Bones commissioned by the Old Globe Theatre, Midons for the People's Light and Theatre Company, and Menocchio, for Berkeley Repertory Theatre, which opens in November at BRT, under her direction. http://www.florentineopera.org/

290 (Eisenhower) West to 294 North Toll road (Wisconsin)
94 North to Wisconsin then 794 East to Downtown
Milwaukee.  The road forks and you go to the left, North.
The road turns away from the lake and you are now of the
Expressway.  Proceed west until Water Street.  Turn right,
North, on Water Street and go several blocks north until
you reach the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
929 N. Water Street.  Parking is across the street and
connected by an above ground crosswalk.