EVENT: Washington National Opera’s production of “La Bohème” to be simultcast live at OU
DATE: September 23
The University of Oklahoma is the only location in the state where the Washington National Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “La Bohème” will be simulcast live from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The production, scheduled for Sept. 23, is being sponsored by OU’s office of the president and a generous gift from Washington, D.C., alumnus Max Berry, Class of 1958. OU is one of 32 universities, colleges and high schools to present the live simulcast, which also will be shown at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., and select movie theaters in the region, as part of its ongoing mission to bring opera to the nation and the next generation.
OU’s simulcast of “La Bohème,” from acclaimed director Mariusz Treliński, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval. Tickets are required for the event and will be available at no cost beginning Sept. 6 in the ticket office of Catlett Music Center, 500 W. Boyd St. Ticket office hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“The university is very grateful to Max Berry, a member of the Class of 1958 and a longtime and generous supporter of the university, for making possible this special opportunity for the OU family,” said OU President David L. Boren. “We are proud to be among the top universities in the country who will have this opportunity to view this limited broadcast by the Washington National Opera.”
“La Bohème,” from Teatr Wielki National Opera Warsaw, is a modern-day take on the timeless opera. The story centers on Rodolfo, a photographer, who is part of a contemporary group of artists searching for identity and longing for a deeper and more profound connection with society. The opera is a human drama of loss and love as the characters struggle with their careers and to truly connect with each other in a world that is increasingly connected technologically. As such, it is expected that the opera’s theme will resonate with younger audiences.
In conjunction with the simulcast, the Washington National Opera will provide faculty and staff of OU’s Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts with educational materials on the opera and how it has been translated into different media over history; its characters, with regard to social classes then and now; and careers and study opportunities with the Washington National Opera.
For more information about the simulcast at OU or for accommodations on the basis of disability, call the office of special events at (405) 325-3784.