Puccini's La Bohème opens at Lyric on Saturday, March 15(2)

View La Bohème images here

CHICAGO (3/14/2025) — Love burns bright in the City of Light as Puccini’s La Bohème returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago on Saturday, March 15, 2025.

In his Lyric debut, Pene Pati takes center stage alongside Ailyn Pérez as the star-crossed Parisian lovers Rodolfo and Mimì. The opera also stars Lyric favorites Gabriella Reyes as Musetta and Will Liverman as Marcello.

Jordan de Souza returns to Lyric to conduct the powerful Lyric Opera Orchestra. The opera also features the 60-person Lyric Opera Chorus, led by Chorus Director Michael Black, plus the Uniting Voices Chicago children’s choir led by Josephine Lee. Director Melanie Bacaling brings La Bohème to life in a vibrant new-to-Lyric production for all Chicagoans to enjoy.

With its stirring music and unforgettable characters, this production brings the heart of Paris to the Lyric stage and reminds us why La Bohème — the inspiration for the iconic Broadway musical Rent — remains one of the most beloved operas of all time. We hope audiences can join us for Puccini’s timeless story of love and longing.

View La Bohème Images Here

A high-resolution video trailer will be available soon on Lyric's YouTube channel and in Lyric's online press room.

Read the Blue digital program book before the performance.

Performance dates for La Bohème are March 15, 19m, 22, 25, 28, 31, April 3m, 6m, 7, and 12. All performances take place at the Lyric Opera House, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago.

Audio description, a guided touch tour of the set, and SoundShirts are available at the Sunday, April 6 matinee performance. Braille and large-print programs, high-powered opera glasses, assistive listening devices, and booster seats are available from the main floor coat check at all performances. For more information, visit lyricopera.org/accessibility. 

La Bohème is sung in Italian, with easy-to-follow projected English titles above the stage.

The running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.

For tickets and information, call 312.827.5600 or go to lyricopera.org/boheme.

Lyric’s presentation of Puccini’s La Bohème is generously made possible by a gift in memory of David L. Grumman, an Anonymous Donor, Josef & Margot Lakonishok, Lisbeth Stiffel, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, The Julius Frankel Foundation, ITW, The Beaubien Family, Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa, Richard O. Ryan, and Lori Komisar and Morris Silverman.

Lyric Opera's Season is presented by

Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, American Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

American Airlines
Illinois Arts Council

About Lyric

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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