The Bravo! Vail Music Festival is the place to seek cultural highlights in the Vail Valley of Colorado. A majority of the  Bravo! Vail performances are held at the beautiful and unique Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, where audience members experience musical delights and innovative performances year after year. The 2024 summer season runs from June 20 through August 1. This year, Bravo! Vail has set out to captivate opera aficionados and newcomers alike, as they present Giacomo Puccini’s timeless masterpiece, La bohème, backed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. With performances scheduled for Wednesday, July 10 and Friday, July 12, 2024, this production signals the return of opera to Bravo! Vail  after a hiatus since 2019.

Elli Monroe, director of artistic operations at Bravo! Vail, sheds light on the meticulous planning that has gone into crafting this production. “The response to our Tosca production in 2019 was really overwhelming. So many people said they had never heard an opera before and were already asking when we would do another one,” Monroe shares. Operas are difficult to plan, and the COVID-19 pandemic made producing one in Vail even more difficult. After five years, Bravo! Vail is welcoming the production of La bohème, a love story between a poet and seamstress set in 19th-century Paris.

What distinguishes this production of La bohème from other Bravo! Vail productions is its immersive storytelling. Unlike the music organization’s orchestral concerts, with the opera performance audiences can expect a sensory feast, with special lighting, soloists adorned in period costumes and a theatrical setting that transports them to Paris. The vision of production designer Noele Stollmack is pivotal in achieving this immersive experience. Stollmack’s sets not only complement the natural beauty of the amphitheater and the surrounding mountains, but also serve as portals to the bohemian world inhabited by Puccini’s characters.

Building these sets is no small feat, but it’s a task undertaken with passion and precision. Stollmack’s designs are bespoke for La bohème, crafted to evoke the romance and melancholy of the opera’s setting. “The director and the designer are both very inspired to recreate the story of these bohemian artists in Paris right in our very own Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater,” Monroe remarks.

After the Bravo Vail! concert Saturday night, July 6, 2024, a dedicated team of production personnel will descend upon the venue tirelessly constructing sets, installing lighting and video elements and preparing the stage for the upcoming week’s performances. Three days of rehearsals follow to integrate the orchestra, soloists and two full choruses. Behind the scenes, the costume shop will complete fittings before the dress rehearsal and first performance on Wednesday.

Artistic director Anne-Marie McDermott.

Anne-Marie McDermott, artistic director, reflects that Bravo! Vail’s previous opera, Tosca, was “magical and impactful.” She expects La bohème to produce a similar effect. “The music is sublime. Puccini creates character and mood in the musical score, which will come vividly to life, especially when the orchestra and all of the singers are together on one stage, led by the remarkable Yannick Nezet Seguin,” she says. The emotional depth of La bohème promises to captivate and transport audiences, as it has for generations.

Bravo! Vail’s production of La bohème will stand as a testament to the enduring power of opera. With its fusion of exquisite music, immersive storytelling and unparalleled artistry, this production promises to be a special experience
for all who attend. As the curtain rises on July 10 and 12, 2024, audiences will be transported to a world of passion, tragedy and timeless beauty — a world brought to life by the unparalleled talent and dedication of Bravo! Vail’s team. As McDermott says, “La bohème is a classic not to be missed.”

bravovail.org

Originally published in Summer + Fall 2024 issue of Well.