Dear customer, we are sorry but your browser doesn't support all necessary features for good site view. Please switch to one of the modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox).
BohémaBohéma
Opera

La bohème

Giacomo Puccini

A celebration of youth, love and joie de vivre through the eyes of Parisian bohemians.

The State Opera
English surtitles

Basic information

Venue

The State Opera

Approximate running time

2 hours 15 minutes, 1 intermission (20 minutes) minutes

Language

In Italian, surtitles in Czech, English

Premiere

October 23, 2008

Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème ranks among the most frequently staged operas worldwide.

Cast

  • 2023-2024
  • 2024-2025

Creatives

Stage director
Ondřej Havelka
Choreography
Jana Hanušová
Chorus master
Adolf Melichar
Chorus master of the Kühn's Children's Choir
Jiří Chvála

About

State Opera Chorus
State Opera Orchestra
Prague Philharmonic Children´s Choir 

Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème ranks among the most frequently staged operas worldwide. The composer was inspired by the Paris-based painter and writer Henry Murger’s popular book Scènes de la vie de bohème, published in 1851, immediately sensing its enormous dramatic potential. He duly asked the librettists and playwrights Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, with whom he had successfully collaborated previously, to pen a text for a new opera. Their fruitful partnership is among the most cherished in the history of opera, comparable to that of W. A. Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte, or Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal.

La bohème premiered on 1 February in 1896 at the Teatro Regio in Turin. The seeming levity of the opera, starkly contrasting with the still prevailing Wagnerism, baffled the audience and the critics alike. The opening night met with a lukewarm response, yet two months later in Palermo La bohème was received rapturously, and ever since has enjoyed enormous popularity. As he did again later in Madama Butterfly and Turandot, Puccini manifested his mastery of musical rendition of local colour. The current State Opera production, featuring Martin Černý’s sets and Jana Zbořilová’s costumes, was created by the stage director Ondřej Havelka, who with great elegance and gentle humour, alleviating the plot’s tragic situations, suggestively evokes the milieu of late 19th-century Paris, depicting as it does the story of four young artists for whom friendship is more than a mere word.  

Suitable for audience from 12 years.

Photo and video gallery

    Share

    Our e-shop

    Goods detail

    La bohème Programme

    A booklet for the production of La bohème

    80 Kč

    Only 4 items in stock

    Practical information

    Where to buy tickets

    The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. We are currently selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika taking place in March-August 2024.


    When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.

    What to wear?

    By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.

    Parking at the State opera

    While visiting the State Opera, you can take the slip road on Wilsonova street from the left lane close to the State Opera building to the Parking Centrum above-ground garage. The parking fee is 40 CZK/h.

    Buffets at the State Opera

    No waiting. For your benefit, please pre-order your food and beverages at the bar to minimize waiting in the queue!

    Menu (PDF, 60 kB)