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Opera I La bohéme – photo: Zdeněk SokolOpera I La bohéme – photo: Zdeněk Sokol
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

Choose date

  • December
  • January 2025
    December 2024

    Wednesday 18. 12.
    19:00

    Tickets available

    English surtitles

    Sunday 22. 12.
    19:00

    Tickets available

    English surtitles

    Wednesday 25. 12.
    17:00

    Tickets available

    English surtitles

    Saturday 28. 12.
    18:00

    Tickets available

    English surtitles
    January 2025

    Friday 3. 1.
    19:00

    Tickets available

    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

    • 2024-2025

    Creatives

    Stage director
    Ondřej Havelka
    Choreography
    Jana Hanušová
    Chorus master
    Adolf Melichar
    Chorus master of the Prague Philharmonic 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

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      Goods detail

      La bohème Programme

      A booklet for the production of La bohème

      80 Kč

      Last item 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 December 2024 – May 2025.


      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 60 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)