As we gear up for our Season-opening new production of La Bohème, which will be set during the student revolution in Paris 1968, BLO's dramaturg Magda Romanska put together this fascinating list of influential Bohème productions since its premiere. The opera has been reimagined countless times over the past 119 years—and BLO's innovative staging by Rosetta Cucchi opens October 2.
La Bohème Production Timeline
| February 1, 1896 | La Bohème has its world premiere in Turin at the Teatro Regio. The premiere is conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. |
| June 16, 1896 | The first production of La Bohème outside of Italy takes place at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina. |
| April 22, 1897 | The United Kingdom premiere of La Bohème takes place at the Theatre Royal in Manchester. The opera is presented by the Carl Rosa Opera Company under Puccini’s supervision. |
| May 16, 1898 | The New York City premiere of La Bohème takes place at Palmo’s Opera House, with Giuseppe Agostini singing the role of Rodolfo. |
| July 1, 1899 | The first production of La Bohème produced by the Royal Opera House opens, with Nellie Melba as Mimì. |
| 1946 | Fifty years after the opera’s premiere, Arturo Toscanini conducts a radio performance with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. It is the only recording of La Bohème by its original conductor. |
| 1974 | John Copley’s groundbreaking production of La Bohème opens at the Royal Opera House. |
| 1990 | Baz Luhrmann’s production of La Bohème for Opera Australia becomes a worldwide phenomenon. The production is revived in New York in 2002. |
| 1996 | Directly inspired by La Bohème, Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent becomes an instant hit. |
| December 8, 2009 | La Bohème opens at The Cock Tavern Theatre, Kilburn, London. The production runs until 15 May 2010, making it the longest continuously running opera in history. On July 27, 2010, the production transfers to the Soho Theatre in London. |
Above: Original 1896 La Bohème poster by Adolfo Hohenstein
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