The CSUN production of the opera “La Boheme” was a months-long odyssey of training, teamwork and love of theater for the staff and students working on the show. The opera ran from March 9-12 at the CSUN Campus Theatre. A cast of students from a wide spectrum of majors, and walks of life, made up the production, but holding it together were two individuals – director Sara E. Widzer and music conductor Mercedes Juan Musotto.
“La Boheme” is one of the largest productions put on at CSUN in recent years, accord- ing to Amanda Cleveland, the costume shop supervisor. The opera is an old, familiar favorite. Written by Giacomo Puccini and first performed in 1896, the Italian opera was supposedly the inspiration for the musical “Rent,” written by Jonathan Larson and premiered in 1996. Both follow the lives of young adults living under the shadow of a pandemic, consumption in “La Boheme,” and AIDS in “Rent.”
