Opera Theater of Cape Cod Presents La Bohème

Launching its second season as Cape Cod’s professional opera company, Opera Theater of Cape Cod (OTCC) presents Giacomo Puccini’s opera classic La Bohème in a preview performance on Friday, August 30, 7:30 pm at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, Wellfleet. Two mainstage performances are held on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7, 7:30 pm at The Studio Theater at The Tilden Arts Center, Cape Cod Community College, 2240 Iyannough Road, W. Barnstable. The production is conducted by Music Director Joseph Turbessi, with stage direction by Ethan DePuy, produced by Eileen Christiansen.

“We are dedicated to producing opera of the highest quality, in a way that is accessible to modern audiences and speaks to their experiences,” shared Joseph Turbessi, OTCC Co-Artistic Director.

OTCC’s production of La Bohème, the timeless Giacomo Puccini classic, is performed by a roster of the brightest rising opera performing artists in the New England region. The opera explores a group of struggling artists as they navigate making ends meet, friendship, love and loss. As one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide, La Bohème’s music is treasured by opera fans. The universal narrative of this beloved opera is also the inspiration for the score and book of the hit musical RENT.

Opera Theater of Cape Cod brings La Bohème’s story to life incorporating the English National Opera’s translation of the piece, allowing audience members who are new to opera to understand and enjoy the performance in the most more accessible way possible. OTCC’s staging propels the story into present day at carefully chosen venues that enable the production to fully immerse the audience in the music and drama.

Cast in the performance are Sarah Joyce Cooper (Mimi), Fran Rogers (Rodolfo), Hannah Carlson (Musetta), Scott Ballantine (Marcello), Fred Furnari (Colline), Matthew O’Donnell (Schaunard) and Miles Rind (Benoit/Alcindoro).

OTCC’s founders Joseph Turbessi, Ethan DePuy and Eileen Christiansen collectively fuel a wide range of artistic and administrative experience. Turbessi is a versatile musician in the greater Boston area, maintaining a career as an opera conductor, a vocal coach, a collaborative pianist and organist. He also serves as music director for Old South Union Church in Weymouth. DePuy brings a unique dramatic style to his work in pieces ranging from the Baroque period to today. DePuy is a highly sought-after tenor soloist for operas and concerts in the New England area and beyond, as well as providing stage direction for OTCC’s inaugural production. Besides performing regularly as a soloist in New England, Eileen Christiansen is an active administrator and board member for several New England artistic non-profits, and leads a thriving voice studio in Melrose.

As a new chamber opera company dedicated to bringing high quality and accessible opera performances to the Cape Cod community, OTCC’s vision is to enrich Cape Cod’s vital art scene with exquisite singing and storytelling. The company’s founding members are on a mission to ignite the Cape community’s passion for opera, from longtime opera lovers to audience members new to the art form.

For more information, visit operatheaterofcapecod.com, 617-429-4026, or follow Opera Theater of Cape Cod on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.