Bohemia in Shanghai

As one of the most popular of all operas, La Bohème has seen countless productions since it was first staged at the end of the 19th century.

Giacomo Puccini told the story of the loves and lives of struggling young Bohemian artists in Paris. And now thanks to an arrangement between Austria's Salzburg Festival and the Shanghai Grand Theater (SGT), a four-month project to create the set for two innovative new productions of the opera is coming to fruition. The "Made in China" backdrop and props have already been broken down and are on their way to Europe in 20 shipping containers.

In Salzburg, the set will be used for a seven-night run of La Bohème starting on August 1 and performed by a cast especially put together by the festival. The arrangement means that the set will be returned to Shanghai where it will be used in a locally-produced version of the opera.

A modern interpretation

Last week, as the entire 28-meterlong, 15-meter-high set was being made ready for transportation, it occupied a temporary stage at SGT. And according to Cao Jianshen, director of Performance Production Department of Shanghai Opera House, the entire set and props weigh as much as 40 tons, with most of the structure being made from steel. Two front doors are designed to divide the stage space into two sections, with a veranda in the upper section.

"La Bohème remains the biggest production project we've ever undertaken, and we must take issues like load-bearing, movement and portability into consideration," Cao told the Global Times. "The biggest challenge is that such a giant piece of equipment demands a high degree of accuracy in even the smallest of details. For example, any miscalculations with the doors could mean that they fail to open and close."

In contrast to the 19th century urban scenery used in traditional versions of La Bohème, the new stage set depicts a modern-day Paris street block, with some 70 mini models of houses dotted on a sloping surface in order to give audiences an overhead view of the city. "Sometimes the audience will see the actors and actresses singing while seated on these houses," said Zhang Xiaoding, vice general manager of the SGT.

"Chinese audiences may find similarities between these 'bohemians' and our own 'bei piao' for example, who are people from other parts of China and who are struggling to make a life in Beijing. Issues like life and love are universal for young people all around the world," Zhang told the Global Times.

Joint forces

All the tickets for the Salzburg production are already sold out, more than five months ahead of the opening night.

In October the whole stage setting will travel back to the city for a show that will open the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. The production team is currently auditioning hopefuls, with Chinese-born bass-baritone Shen Yang already slated to play the part of Colline, the philosopher, a role he also took with New York's Metropolitan Opera back in 2009.

The new artistic director of the Salzburg Festival, Alexander Pereira, was formerly the director of Zurich Opera, with which the SGT had previously worked on two opera productions in similar capacities: The Magic Flute and Turandot respectively.

Qian Shijin, the artistic director of SGT, said this former co-operation facilitated the chance for the theater to work alongside organizers of the Salzburg Festival.

The SGT and the Shanghai Opera House have been responsible for the set, costumes and stage design of La Bohème, and as part of the deal, are allowed to put on their own production of the opera for an unlimited time period.

The set for La Bohème, although made by local workers, was designed and overseen by staff from the Salzburg Festival.

"This has been both a great opportunity, and challenge for the Chinese production team, laying a solid foundation for a completely original production of the opera in the future," said Qian.