But the reality is, we have done harm, historically,” Alejandra Valarino Boyer, Seattle Opera’s former director of programs and partnerships, told me. “We had been, as an industry, holding this precious art, and we didn’t ever want to say that there was anything wrong with it. (Photo: Philip Newton, courtesy of Seattle Opera) Those questions are answered, in part, by upcoming programming, including last week’s Seattle debut of Blue, described as “a portrait of contemporary African American life: of love and loss, church, sisterhood, and most importantly, family.” Created by librettist Tazewell Thompson and composer Jeanine Tesori, Blue will run at Seattle Opera from Feb. As their voices boomed with energy and power, I asked myself, what did it mean for these performers to tell this story? Aesthetically, how are their faces lit to honor their skin tones? And how might opera center non-white stories? But I also found warmth in Puccini’s story and a racially diverse cast, including Kang Wang, an opera singer from China, who portrayed the caring, attentive Rodolfo, and Brandie Sutton, who is Black, as Musetta, whose high-pitched notes brought exuberance and brightness to the production. In the actual production, I found hallmarks of opera produced in the United States, including the libretto sung in Italian and translated on a screen below the performers.

I was nervous to attend this production in October 2021 at Seattle Opera, as I imagined a stereotype of opera (and its audience) as opulent, dense, and intimidating - and, quite frankly, white. Written by Giacomo Puccini, this classic first debuted in 1896 in Turin, Italy. This is the opening to La Bohème, the four-part opera about poverty, romance, and tragedy in early 19th-century Paris.

Art and fire interact when we first meet Marcello and Rodolfo, who lament over the incessant cold and burn some of Rodolfo’s writing to keep warm. Their apartment is sparse, with accouterments of art - music stand, easel, books - and of survival: a fire. Inside, we are in the attic apartment of four roommates: visual artist Marcello, poet Rodolfo, philosopher Colline, and musician Schaunard. With dark grille lines that form a grid within, the window slopes inward and lets in iridescent rays of orange, yellow, and blue from the outside. Stage left: A towering three-story glass window frames a humble apartment.

Seattle opera boheme