“Shanghai earned the nickname “The Paris of the East” in the 1930s for the beauty of its French concession and the bustling cosmopolitan heartbeat of this international trade port. It was a city of equal parts glamour and squalor. It was a place where people came to escape from their life elsewhere and start anew, as much as it was a place for people to disappear into, becoming consumed by their vices. It is a perfect place for dreamers aspiring to great things, and I am excited to explore how this story resonates for a Chinese band of bohemians finding their identity and learning how to navigate life and love during a time where the city was more foreign than Chinese.” 

Shanghai, translating directly to “City on the Sea,” sits where the Yangtze River meets the Pacific Ocean and was declared a treaty port by the British in the 1840s. From that point on, Shanghai became a melting pot of cultures, with many Shanghai natives electing to reside within its foreign settlements, creating a city of excess and wealth rubbing up against districts of abject poverty.

With the influx of different cultures and nationalities, Shanghai attracted affluent foreigners and citizens from across China alike. This blend of Eastern and Western cultures and styles was called haipai culture, also known as Shanghai-style. Haipai could be found in fashion, art, cuisine, and more, and soon defined the city which indulged every whim of the wealthy. Many locals found themselves providing labor required to keep the city running. Alongside the vibrant central commerce boulevards, Shanghai’s lilongs (里弄) were filled with such locals, housing hundreds and providing communal connection protected from the commotion of the main areas of the city. By the 1940s, lilongs (neighborhood alleyways) covered approximately 60% of Shanghai. Shikumen lilongs (stonegate neighborhood alleyways) were unique to Shanghai, blending Chinese and Western structural styles and indicating the depth of Western influences on the city.

Not to fear though, audiences will notice very few but important details changed from the original libretto in this udpated production: Act III is the morning after Chinese New Year and Act IV takes place during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Audiences will be swept away by the romantically lush score while being dazzled by a different yet equally rich culture. Headlined by Chinese-American soprano Bizhou Chang in the role of Mimì and internationally-renowned tenor Yi Li as the sensitive and suave writer Rodolfo, this incredible cast will present Puccini’s beloved and incredibly heart-wrenching love story against the rich and complicated tapestry of 1930s Shanghai.

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Opera Orlando’s La Bohème will be presented on October 3 & 5, 2025 in Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center of the Performing Arts. Individual tickets are available now at start at just $39, or save big on all THREE MainStage operas —La Bohème, Silent Night, and The Merry Widow—with a season subscription, starting at just $109. Tickets available exclusively through the Dr. Phillips Center’s Bill & Mary Darden Box Office, online at www.DrPhillipsCenter.org or by calling (407) 839-0119, ext. 0.

DIVE DEEPER

Get lost in the glamour and mystery of Shanghai in the 1930s. Check out these fantastic movies below set in and around the period and setting of Opera Orlando’s La Bohème. Then, listen to selections from La Bohème to familiarize yourself with the classic score.