It wasn’t supposed to happen for another couple of weeks but Jonelle Sills jumped into the COC’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème as Mimi on Sunday afternoon, replacing an indisposed Amina Edris.  It added some spice to a production I’ve seen rather a lot of times before.  I don’t have a lot to say about the production that I haven’t said before.  It’s still efficient and serviceable and it’s always looked a bit (not inappropriately) down at heel.  If it’s now a bit more worn and faded t doesn’t detract from that.  If you want more detail here’s a link to my May 2019 review.

So let’s talk about the singing and Jonelle.  It’s good and so is she.  Act 1 revealed Pene Pati as an excellent Rodolfo; up with the best I’ve seen at the COC.  If he doesn’t have high notes as spectacular as Michael Fabiano’s he’s still got all of them and he’s a much more human and relatable Rodolfo.  Jonelle was not in the least overawed in Acts 1 or 2.  She was excellent in the big duets and made a totally convincing Mimi.  But it was in Act 3 that she really blossomed.  This was as good an Act 3 as I have seen and much turned on really fine singing and excellent chemistry from both of the lovers.  She was also appropriately touching in Act 4.  I think what makes Jonelle’s voice so appealing is that it’s so even through the registers.  The top notes are sweet and clean and there’s no sense of disconnection between head and chest voice.  It’s not (yet) the most powerful instrument but that may come with time and it’s certainly got sufficient heft for Mimi.  Let’s hope we see more of her at the COC.

The other pair of lovers were good too.  Joon Won Kang has quite a powerful but even toned baritone and he’s a good actor.  He makes an appealing Marcello.  Charlotte Siegel was good as Musetta too.  I think the role sits nicely for her voice and plays to her pleasantly smoky lower register.  She’s also a good actor and was appropriately sexy in Act 2 while conveying genuine pathos in the final scene.  Blaise Malaba as Colline and Justin Welsh as Schaunard were also effective, especially in the clowning around with Benoit in Act 1 and in the various antics at the beginning of Act 4.  The children’s chorus was lively, again with some impressive acrobats and the main chorus and orchestra were as good as usual.  It was good to see Jordan de Souza back in Toronto and his conducting was idiomatic and efficient.

I’ve probably seen this production more times than one should see any production but I still think it’s a satisfying La Bohème, albeit not terribly original.  Yesterday, of course, was lifted out of the ordinary by Jonelle Sills’ very promising house debut.  La Bohème continues at the COC until 28th October with Jonelle scheduled to sing again on the 22nd.

Photo credits: Michael Cooper (The photos, of course, show Amina Edris as Mimi, not Jonelle Sills).