BalletMet will close its 48th season with a new production of “La Bohème” at the Davidson Theatre in Columbus, running May 13–17, 2026. The work marks Artistic Director Remi Wörtmeyer’s first full-length creation in the role, and represents a significant reimagining of Giacomo Puccini’s opera as a dance work set not in 19th-century Paris, but in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Wörtmeyer’s production relocates the story of artists living in poverty to New Orleans’ bohemian neighborhoods, incorporating the visual spirit of Mardi Gras through choreography and puppetry. Sets and costumes are newly designed and constructed in-house by BalletMet. The Columbus Symphony, conducted by Rossen Milanov, performs Puccini’s score live from a position on stage within the sets and scenery, placing musicians in direct visual dialogue with the dancers.

Wörtmeyer said the production aims to “honor Puccini’s work by bringing it to America’s own bohemian heartland,” citing the French Quarter’s energy and spirit of renewal. The central themes of loss, friendship, and romance are preserved from the original. Tickets and performance information are available at balletmet.org.

Source: BroadwayWorld