BalletMet is presenting the world premiere of artistic director Remi Wörtmeyer’s first full-length original ballet, a new adaptation of La Bohème, running May 13 through 17, 2026, at the Davidson Theatre in the Riffe Center in downtown Columbus. The Columbus Symphony Orchestra will provide live accompaniment throughout the performances.

Wörtmeyer’s production relocates the story from 19th-century Paris to the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1920s, following a group of bohemian artists who design costumes and Mardi Gras parade puppets while navigating poverty, heartache, and the ill-fated romance between Mimì and Rodolfo. The choreographer said she wanted “a very new take, or a different perspective from the original,” while preserving the emotional depth of Puccini’s operatic score. The ballet draws on Henri Murger’s 19th-century French novel Scènes de la vie de bohème—the same source material behind the opera—and its focus on ordinary people facing authentic suffering rather than fairy-tale narratives.

The production marks a milestone for BalletMet, as the first full-length work choreographed by Wörtmeyer since taking the artistic director post. The Australian choreographer and former principal dancer with the Dutch National Ballet was named BalletMet’s sixth artistic director in June 2024, succeeding Edwaard Liang. Wörtmeyer’s 2025-26 season—his first full season leading the company—has centered on new works, including several North American premieres of his own choreography.

Source: WOSU Public Media