The Pacific Opera Project closes its 2019 season with five performances of Puccini’s “La Bohème AKA ‘The Hipsters'” at The Highland Park Ebell Club.

The production brings Puccini’s classic tale to present day Los Angeles and takes place in a loft apartment during a particularly cold SoCal winter. LA’s housing crisis comes to life on stage as the artist, poet, philosopher, musician, and seamstress become a graphic designer, screenplay writer, English major, indie-rocker, and fashion designer dealing with the timeless issues of life, love, jealousy, and overdue bills.

The production will star Janet Szepei Todd as Mimi, Orson Van Gay as Rodolfo, Maria Dominique Lopez as Musetta, Kenneth Start as Marcello, E. Scott Levin as Schaunard, Adam Cioffari as Colline, Robert Norman as both Benoit and Alcindor.

The roles will also be sung by Luvi Avendano. Music Director Parisa Zaeri conducts and the production will be directed by POP Artistic Director Josh Shaw.

Performances are scheduled to open on Dec. 6 and run thorough Dec 14, 2019.