OPERA IS BRINGING A CLASSIC WITH A MODERN TWIST TO THE MARKET’S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. FLORENTINE OPERA CEO MAGGEY OPLINGER JOINS US IN STUDIO HERE AT FOUR. YOU SET THIS OPERA IN MILWAUKEE’S BRONZEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD? YES, WE DID IN THE 1940S. SO WE SAID, YOU KNOW, LA BOHEME IS ALL ABOUT LOVE AND IT’S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY. AND I THOUGHT, HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY MAKE THAT MORE MILWAUKEE? AND THIS IS IT. AND IT’S IT’S FIT LIKE A GLOVE. IT’S REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH. LOVE THAT. YOU MENTIONED COMMUNITY. THERE’S A LOT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PRODUCTION IS WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS ON STAGE. WE HAVE A SCHOOLS ON STAGE PROGRAM WHERE MPS, STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR, BUT ALSO OTHER SCHOOLS CAN BE IN A PERFORMANCE WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL OPERA SINGERS AND WITH THE MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. AND THIS TIME AROUND, WE HAVE SAINT MARCUS SCHOOLS AS THE KIDS CHORUS ON STAGE AND PATHWAYS HIGH SCHOOL IS ALSO PERFORMING WITH US. WE HAVE SOME MOVERS AND SOME BAND MEMBERS AS PART OF A HUGE PARTY SCENE IN ACT TWO. HOW SPECIAL IS THAT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED? HOW SPECIAL IS THAT? IT’S SO FUN. I MEAN, THERE’S A MOMENT, THERE’S A YOUNG GIRL SINGS A SOLO AND SO ON A STAGE FULL OF LIKE A HUNDRED PEOPLE OVER AN ORCHESTRA THAT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY FULL. THIS YOUNG GIRL STEPS TO THE EDGE OF THE STAGE AND SINGS HER SOLO LINE. AND EVERY TIME EVERYONE IN THE THEATER IS LIKE CHEERING FOR HER. IT’S SO COOL AND THESE PERFORMERS ARE PEOPLE WE WANTED TO BRING TO MILWAUKEE FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, AND THEY ARE HAVING, I MEAN, JUST A BLAST ON STAGE. IT’S IT’S HORSE PLAY AND IT’S BROTHERHOOD AND IT’S ROMANCE. AND I THINK THE KIDS CAN FEEL THAT TOO. SO THERE’S THIS SENSE OF JOY WHEN WE GET TO ACT TWO, WHICH IS REALLY LIKE A ALMOST A STREET PARTY. THERE’S A GUY HANDING OUT TOYS AND THERE’S, YOU KNOW, FRUIT SELLERS AND OUR SINGERS ARE REINTRODUCED TO AN EX-GIRLFRIEND WHO IS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP, AND IT IS JUST RAUCOUS AND FUN. AND I DON’T KNOW WHO’S HAVING MORE FUN UP THERE, TO BE HONEST. YEAH, YEAH. SO THAT’S A REALLY GOOD TIME. AND LOOKING AT YOUR FACE, I CAN TELL THAT YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND YOU LOVE IT. WHAT? WHAT DO YOU WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO FEEL? I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE WITH TIES TO BRONZEVILLE TO SEE HOME, TO SEE THE PLACE WHERE THEIR GRANDPARENTS GREW UP. AND YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD A PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE BRONZEVILLE COMMUNITY IN TELLING THOSE STORIES THROUGHOUT THIS PRODUCTION. AND I WOULD LOVE THAT RESONANCE TO BE THERE IN THAT JOY TO BE THERE. AND I WOULD LOVE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW BROWNSVILLE’S HISTORY TO LEARN A LITTLE BIT. AND WE’VE GOT LOTS OF FUN LITTLE NUGGETS IN OUR PROGRAM AND ON OUR WEBSITE. AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS I DIDN’T KNOW, LIKE DUKE ELLINGTON WAS IN BRONZEVILLE REGULARLY AND THE SATIN DOLL LOUNGE IS A BIG PART OF HIS STORY. AND THERE’S JUST SO MUCH MILWAUKEE PRIDE, I THINK, TO PULL FROM HOW WE’RE TELLING THIS, THAT THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO LEARN AND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TO CELEBRATE. I LOVE THAT THE OPERA IS EXACTLY AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN. WE HAVEN’T CHANGED A NOTE. SO IF YOU LOVE LA BOHÉME, THIS IS STILL YOUR LA BOHÉME. IT’S JUST A N