Open-air La Bohème — Bohème Out of the Box

San Francisco Opera closed its 2026 “Bohème Out of the Box” run Sunday with a free afternoon performance at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord. (sfopera.com) (sf.funcheap.com) The company staged Puccini’s “La Bohème” as a one-hour outdoor production on a converted shipping-container stage with piano accompaniment instead of a full orchestra. (sfopera.com 1) (sfopera.com 2) This year’s tour ran from April 11 through April 26, with stops in San Francisco, Emeryville, Oakland, Woodside and Concord. Concord hosted the final weekend, with shows at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, and Sunday, April 26. (sfopera.com 1) (sfopera.com 2) The performances were free, and San Francisco Opera said registration was encouraged but not required at most venues. Filoli in Woodside was the exception, where advance registration was required and could close at capacity. (sfopera.com) (sf.funcheap.com) The opera was sung in Italian, with live English translations delivered online to audience members’ phones. San Francisco Opera also offered a free “First Act Workshop” for families 30 minutes before each show. (sfopera.com) (sfopera.com) San Francisco Opera launched “Bohème Out of the Box” in 2023 as part of its centennial season. The company says the mobile production has since taken “La Bohème” to cities including South San Francisco, Los Gatos, Dublin, Burlingame, Alameda, Albany, Union City, Sausalito, San Ramon, Los Altos Hills and Hayward. (sfopera.com) The 2026 cast mixed current and former Adler Fellows, with Alexa Frankian as Mimì and Edward Graves as Rodolfo, joined by Sofia Gotch, Gabriel Natal-Báez, James McCarthy, Olivier Zerouali and Eugene Brancoveanu. Jose Maria Condemi directed. (sfopera.com) Funcheap’s listing noted one schedule change during the run: the April 11-12 San Francisco performances moved from Crane Cove Park to Pier 70, Building 12 because of weather. San Francisco Opera said rain could cancel shows to protect artists, crew and audiences. (sf.funcheap.com) (sfopera.com) With the Concord weekend complete, San Francisco Opera’s outdoor April tour has ended, and the company’s 2025-26 season shifts back to the War Memorial Opera House for “The Barber of Seville,” opening May 28. (sfopera.com)