La Bohème

In Puccini's canonical 1896 opera La Bohème, a group of artists live on the brink of starvation in a rundown Parisian flat. Barely making ends meet, they scrap together what little they have to survive as they face the trials of life and love. At the heart of the show is the love between Rodolfo and Mimi, but they soon face tragedy as they battle mental and physical illness. La Boheme has been named as the second most performed opera in the world, spawning several adaptations, including the modern smash-hit musical Rent.