Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème is based on a novel by Henri Muger, Scenes de la vie de Bohème , which was also used by Leoncavallo for his opera of the same title. Leoncavallo’s version is seldom heard while Puccini’s is one of the most performed and best loved of all operas.  It has been produced by the Public Theatre in New York City with Linda Ronstadt as Mimi and in a Baz Luhrmann updating to the 20th century with a rotating cast of exciting young singers. A more contemporary use of this source is of course Jonathan Larsen’s Rent, which enjoyed a long run both on and off Broadway and moved the story to Greenwich Village in the 1980s. In whatever form the characters and their loves have continued to fascinate audience for over 120 years.