La Boheme: The Audience Considered

Getting ready for my La Boheme talk on Wednesday, I realize how much I would actually like to say to my audience.

• Puccini himself
• his famous Boheme battle with Leoncavallo (remember I saw the original latter's note at the Morgan?)
• Boheme and bohemians
• Verismo movement
• the music itself, as a "painting" tool
• my very own favorites (Musetta's Waltz, Marcello and Rodolfo's Duet, Colline's Aria - and everything they say)
• the story
• the characters...

However, I am well aware of my audience. My audience is bilingual and ranges from ages 62 to 100+!
If I want to be heard, I have to remember to be short and sweet. I'll hopefully awaken their interest in opera by touching upon important things and supporting myself with a clear-n-easy handout, and then off we'll go into the movie watching. I have compiled short and nice synopsis of the opera in both English and Russian. I might post them here as well. This was not as easy as one might think. It sure takes a lot to express something shortly.
Tomorrow I will practice my talk and see which parts can stay and which ones have to go. Sometime, some day I know won't have to cut myself short. Some day...
More on the preparation later. Stay tuned.