Channelling the decadence, glitz and sexual permissiveness of the final months of Weimar Germany, Gale Edwards’ production of La Bohème has become a regular staple of Opera Australia’s repertoire, drawing the ire of those who would like to see more varied programming. But it’s not hard to see why this Bohème has been such a success: a visual feast with fast-paced action, plenty of fun, and, of course, underpinned by Puccini’s well-loved score, it never fails to sell tickets.

But there was another reason for the audience to pack out the Joan Sutherland Theatre last night, ushering in the second cast for the season: the Opera Australia debut (apart from two shows at the beginning of January) of Australian soprano Greta Bradman, singing Mimì in her first role for the company.

^{Greta Bradman as MImì in Opera Australia’s La Bohème. Photos © Lindsay Kearney}

She doesn’t disappoint. A bright-eyed, nervous Mimì in the first act, her finely spun soprano blooms and expands, her sound shot through with darker hues. She sings alongside Filipino-American tenor Arthur Espiritu as the poet Rodolfo, whose sound is exquisitely polished and contained – almost delicate – with...