On Saturday, March 26, Arizona Opera and the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present a free outdoor screening of “La boheme,” Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece and one of the most celebrated opera’s of all time, in the Scottsdale Civic Center Amphitheater.

The music and libretto of “La boheme” vividly portray scenes from the lives of young bohemians in the Latin Quarter of Paris in the 1840s, and according to Opera America, “La boheme” is the second most frequently performed opera in the United States, right behind another of Puccini’s works, “Madama Butterfly.”

First filmed live in 2010 at Symphony Hall, Arizona Opera’s rendition of this classic expertly and beautifully recreates the city and era as the setting for the romance between the seamstress Mimi and the poet Rodolfo. This will be a great opportunity to experience the opera in a fun and casual atmosphere, whether you’re a regular opera enthusiast or novice.

Picnic food and beverages, including wine and beer, will be available for purchase on the amphitheater grounds, and low-rise lawn chairs, pillows and blankets are welcome in designated areas. (Outside food and beverages — with the exception of water — may not be brought in.) And free parking is available in the public parking garages located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and at Civic Center Library on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street.

Be sure to arrive early, not just to stake out the best vantage point, but also to enjoy the live entertainment, as Arizona Opera singers will be performing special selections in-person prior to the screening.

Also, you’ll want to start practicing your shouts of “Bravo!” for the screening’s dramatic conclusion.

Scottsdale Civic Center Amphitheater is located at 75th and Main streets near the SCPA.

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