A group of bohemians play the roles of starving artists in 1830s Paris.  The addition of Mimi, a seamstress, to their group brings romance and brief happiness.  Tragedy triumphs though, with Mimi dying in the arms of her lover, the would-be playwright, Rodolfo. The tempestuous love between Marcello and Musetta ultimately proves the more resilient.

The audience was moved to tears by Matchbox Opera's heart-rending intepretation of Puccini's classic opera.