“La Bohème” will come to the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Feb 10 as a part of the Marshall Artists Series.

“La Bohème” is an opera set in 1830s Paris within the Latin Quarter and follows the struggles and lives of poet Rodolfo, the beautiful Mimi and their friends.

“Rent” is based off of “La Bohème” and follows some of the same story lines.

The opera’s U.S. booking agent, Jenny Kelly, said the opera is special and emotional because there are still people living like the characters do within the opera.

“This is a timeless story even though it was composed nearly 300 years ago,” Kelly said. “There are still many starving artists out there that can’t afford to pay their bills or have health care just like the characters in our opera. This will tear at your soul with parts that can bring you to tears, and it will appeal to everyone across the spectrum even if you have never been.”

“La Bohème” is on a world tour and started the U.S. leg with Huntington as of the first stops in its travels.

Kelly wanted to stress opera these days doesn’t necessarily mean heavy set, older singers belting across the stage.

“I think people are going to be shocked and really appreciate how good looking the cast is,” Kelly said. “The media has put us in a habit of being unhappy if we don’t see good looking people entertaining us. Fortunately for us, we have a young, attractive cast that helps people like what they see along with what they hear.”

The opera is in French, but there will be supertitles projected above the stage.

Tickets for the opera are free to full time Marshall University students, and all others can be purchased at the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center box office or online.

Kaitlyn Clay can be contacted  at [email protected].