February 6-7, 2026
Saturday February 6, 2027 | 3:00 PM
Sunday February 6, 2027 | 3:00 PM
Thorne Hall - Occidental College
1600 Campus Road
Los Angeles, California 90041
Run time: Approx. 2 hours 45 mins with one intermission.
Presented in Italian with English supertitles.
Music by: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by: Giuseppe Adami
Puccini. Paris. Passion.
The ultimate date night at the opera arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day.
POP gives a nod to our mascot, Signor Puccini, with a lavish production of La Rondine (“The Swallow”) at Thorne Hall, Occidental College, just in time for Valentine’s Day 2027.
Did you know Puccini wrote a Viennese operetta? Well, that was the plan at least, when he was commissioned to write La Rondine in 1913. After a series of twists and turns (including the outbreak of WWI), what ultimately flowed from the great maestro’s hand was an Italianate score filled with soaring melodies, a glorious act 2 finale, and one of the most famous soprano arias ever written, “Ch’il bel sogno.”
Set amidst the sleek elegance of Art Deco Paris, La Rondine is the story of a beautiful young courtesan who dares to dream of true love with a handsome young man from the country. Think La Traviata, without the coughing.
SYNOPSIS
In glittering Paris, the elegant courtesan Magda dreams of a different life—one built on genuine love rather than luxury. When she meets Ruggero, a sincere young visitor to the city, she disguises herself as an ordinary girl and the two fall deeply in love amid the cafés and dance halls of Paris.
Choosing love over wealth, Magda begins a new life with Ruggero on the Riviera. But as their romance deepens, she must confront the truth of her past and what it may cost them. In Puccini’s most bittersweet love story, passion and sacrifice intertwine as Magda discovers that sometimes loving someone means letting them go.
Plan Your Visit
Venue
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Parking
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Thorne Hall (#58 on the map below) is situated off Campus Road between Baer Road (west side of the hall) and Bird Road (east side of the hall). "Thorne Hall" should be searchable in Google or Apple Maps. If all else fails, just have Scotty beam you down to "Thorne Rd., Los Angeles 90041."
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There are wheelchair accessible parking spots near the entrance of Thorne Hall. We suggest arriving early if you require accessible parking.
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Parking on the street and walking onto campus is your best bet. Campus Road and neighboring streets have many parking spots.
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To get to the theater, walk through or around the Booth Hall courtyard. Don't worry, Oxy is a small campus. So although this sounds tricky, it's usually quite easy to navigate!
