One of the biggest hits on Broadway is a rock opera based on Puccini's "La Boheme.'' What's the title?

The vibrant, gritty world of this iconic rock opera was directly inspired by Giacomo Puccini's 1896 opera, "La Bohème." Creator Jonathan Larson transported the story's "bohemian" artists from the 1830s Latin Quarter of Paris to the late 1980s East Village of New York City. He kept the core themes of a chosen family of impoverished young artists struggling with love, loss, and creativity in the face of a devastating illness.

The parallels between the two works are remarkably specific. The opera's deadly tuberculosis is reimagined as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which was ravaging the New York arts community at the time. The main characters are direct analogues: the poet Rodolfo becomes the rock musician Roger, the painter Marcello becomes the filmmaker Mark, and the fragile seamstress Mimì becomes the exotic dancer Mimi. Even specific musical moments are echoed, such as the famous "Musetta's Waltz" from the opera, which finds its modern counterpart in the show's score.

Tragically, Jonathan Larson never saw his show's incredible success. He passed away suddenly from an aortic aneurysm the morning of the first Off-Broadway preview performance. His creation would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical, becoming a cultural phenomenon that introduced a new generation to musical theater, all while carrying the powerful, century-old spirit of Puccini's original masterpiece.