Berks Opera Company's Reading Production of La Bohème Features Strong Boyertown Connections

by Lesley Misko

When the curtain rises on Berks Opera Company's production of Giacomo Puccini's La Bohème on Saturday, Aug. 15, audiences will see more than one of the world's best-loved operas. They will also see the work of numerous performers, musicians, and volunteers with deep roots in the Boyertown community helping bring a major operatic production to the Reading stage.  

The performance, to be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the Miller Center for the Arts at Reading Area Community College, marks a significant achievement for Berks Opera Company, which has steadily expanded its programming since its founding in 2007. The Miller Center describes the performance as a professional production of the Puccini classic. Tickets are available through the Miller Center box office and Berks Opera Company.

Retired Boyertown music educator Francine Black co-founded Berks Opera Company in 2007 with her daughter, Tamara Black, a Boyertown Area Senior High (BASH) graduate and Reading-area music educator. According to reporting by Susan L. Peña in the Reading Eagle and Jon Fassnacht in Berks County Living, the mother and daughter established the organization to bring opera to Berks County while creating opportunities for local performers and audiences to experience the art form close to home. Nearly two decades later, the company has grown into the region's dedicated opera organization, presenting concerts, educational programs, and staged productions.  

For this production, Francine Black serves as Chorus Master, while Tamara Black is Production Manager and Costume Designer.

Promoting the production, Francine Black states on Facebook, "Dear friends and lovers of the Arts, please come and be prepared to be transported to a world of exquisite beauty." She adds, "This will be a grand indulgence for the senses! Can't wait!"

A number of familiar Boyertown-area faces will appear on stage and in the orchestra. BASH graduate Mary Fetterman performs the role of Musetta. Singing in the chorus are Rachel Folk, Jack Burrell, Jason Rosenberger, Chris Sterner, and Sadie Hanish. BASH graduates Adam Price, Aaron Scarberry, and Stephen Dudas perform in the orchestra. Community members Cheryl Markofski, Joyce Farmer, and Richard Black also appear in the chorus.

Among the many local performers contributing to the production is Rachel Folk, a BASH graduate who participated in the school's music program as a student and continues to assist with the school's annual musical productions. She said one of the things she values most about Berks Opera Company is its welcoming atmosphere and the opportunity to collaborate with performers of all experience levels while reconnecting with fellow Boyertown musicians.

"I'd have to say one of my favorite things about participating with Berks Opera is partnering with artists who are in a variety career stages. There are professionals, students, and hobbyists and we are all equally welcomed and encourged. This year I'm excited to be reunited with former classmates, as well as with recent students who were participants in recent BASH musicals."  

La Bohème tells the story of a group of young artists whose friendships and romances are tested by poverty and illness, centering on the relationship between the poet Rodolfo and the seamstress Mimì. For this production, Berks Opera Company relocates the action from 19th-century Paris to present-day Reading while retaining Puccini's celebrated score, giving local audiences a familiar backdrop for the timeless story.

Performance Information

What: Berks Opera Company presents La Bohème

When: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Miller Center for the Arts, Reading Area Community College, 4 N. Second St., Reading

Tickets: Tickets are available through the Miller Center for the Arts box office and the Berks Opera Company website.

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