Conceived and directed by Jeremy Bloom, the new work is adapted by Brian Rady. The 70-minute piece will play five performances only. Based on La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme (Spoken) is billed as "a lyrical dialogue loyally adapted from Puccini's original libretto," according to show notes. The play follows the same story "about young artists, mostly broke, hyper, and always on the brink of inspiration and death."

The Puccini classic opera La Bohème also served as the inspiration for the Jonathan Larson musical Rent. The opera was also seen on Broadway in 2002 in a production staged by Baz Luhrmann.

The new downtown production will feature Laila Alj, Amanda Bloom, Lauren Blumenfeld, Veracity Butcher, Holly Chou, Tommy Crawford, Katherine Folk-Sullivan, Christopher Hejl, Vella Lovell, Nick Maccarone, Joyce Miller, Scott Morse, Sade Namei, Heidi Neidermeyer, Dominic Spillane, Stephen Stout, Ari Venturi, Ben Webber and Claire Wilmoth.

	Heidi Neidermeyer, Dominic Spillane, Stephen Stout and Ari Venturi

Julie Griffith is the producer, Dan Gallagher is the lighting designer and Kara Kaufman is the production stage manager. The Flea Theater is currently presenting the world premiere of Jonathan Reynolds' Girls in Trouble at the company's home. Flea artistic director Jim Simpson directed the new work.

Tickets to La Boheme (Spoken) at The Flea, 41 White Street (between Church and Broadway), in Manhattan, are available by calling (212) 352-3101 or online at theflea.org. (Advance tickets are $15 (with code ADVANCE); $25 at the door.)