Beer goes well with a lot of things -- tailgate parties, karaoke, pizza, and wings …. But opera? A Maine opera company is betting the two will pair just fine and expose the art to a broader audience.

Opera in the Pines, which debuted in 2022 with a nontraditional approach to opera, this year presents “Bar Crawl Bohème” May 10-12. Each of the three performances will see the cast of six perform in a brewery or winery. 

The company’s founders, Mainers Lauren Yokabaskis, Aaren Rivard and Sable Strout, chose the venues in part because they fit the story the company is telling, but Rivard said it was also because the company prefers not to feel shackled to a traditional opera house.

“I think the age of having sort of this stoic and monumental stage that sort of is your beacon of where the performance happens, that may not be as successful a model anymore,” he said.

The company debuted in May 2022 with “The Diary of Anne Frank.” It was, in many ways, the opposite of a traditional opera production, which might feature a cast of dozens singing to a sweeping orchestra in a huge hall filled with patrons decked out in expensive evening clothes. 

Instead, Opera in the Pines presented a single performer, with only a piano to accompany her, held at the Maine Jewish Museum in Portland. Yokabaskis invited the public and emphasized that jeans and sneakers were perfectly OK for attendees. 

The show’s two performances sold out.

“That was really, really successful, I’m happy to say,” she said.

Above: Rachel Policar performs The Diary of Anne Frank, an opera presented by Opera in the Pines at the Maine Jewish Museum in Portland in May 2022. The show was the company's debut production, and tickets sold out. (Photo: Molly Haley)

This year’s production is based on “La Bohème,” which was composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895. Those not familiar with Puccini or opera in general may identify with “Rent,” the popular Broadway musical based on the Puccini piece.

Originally set in Paris, “La Bohème” is a love story among a cast of artists. The original story features a character with tuberculosis, and Bar Crawl Bohème will be a modern-day retelling, taking place in December 2019, on the cusp of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Rivard said, however, that the disease is not the focus of the story. “We’re not going to beat you over the head with it,” he said.

Yokabaskis said part of the inspiration for this year’s production, however, came from seeing so many restaurants and public places empty during the lockdowns. Holding a production in a public place, she said, celebrates people spending time together again.

“We wanted to do it in a place where people naturally want to gather and have a good time,” she said.

The production’s cast is entirely made up of Mainers. The company is using the restaurant connection by also suggesting food and beverage pairings for attendees to enjoy while watching.

Yokabaskis said the company is limiting itself to a single production per season.

“We’re still a pretty small production,” she said.

The company is seeking full nonprofit status, which may lead to more frequent offerings. For now, Yokabaskis said, she is content seeing how well opera works with pizza and beer.

“That’s the kind of opera I want to see, is opera in a pub,” she said.

“La Bohème” is presented at the Maine Beer Company in Freeport on May 10, Three of Strong Spirits in Portland on May 11, and Oyster River Winegrowers in Warren on May 12.