Sold-out performances can sometimes be watched free on live TV in the adjoining Teatro Piccolo Regio, where Puccini premiered La Bohème in 1896, and it's always worth popping into the box office to see what might not be sold out. Sadly, some of Carlo Mollino's visionary midcentury fit-out did not survive subsequent renovations, but the seductive red, rhythmic foyer is still a treat.
Tickets start around €40.