From la Scala's website (the website, at least, unlike the rest of the theater, is not on strike)
"La bohème - Performances on 7, 9 & 11 July: The management of the theatre deeply regrets to announce that due to a strike organised by the SLC-CGIL, FISTEL CISL, UILCOM UIL and FIALS trade unions, the performances of La bohème due to take place on Monday 7, Wednesday 9 and Friday 11 July 2008 are cancelled."
As already reported by Opera Chic, this extremely lame decision by the unions kills the only really interesting show la Scala was going to offer for the next 12 months -- and considering that the management of the theater has huge public funding available when compared to all the other massively underfunded Italian opera houses, this doesn't make the management and GM Stephane Lissner look particularly good either (not to mention, the already heavily-burdened Italian taxpayers are heavily subsidizing la Scala with these embarrassing results; in a time of deep financial distress for the government, one shudders to think of what would happen if the theater had to try to find its funding without constantly nagging the taxpayers -- most of whom will never set foot in the opera house anyway -- for more cash).
Dudamel -- just like Daniel Harding, and many other major-league conductors and singers -- is too expensive now for la Scala, so he won't be at la Scala for a while, after this Bohème eventually -- if at all -- has its course in the second half of July (Opera Chic, by then, will be on holiday), in the semideserted city.