As far as 'Boheme' is concerned I definitely prefer Musetta to Mimi. In fact, I prefer operetta to grand because in the latter, so many of the women are wimps, with 'victim' writ large upon their foreheads before they've sung a note! Usually they allow themselves to suffer at the hands of men: fathers, husbands, brothers, lovers. Operetta heroines are much less likely to put up with being bossed about, and are therefore better role models, plus more likely to let you leave the theatre with a smile. Who wants to be in tears at the end of an evening out?