Throughout the pandemic, our company has constantly pursued novel approaches to connecting people through opera, when people need art and meaning the most.

It’s a thrill for Arizona Opera to share the work of this remarkable team of artists through the graphic novel format and the timeless story of Carmen. Of the project, Joseph Specter, Arizona Opera’s President and General Director, says: Craig Russell and Aneke do an amazing job portraying the colorful but also ragged world of 19th century Seville and Southern Spain. From the preview, it seems that the graphic novel will be very faithful to the opera and to the Carmen character. For tickets and information, visit most modern readings, Carmen's female protagonist is appreciated as the depiction of a strong, independent woman who does not care about her 'scandalous' behavior, and puts her freedom and instincts before anything else. “Carmen” runs through May 28 at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

If anything, it seemed to confirm that we are, at last, officially back to normal - which, as Carmen can tell you, just doesn’t seem like enough. (Leonard’s attempt to play castanets, which was enticing as a typing lesson, didn’t help.) Meanwhile, the pace of the show was marred by awkward silence and visible seams between scenes.įor a story about the passions of the heart and the stakes of freedom-personal, political, artistic-there wasn’t much about this “Carmen” that felt too free. Ultimately, these spectacles landed as showpieces, decoration meant to adorn the place, yet registering like an overarching theme party. (Naming the Wild Spirit, perhaps?) A paso (or processional float) of the Virgin Mary is inserted into the doll and pulled back out. (Beauty’s tenacity, maybe?) A beautiful white horse descended from the stage a couple of times. A vibrant orange tree grew in the center of the city. The Washington National Opera’s ‘Coso Fan Tute’ Is Able To Tune In With Time SkillfullyĮach act found a way to introduce visual treats that aspired to symbolism. Even Carmen’s red corset struggled to pop color-wise. Instead, a gloomy, beige-ish monochrome prevailed, contributing to the messiness of an overcrowded stage. One came to the sense that this sealed Seville would serve as a laboratory where something could be done to the story, or where one of its aspects could be extended or examined in detail. Aside from the suggestion of a tobacco factory, what else is there to this set, other than hermetically sealed? (Also, why did smoke pour out the door like smoke from a witch’s skillet?) Tanya McCullin’s set resembled a Richard Cera statue kept in a warehouse, a rusted iron arch hovering over Seville, articulated by soft textures and richly detailed costumes (also by McCullin). There wasn’t much heat in the music until after intermission, it was too late. Rosister brought some lovely nuance to Bizet’s music, a lightness and passion that didn’t last on stage. The WNO Orchestra, under a spirited Ivan Rogister, was beautifully balanced all night, but also strangely timid-sometimes less audible than a stage staged dozens of feet. So what was causing the drag? There were only a few. I’m already looking forward to his return as Orest in Strauss’s “Elektra,” this fall, another Zambello production - and one that needs a lot more va-voom than we got on Saturday.

She’s an absolute magnet for the eyes on stage, her powerful voice perfectly suited to the captivating readership and her signature arias.

His solitary plea for courage (“Je dis que rin m’apovante”) was one of the vocal highlights of the evening, his voice a bright beam from the stage.Īnd the show didn’t really start until bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green made his groundbreaking performance as Escamillo. Soprano Vanessa Vasquez delivered a brilliant performance as Micaela. The playfulness of Leonard and Fabiano’s pairing was only heightened by the stylish spontaneity and raw power that their co-stars brought to their roles. I was looking for a soldier whose integrity and identity had been undone by desire and betrayal, and often found a moody manchild. His desperation and danger emerged to act in a jarring time-lapse, and his chronically unbalanced chemistry with Leonard overloaded his Jose with uneasy pathos. Meanwhile, Fabiano – who sang with force, vigor and sharp edge all evening – never bit a confident man as Jose. Their momentary love is never believed to be faithful, but on Saturday it seemed nothing but closeness. I was looking for a wild seductress who would wave a scarlet mullet of freedom before the charging bull of her fate, and often I found a disheartened Disney heroine.Īnother factor was the chemistry between Leonard’s Carmen and tenor Michael Fabiano’s Don Jose. Part of this was Leonard’s physicality on stage, often scanned contemporaneously, his gestures overplayed.

Carmen opera dc