Carmen

Lyric Opera of Chicago brings one of the most heralded classical canons to its stage in Carmen. The four-act opera by the French composer Georges Bizet, with the libretto written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, opened in 1875 in Paris that shook audiences with its scandalous premise.

The play opens in the town square in Seville, Spain, where soldiers await the ringing of the factory bell to ring, to flirt with the cigarette girls. Micaëla appears, seeking José to share his mother's letters which mention he should find someone to love, and his mother suggests, Micaëla. Then Carmen enters and sings her provocative habanera as the men beg her to choose a lover. She flirtatiously teases the men and then walks towards Don José, dropping her flower to him. At this point, we witness the beginning of the fatal attraction; of Don Jose' love for the fiery gypsy woman. Carmen has a seductive flair that all the men in the town desire, but after being imprisoned by Lieutenant Zuniga for fighting, she catches the eyes of Don José, who ignores the love of Micaëla and turns his back on his military career, confesses his love for her and repudiates his duties, allowing Carmen to escape.

J'Nai Bridges is phenomenal as Carmen. The Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano, who has played the role of Carmen at several prestigious opera companies, dazzled the audience with her operatic voice and acting. And the stellar singing from South African soprano Golda Schultz (Micaëla), third-year Ryan Opera Center members Denis Veliz (Frasquita), and Katherine DeYoung as Mercedes was immaculate. And bravo goes to Charles Castronovo's grandiose performance of the love-struck Don José. Andrei Kymach (Escamillo) and W.M. Clay Thompson as Zuniga were exceptional, and the children singing on stage were pure joy. The staging of Carmen, where you see carved-out mountains with the moon descending in the backdrop, was also immaculate. Another plus is Lyric's booklets which provide a plethora of information and is a must-read for opera-goers.

The four-act 3 hours and 25 minutes, with two intermission performance, has periods of thrilling songs and lively dialogue but drags in some scenes. Carmen, sung in French, isn't uncommon to audiences; however, one of Lyric Opera of Chicago's faults is making the audience continuously stretch their necks upward to read the subtitles—taking us away from the brilliance on stage.

In addition, the ending of Carmen has always been seen as problematic as Don José; obsessive and destructive love for Carmen brings her life to an end—a dangerous tragically of love women have endured since Adam gave his rib. Still, with renowned songs of Gypsy Song, Toreador, Habanera, the Flower Song, and Soprano Aria, Carmen is an opera delight.

Let's Play Theatrical Recommends Carmen at The Lyric.

Lyric Opera of Chicago

CARMEN

Marie Lambert-Le Bihan

Music by Georges Bizet

Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy

MARCH 11 - APRIL 7, 2023