On March 6, 2018, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden will showcase its new production of Bizet’s “Carmen.”

The production, directed by Barrie Kosky, stars mezzo Anna Goryachova, Francesco Meli, Kostas Smoriginas, Kristina Mkhitaryan, David Soar, Jacquelyn Stucker, Aigul Akhmesthina, Pierre Doyen, Jean-Paul Fouchécourt, and Gyula Nagy under the musical direction of Jakub Hrůša. The production has been getting mixed reviews, particularly for its radical take on the work, which establishes in black and white colors on a set featuring a number of stairs.

That should undoubtedly add to the intrigue as viewers try to unpack this new production and what it might have to offer regarding the famous and now iconic opera.

Meanwhile, Hrůša is drawing the best reviews of the production for his strong conducting with What’s On Stage noting, “The conductor has to marshal a circus of follies and make musical sense of them, but he’s on a hiding to nothing. Gorgeous ensemble playing by the ROH Orchestra at lush, leisurely tempos, with fabulous attention to detail.”

The run had its premiere on Feb. 16, 2018, with subsequent showcases on the 20^th, 23^rd, 27^th, March 3, 6, 8, 12, and 16.