(Credit: Javier del Real) There are operas that survive by turning into monuments–and others by remaining dangerously alive. “Carmen” belongs to the second category. It refuses preservation. It resists comfort. And every so often, a production appears that reminds one why this work still unsettles rather than reassures. Production Details Damiano Michieletto’s “Carmen” at Teatro Real is one of those {…}
(Photo: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real farewells 2025 and welcomes 2026 with 16 performances of Bizet’s popular masterpiece, “Carmen.” This revival is a new production directed by the talented stage director Damiano Michieletto, which opened in London two seasons ago and which will be seen at La Scala. Italian stage director Damiano Michieletto proved once more why he is {…}
Toledo Opera and Handmade Toledo are set to present “Unmasking Carmen: A Toledo Opera Tuesday Talk.” The event, set for Sept. 30, 2025 at Handmade Toledo, will feature a live panel discussion in which artists discuss the famed Bizet opera in the modern context. Among the panelists will be filmmaking instructor and theatre director Megan Aherne; Toledo Resident Artists Rachel {…}
Toledo Opera and Toledo Spirits will join forces for “Get Into the Spirit of Opera” on Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Toledo Spirits Company. The event celebrates Toledo Opera’s upcoming production of Carmen with an evening of music, craft cocktails, and community. Guests will enjoy signature drinks created by Toledo Spirits, live performances from {…}
Chicago City Opera is set to open its new season with a production of “Carmen” at the Horatio N. May Chapel in Rosehill Cemetery. Set for Oct. 3 and 4, 2025, the performances of the famed Bizet masterwork will star Angela Born in the title role and Jordan Loyd as Don José. Joining them are Keaton Payne, Jessie Lyons, Diana {…}
California’s Guild Opera Company will present “Carmen” on June 27 and 28, 2025. The production, which will take place at River of the Valley in Canoga Park, will feature mezzo-soprano Kimberly Poli in the role as Carmen; tenor David De Melo as Don José; baritone David Hodgson as Escamillo; soprano Veronica Robinson as Micaëla; Lily Berthold and Emma Berggren as {…}
Opera del West is teaming up with Brokton Symphony Orchestra for a concert performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” at Massasoit Community College in Brockton. The opera will be headlined by Heather Gallagher as Carmen, Matthew Arnold as Don José, Melynda Davis as Micaëla, and Juan Suarez as Escamillo. Other cast members include Chenxi Fu, Carlo Bunyi, Jay Hutzler, Roselin Osser, and {…}
(Photo: Siim Vahur) It would be unrealistic to expect a new production of Bizet’s masterpiece to reveal anything that has not already been presented many times before. The best one can reasonably hope for would be a tweak in emphasis that draws attention to elements that are sometimes underplayed. Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau took exactly this approach for his production for Estonian {…}
The Académie de l’Opéra National de Paris will present a concert spotlighting its young artists. The showcase, set for Jan. 17, 2025 at Palais Garnier, will be conducted by Patrick Lange and features scenes from operas by Bizet, Gounod, and Massenet. For Bizet’s “Djamileh,” audiences will hear Amandine Portelli, Liang Wei, and Luis Felipe Sousa. Isobel Anthony and Ihor Mostovoi {…}
Lincoln Center Presents will showcase “The Opera Next Door’s ‘La Carmencita.’” The showcase, which will take place at the David Rubenstein Atrium on Dec. 6, 2024, will reframe the classic masterwork through a modern lens. The production was conceived by Colombian soprano, TOND founder, and Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Sasha Gutiérrez, stage director Rebecca Miller Kratzer, and Latin GRAMMY Award-winning bassist and {…}
(Credit: The Verdi Chorus) The Verdi Chorus is set to present “We Are Verdi Bizet” on Nov. 16 and 17, 2024 at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica. The showcase will feature music from three Verdi operas – “I Lombardi,” “Don Carlo,” and “Rigoletto” – to go along with two Bizet classics – “Carmen” and “The Pearl Fishers.” Soloists {…}