(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 one of the most recognized stage directors nowadays. His production keeps Carmen’s essence but with a modern approach. He sets the action around 1970 in an isolated, wide opened ground, somewhere in Spain. The production highlights a realistic approach towards acting and a very good use of theatrical convention. The production’s desert ground has a revolving stage in the centre with a building at one side and as it turns, it shows the exterior and interior of this facility. The audience gets to see a different building for each act: A “Comisaría de Policía Local” (Local Police headquarters) for the first act, a night club for the second, an abandoned storage room and the “Toreros” dressing room for the final act. Although the action is set to many years ago, it is closer to the audience of today’s understanding.

Michieletto’s staging is clear, powerful and stunning. Carmen manages to escape prison by stealing a gun from one of the policemen and runs away by pointing the pistol at them. It is very difficult to believe, as it is written in the libretto and original book by Mérimée, that a gypsy woman seduces three or four soldiers on her own and runs away. At the end, Don José strangles Carmen to death (rather than stabbing her), which was very shocking. The realism and violence of the acting added depth to Don José’s character. For most of the scene, Don José tries to regain Carmen’s love, and begs her to fly away with him in order to forget the past and start a new life. He doesn’t show up to kill her, so it makes sense that he does not carry a weapon as it is not a preconceived action. Carmen’s brutal murder is an impulse and even a provocation from the seductive gypsy as she says, “Frappe-moi donc, ou laisse-moi passer” (Hit me then or let me go) and throws his engagement ring to the sand.

There’s nothing left out or empty in Michieletto’s work. There’s constant action and reaction between the characters. His work is so meticulous that one can see clear individuals in the choir ensemble scenes. Everything makes sense in his production and the singers act as real-life characters full of emotions. He also adds a new character. It is Michielietto’s trademark to introduce new characters played by actors in most of his productions. A woman wearing black clothes and a “mantilla” (a traditional Spanish veil that women wear while attending church or traditional festivities), in the final bars of the prelude at the very end, enters the stage like a ghost and throws the Tarot card symbolizing “Death” towards Carmen’s dead body. Since I intentionally don’t read programs before attending performances, so I can judge by myself without reading pre-conceived ideas from the director, I believed that this character represented “the Death,” but according to the program, it is Don José’s mother (a character who is profusely mentioned throughout the opera but never appears). But this is what good art creates: a free interpretation from the audience which increases the meaning of the plot and adds to the drama.

This production shows Michieletto at his best, being a realist while also revealing the emotional and symbolic nature of the work at the same time. The plot and the characters are clearly understood and there is a deep connection with the music, which usually underlines or adds extra emotions to the action. And this is why Damiano is one of the best directors today. He makes modern productions based on a realistic approach while respecting the libretto and music. He connects the opera’s story to the audience today without inventing a parallel dramaturgy.

Stellar Cast

Mezzo soprano J’Nai Bridges was a magnificent Carmen. She has a warm and dark voice with a marked vibrato and modest projection. She also has a solid middle register that matches Bizet’s score perfectly. The role of Carmen requires acting skills that demand more from a singer than just singing. Bridges portrayed sensuality through the aria “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Habanera), which is probably one of opera’s greatest hits of all times. She portrayed cynicism and frivolity during “Pres des remparts de Seville” (Seguidilla) and “Les tringles des sistres tintaient” (Gypsy Song). She also showed emotional depth during her several rage outbursts when in confrontation with Don José in the las two acts, to a deep pathos and resignation during her cards aria, “Melons! coupons!” in Act three.

Bridges’ performance was powerful, sensual and deeply emotional. Her presence was perfect for the young gypsy conception. She has a vast palette of vocal colors and a wise use of the dynamics to fulfill Bizet’s score with meaning and emotion. The “Habanera” is so repetitive and famous that it has the tendency to sound tedious and boring if the singer doesn’t give intention and emotion to every line like Bridges did. Her realism and involvement in her acting might make one pity Carmen’s fate. But it is a difficult task as Don José’s pain and abandonment, in his love for Carmen, might make one favor his character out of spite towards Carmen’s frivolity. If you see the plot through modern eyes, it is very clear that Don José’s behavior is full of sexism, abuse and gender violence. However, Bizet’s music manages to turn around the obvious meaning in favor of Don José as a poor, in love, and sorrowful person. Bridges’ interpretation makes you feel rejection and understanding for Carmen’s character at the same time.

Tenor Michael Fabiano was the true star of the show, stealing the performance completely. His interpretation, both dramatically and vocally, was so intense, realistic, emotional and believable that the audience could see Don José’s immense emotional journey. He showed the soldier’s degradation and mental deterioration, which goes from a serious and committed soldier, to an amoral smuggler when he deserts the army to favor Carmen’s desire, to a pathological and jealous lover in total madness which drives him to murder his beloved Carmen. His characterization and performance in the final scene was menacing, scary and deeply emotional. His portrayal of Don Jose was truly exceptional.

The role seems to be written for his voice, making his singing sound effortless and full of dynamism in perfect French style. His lyrical and warm voice has become darker in recent years, and his projection remains outstanding. His middle range is strong which makes his voice ideal for the role of Don José. His voice and projection are so powerful that he sounds menacing and scary during his outbursts and mental breakdowns during acts three and four. He delivered several ringing high A flats and A naturals. His B flats in “Carmen tu m’aimeras” (an A sharp to be precise) and his fight with Escamillo, “Et veillez sur vous,” including his final phrase were thunderous, full and secure. But singing is not a question of just delivering good high notes. His interpretation of his duet with Micaela in Act one, “Parle-moi de ma mere,” was a lesson of true Bel canto. His long legato lines navigated constantly in the passagio zone (between F and G). He applied his attention to every dynamic written in the score. He delivered beautiful soaring diminuendos and pianissimi up to his final A natural in “O souvenir.” His final line of his aria, “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée” (Flower aria), was another example of his astonishing diminuendo and in “Et j’étais une chose à toi,” where he culminated with a pianissimo B flat before ending in a magical crescendo/diminuendo in “Carmen, je t’aime!” But the role of Don Jose is a constant contrast between sweetness and roughness, and this is where the tenor succeeded with the qualities of his voice and pure vocal technique. Fabiano’s lyrical voice qualities were perfect for the role. Although he has performed as Don José in Berlin and the Met, it is not a role that he has performed the most. But I’m sure that it will become one of his signature roles.

More Cast Highlights

The role of Micaëla is really short. It is basically a duet in the first act and an aria in the third act. It is written with long legato lines and requires effortless ascensions to the high register, up to B natural in her third act aria, “Je dis que rien m’epouvante.” Soprano Miren Urbieta-Vega has a lyric voice with a strong, dark timbre and powerful high notes. She performed with deep emotion, but from the moment she sang the line “Au revoir, messieurs les soldats,” I sensed her voice wouldn’t be adequate for this role, according to my beliefs. The type of voice which defines a role doesn’t only rely on the tessitura and volume. The voice should match the dramatic demands of the character. Micaëla is a young and naive village girl, which is why a lighter and brighter voice is more adequate. In my opinion, Urbieta-Vega sounded too dramatic and powerful. She sounded like Tosca rather than Micaëla. But Urbieta-Vega is a very good singer, with beautiful vocal qualities and a strong technique. Nevertheless, most of the audience didn’t agree with my opinion as she received the greatest ovation at the curtain call.

Escamillo is a role ideal for bass-baritones, as baritones lack the power and strength this character demands and bass voices find the tessitura too high. Luca Micheletti is a lyric baritone with a beautiful metallic timbre and modest projection. He has astonishing vocal technique which enabled him to hold the last high F of his “Toreador” aria until the very last bar. He also performed with impeccable French diction. But his confrontation with Don José during the third act sounded weak, distant, powerless and lacked bravura. He was perfect in his last moments as he performed “Si tu m’aimes, Carmen” due to the lyricism required for this fragment.

Natalia Labourdette as Frasquita, and Marie-Claude Chappuis as Mercedes were brilliant in their respective supporting roles. It is always a pleasure to have Mikeldi Atxalandabaso on the cast of an opera production. His voice has a brilliant, beautiful timbre and mesmerizing projection. It is far too good for secondary roles, but his commitment to the portrayal of the character he plays makes him chameleonic. He can play a gangster clearly high on cocaine (as he played in the production of “Le Remendado”) as well as an effeminate servant (which he played in “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” at the ABAO Bilbao Opera 2021). I will always say that this wonderful artist is highly underrated.

Conductor Eun Sun Kim was explosive. She was pure energy and determination and so Bizet’s music sounded bombastic, enthusiastic as well as dramatic. It was probably a mixture of tempi, volume and timbre control which delivered one of the best interpretations I have ever heard of this score. The Coro y Orquesta del Teatro Real and the children’s choir, “Pequeños cantores de la ORCAM,” were brilliant and strong under Eun Sun Kim’s baton. She chose the version with recitatives, rather than dialogue, which were heavily cut, so it was mostly one musical number after another. This gave an astonishing rhythm to the show which lasted for two hours and twenty minutes of music.

This was another astonishing production by Damiano Michieletto, with a strong cast and the powerful and brilliant work of conductor Eun Sun Kim.