Valley Opera and Performing Arts (VOPA) will present “Carmen” starting on June 13 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

Dylan F. Thomas directs the production, with conductor Noreen Green leading the VOPA Orchestra. The company presents two alternating casts across the four-performance run.

“The Smuggler Cast,” performing June 13 and 21, features Christina Pezzarossi Ramsay as Carmen, Josh Avant as Don José, Shira Renee Thomas as Micaela, and Zachary Mascarinas as Escamillo, with Lily Prado as Frasquita, Rachel Reich Freed as Mercedes, Steven Moritsugu as Remendado, Patrick Bittner as Dancairo, Johnny DiGiorgio as Zuniga, Eli Katz as Morales, and Colin Schmalz as Lillas Pastia.

“The Soldier Cast,” performing June 14 and 20, features Jessica Mamey as Carmen, Hugo Vera as Don José, Emily Gallagher as Micaela, and Mascarinas again as Escamillo, with Natalie Vatcher as Frasquita, Olivia Kellett as Mercedes, and the same supporting cast.

“For me, Carmen is not a bull to be tamed, as she’s typically depicted; she is the matador, controlling everyone around her,” Thomas said, per an official statement. “Ultimately, she finds that she’s teased the wrong bull in Don José, who transforms from an innocent, loving son to an animalistic killer.”

Green, who also serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, leads the orchestra through Bizet’s score.

The production runs through June 21, 2026.

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