Stage Review - The Opera “Carmen”
I have never been to an opera before attending “Carmen” this past Thanksgiving weekend. And now, I am very glad to say I have been. At first my mind raced with torturous thoughts of trying to stay awake, not getting the story or plot and being surrounded by annoying, stuffy white people. But, in reality I was taken over by the sweet story and holiday vibe of the whole outing.
Well, not only did I follow the story, I laughed and I was moved. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The grand scale of the production was very impressive. The set design and mobility of the set pieces was fun to look at. The many, many characters didn’t seem crammed onto the stage. At one point it looked as if there were 50+ cast members on stage.
The first act did come off a bit slow, but that was full of plot development and character studies. It helped to establish the slapstick like drama that was soon to come. We learn in the first act that Carmen is the most popular girl in town, and she is the most reviled by some. She has a sultry, lazy ease about her that people either love or hate.
The second act picked up momentum and I heard very familiar arrangements of classical music and singing that was reminiscent of a Looney Tunes cartoon, and that was a good thing. The story gained a gradual excitement that kept my interest throughout. “Carmen” is three and a half hours long, which I thought would kill me. But I enjoyed the three split up acts with intermissions. When the fourth act started the pacing was super fast, the story flowed with a comedic charm.
As the opera ended the audience is left with a tragic ending, but a realistic impression/view of the times, the battle for Carmen’s love and of the tormented soldiers that chased Carmen. This opera seems to be the blueprint for every romantic comedy that Hollywood puts out today, but with much better results. and for those that are skeptical, there is a screen with sub-titles for us folks that don’t understand French opera.
I will most likely go see another opera after viewing the entertaining and charming “Carmen”. The scope of this opera was huge and impressive. I thought the actors and vocal sound were amazing. This was a great new experience for me, and I am very glad I was treated to this majestic spectacle.
November 29th, 2006 at 4:28 pm
I am actually a big fan of classical music and opera, and I have to say that this one was fabulous. Many people don’t realize that many of the songs from this opera have been comandeered into regular pop culture. I wonder what Bizet (the composer) would think if he knew that one of his main scores was the song kids associate with the Bad News Bears? If you liked this one, I would recommend the Barber of Seville by Rossini or Don Giovanni by Mozart (coming next June/July).