Displaying items by tag: Georges Bizet

If you are one that finds ballet boring, you haven’t been to Joffrey Ballet. Kicking off their 70th season with Carmen, Joffrey once again proves it’s the ballet company for adults. Hot off the heels of his 2023 production of ‘Frankenstein’, Liam Scarlett returns to Chicago with his US premiere of Carmen.

Set to the iconic Georges Bizet opera score, Carmen is the classic tale of love and betrayal. Carmen works in the harsh conditions of a Spanish cigar factory. Her and the other factory women trade flirtations for preferential treatment from the guards, but it’s the sexy Carmen men all want. Soon she’s entangled in a love triangle between the guard Don Jose (Alberto Velazquez) and bullfighting champion Escamillo.

You can’t have a love triangle in a ballet without a little sex, or in this case, a lot of it. Joffrey has never been shy about putting eroticism into their work, even their Nutcracker has a little something for all ages. Scarlett’s choreography is red hot and his Carmen is even hotter. Victoria Jaiani dances the lead with such lithe dexterity. However, it’s Dylan Gutierrez dancing the role of Escamillo who becomes the focal point in the second act. The bullfight scene nearly commands a standing ovation, something typically reserved for the curtain call.

Carmen is the main character, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s the hero. Instead, another unrequited love story unfolds between Don Jose and a young woman from his past Micaëla. Micaëla is danced by Gayeon Jung who not only scorches the floor with her dancing but breaks hearts with her ability to convey emotion through facial expression.

Alberto Velazquez and Gayeon Jung in Carmen at Lyric Opera House.

Carmen begins a little slow, but by the second act, the audience is as seduced by her as Don Jose is. An even more seductive element are the settings created by Kristin McGarrity, Laura Morera and Lauren Strongin. The action plays out against a deepening red sky and concludes with the subtle symbolism of a dying bull. Costumes by Jon Bauser only add to the visual splendor of Carmen.

As Bizet’s beautiful score floats out from the orchestra pit, emotions run high. Carmen is a ballet that keeps its audience firmly in its grip. Opera and ballet are known for their melodrama, but few feel as suspenseful as Carmen. Scarlett’s vision for this new production is perfectly matched by the spectacle created by the innovative team at Joffrey Ballet. 

Through September 18 at Joffrey Ballet at Lyric Opera House. 20 N Wacker Dr. 312-827-5600

The heart wants what the heart wants and the fiery, rebellious Carmen, in the self-titled opera now playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, follows that truism all the way to a tragic end. Set against the backdrop of Seville, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War of the 1900's, we see obsession, passion, freedom and love all come together in this story of a deadly love triangle.

Don José (Joseph Calleja), a soldier in the army, is sent to break up a fight at a cigarette factory. There he meets the seductive gypsy Carmen (Ekaterina Gubanova). He becomes so enthralled and bewitched by her that he abandons his childhood sweetheart Micaëla (Eleanor Buratto) and deserts his post just to follow her. But the tighter he tries to hold on their love the more Carmen longs to be free. José eventually loses her to the toreador (bull fighter) Escamillo (Christian Van Horn), resulting in a heartrending ending.

It is difficult to root for the love of Don José and Carmen, especially as the opera unfolds and we see how brutal and abusive José can be. Nothing is more discordant than seeing José sing about the depth of his love for Carmen after he just threw her across a table. There is no doubt that he believes he loves her and loves her deeply – he gave up everything to follow her. But perhaps the real question is does he know her or is he just enraptured by a seductive illusion that he couldn’t resist?

Don José consistently tries to get Carmen to bend to his will and be framed by his restrictive love. But Carmen’s will is just too strong, her lust for life too vivid and her need for freedom too all-encompassing to be captured in his stranglehold of love.

Carmen later meets Escamillo, the celebrated bull fighter and hero, who dares to love her for who she is – a rebellious bird. After all her wanderings she has finally found a home and true love but it comes at a very high price.

This thrilling story of Carmen is revealed through soaring, passionate arias; spoken dialogue; a beautiful score of Georges Bizet’s popular and very recognizable music; and ballet.

The addition of the ballet dancers adds so much more to the telling of the story. In particular, the bull which is used as a visual symbol throughout the production depicting both a disastrous love affair and a man caught in a flaming tailspin. We see the bull at key points during the opera from the opening moments all the way to the tragic end where Escamillo’s bull fight occurs simultaneously with Don José and Carmen’s final fight.

Ekaterina Gubanova is brilliant as Carmen while Joseph Calleja is equal to the task as Don Jose. 

Recommended.

Carmen is performed in French with projected English translations and the running time is approximately 3 hours and 5 minutes, including 1 intermission.

The opera runs through March 25 at Lyric’s Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Performance dates are Feb. 11, 22, 28, Mar. 3, 6, 22, 25 at 7:30pm; Feb. 15, 19, Mar. 16, 19 at 2:00pm. For tickets and information, call (312) 827-5600 or click here.